Summer Evenings on the Patio
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It’s funny how quickly we acclimate around here. I caught myself standing outside the other evening thinking, “It’s nice out tonight!” Then I checked my phone: 99 degrees. Nice. That’s an Arizona summer for you.
There’s a stretch of summer evenings when the heat finally lets go around 7 p.m., and suddenly staying outside feels like the whole point of the day. The string lights come on, something easy is on the table, and Johnny B insists the patio speaker is “at a reasonable volume” when it decidedly is not.
I’m not going to pretend patio dinner is a big production at our house. Most nights, it’s one good dish, soft lighting, and whatever playlist keeps us outside past bedtime. Here are the pieces I use, the dinner I could eat 3 nights in a row, and something cold and sweet for later.
Let the Patio Do Most of the Work
Around our house, when I suggest “going out to eat,” I usually mean carrying dinner through the back door. Add the pergola lights, something good playing in the background, and suddenly it feels like we made plans.
Mango Chicken Salad has become a favorite for evenings outside — easy to make, refreshing in the heat, and perfect for dinner on the patio after sunset. View the recipe →
A Few Patio Favorites
I’ve linked a few of the outdoor pieces we use along with more entertaining favorites on the My Favorites page.
Nothing fancy—just a few small pieces do most of the work:
Cordless Patio Lamp The quickest way to make the table feel warm and inviting
Outdoor Serving Tray Carries drinks out, carries dessert out, while keeping the number of trips through the back door somewhat under control
Citronella CandlesNon-negotiable in an Arizona summer. Nobody wants to talk about their day while swatting.
Outdoor Speaker Small, wireless, and a source of ongoing debate over what qualifies as "dinner music." (Johnny B's answer is always Michael Bublé. Every single time.)
A Summer Evening Playlist
Music does a lot of quiet work on the patio. We keep it soft, a little jazzy, and low enough to still hear each other — most nights, anyway.
A few go-tos:
Pandora
Spotify
Something Sweet After
This simple strawberry sorbet is refreshing, easy to make, and feels especially good after a relaxed dinner outside on the patio.
You’ll need an Ice Cream maker and a Stick Blender for this recipe.
An Hour Outside
Arizona summers make it very easy to stay inside with the air conditioning and declare the patio closed until October. Some nights, that’s absolutely the right decision.
But when the sun goes down and the temperature finally eases up, it’s worth carrying dinner outside—even if it’s only for an hour. Add something cold for dessert, turn on the music, and make the most of the part of the evening that summer gives back.
And when it’s simply too hot to negotiate with, that’s what our Escape the Heat getaways are for.
Explore the Escape the Heat Series →
Because summer evenings on the patio
…are for the Birds.
More From the Nest
If you liked hanging out on the patio with us, Join the Flock. I'll send you the recipes, the favorites, and the occasional Johnny B commentary — no spam, just the good stuff.
