The Patio

 

6/14/21 Columbia City's Patio

Although a friend and I are both fully vaxed, we still feel more comfortable dining outdoors rather than inside restaurants. When I learned from Kate about Columbia City’s Patio, it sounded like exactly what we were looking for.

I had never heard of it (as you know, I haven’t gotten out much the past 15 months), but it isn’t new – it’s been open nearly a year. Shared by a variety of nearby venues, the community seating is covered by a large tent on a closed lane in the middle of the Columbia City neighborhood’s business district.

On a warm but rainy Monday, the lunchtime wait would have been 45 minutes at popular Geraldine’s Counter if we had wanted a table inside; many people were waiting outside the door. To be seated in The Patio, however, all we had to do was walk right in, place our order, and carry our takeout to the table of our choice. Good food, outdoor seating, and no wait. Triple win!

I arrived a few minutes early so I could make a quick sketch. (The drizzle was no match for my hardy, waterproof Expedition!) All the “Do Not Enter” signs and traffic cones may look forbidding, but they are there just to make sure cars don’t get confused. We enjoyed a pleasant lunch even in the rain.