Photo by J P Crumrine
As diners look forward to a summer of travel and outdoor activities, OpenTable, the world’s leading provider of online restaurant reservations and part of The Priceline Group, recently unveiled the 100 Best Al Fresco Dining Restaurants in America for 2016. These awards reflect the combined opinions of more than 5 million restaurant reviews submitted by verified OpenTable diners for more than 20,000 restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Ferro, in Idyllwild, is listed. OpenTable, however, located it in Coachella Valley, along with seven other desert restaurants.
Owner Frank Ferro said he felt “blown away, ecstatic and humbled. It makes us all want to keep cooking here at Ferro.”
“I‘ve never placed in the top 100 of anything before this.”
California claims almost half the number of winning restaurants with 44, followed by Florida with 13, Hawaii with 12, and Arizona with eight. North Carolina and South Carolina boast three honorees apiece. Maryland New Mexico and Pennsylvania have two each. Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia and Washington, D.C., also are represented at www.opentable.com/m/best-outdoor-restaurants-in-america-2016.
Menus showcasing American cuisine are most popular; however, many highlight regional fare, including Californian, Hawaiian and Mexican, and seafood is a common theme at coastal restaurants. Other cuisines strongly represented include French and Italian.
“Dining al fresco is a delicious way for travelers and locals alike to take in the sights, sounds, and flavors of a city,” said Caroline Potter, OpenTable chief dining officer. “These winning restaurants have created delightful outdoor seating areas that provide a front-row seat to the natural beauty and urban vistas around them, allowing guests to commune with their surroundings while experiencing welcoming hospitality and fresh fare.”
The 100 Best Al Fresco Dining Restaurants in America list is generated from more than 5 million restaurant reviews submitted by verified OpenTable diners between May 1, 2015, and April 30, 2016.
All restaurants with a minimum “overall” score and number of qualifying reviews were included for consideration. Qualifying restaurants were then scored and sorted according to the percentage of qualifying reviews for which “great for outdoor dining” was selected as a special feature.
Originally launched in November 2008, the Open-
Table Reviews program helps diners find restaurants that best fit their dining occasions. Only diners who recently honored an OpenTable reservation are invited to submit restaurant reviews.
The other “Coachella Valley” restaurants listed are Arnold Palmer’s Restaurant in La Quinta; Pacifica Seafood Restaurant and Tommy Bahama’s Restaurant & Bar in Palm Desert; and Copley’s on Palm Canyon, Le Vallauris, Spencer’s Restaurant and The Tropicale inPalm Springs.
