Best Outdoor Seating '97

Best Outdoor Seating

The Blue Willow
2616 N. Campbell Ave.

READERS' PICK: Quiet, multi-leveled and protected from traffic, the courtyard at The Blue Willow offers a splendid little oasis from the chaos of modern life. Shards of rainbow flash through the air as light plays and refracts through the gentle haze of outdoor misters. It's lovely, it's serene and no animals were harmed in the making of this ambiance.

READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP: Cuppuccinos Coffee House, 3400 E. Speedway. Hmmmm. This is either an expression of existential angst, or some sort of perverse Zen thing. This upscale strip-mall coffee house deserves kudos for doing the best it could with a commercial space that was, to say the least, uninspiring. But best outdoor seating?There you are, in a parking lot, with traffic speeding by on East Speedway. The view is cement. And asphalt. And nothing else. But it is shaded from sun and rain, and you can bring your dog and chain him up to the wrought iron. There's something to be said for that.

1998 Winner: Cup Café
1996 Winner: The Blue Willow