After more than a year of lockdown and quarantine, people are anxious to enjoy outdoor living again and experience their first tastes of normalcy as vaccination rates climb across the nation. Movie theaters have available showtimes, concert venues are beginning to sell tickets for future shows, and best of all, restaurants are beginning to reopen and offer indoor dining once again. Businesses are still employing safety protection protocols to continue preventing the spread of COVID-19, but it feels like we are on the path to real life again!
The most exciting part about returning to a new normal is the ability to see our friends and hug our loved ones. Now is the perfect time to start planning your next backyard celebration. While we don’t think you need a reason to get together and celebrate (especially after this last year), we’ve got plenty of good excuses to kick up your heels and be merry. Let’s look at an exciting upcoming event and how you can use your outdoor furnishings to have a backyard celebration that the whole neighborhood will want to attend.
Arizona Restaurant Week 2021
We can’t think of a better way to celebrate our progress than enjoying a meal (or seven) during Arizona’s Restaurant Week 2021! Put on yearly by the Arizona Restaurant Association, this statewide affair offers foodies a wealth of dining opportunities and the chance to get outside their neighborhood and try something new. From sizzling Southwestern and soothing comfort foods to five-star dining and international fare – it’s all on the table during Arizona Restaurant Week. So, prepare your taste buds and dig in.
Let us introduce you to some of the restaurants we are excited to try out this year.
Ajo Al’s is a family-owned and operated restaurant business serving Sonoran-style Mexican food since 1986. All of their menu items are prepared fresh daily, featuring the freshest and finest local ingredients available. Their specialties include smoked street tacos, Mexican pizzas, and their famous frozen margaritas! Visit any one of their four valley locations and find out why Ajo Al’s is no ordinary Mexican Cafe. They also claim to be Arizona’s original Mexican Cafe.
We are excited to try a Mexican pizza not made by a fast-food chain and wash it down with a frozen margarita – which sounds like a perfect meal for a Sunday afternoon get-together.
Thirsty Lion Gastropub & Grill:
Thirsty Lion’s culinary commitment is to provide an eclectic variety of multi-cultural cuisines, emphasizing local ingredients, bold flavors, and scratch recipes. Their fresh sheet specials focus on the changing seasons with unique ingredients, including fresh seafood, quality meats, artisan cheeses, and local vegetables & fruits. Their menu selections represent popular and culturally relevant recipe creation, including the infusion of craft beer into the food. They have three locations across Arizona and are offering a special 3-course prix fixe meal for $33.
This eclectic menu has something for everyone and features many trendy offerings. We are particularly intrigued by the Scotch Eggs and Gochujang BBQ Pork and Kimchi Fried Rice – quite the cultural, culinary mash-up!
Quality, comfort, and value are three key ingredients that make The Keg Steakhouse & Bar experience unlike any other. Highlighted by exceptional service and mouthwatering steaks, The Keg creates an atmosphere that encourages guests to enjoy, relax and be themselves. Whether you’re getting together with friends or celebrating with family, you’ll always be welcomed with a smile.
This classic upscale steak house calls to the carnivore in us. From the Bleu Cheese Filet Mignon to the surf and turf Sirloin and Lobster, there are almost too many decadent options to choose from. Just make sure to practice eating with your pinky fully extended before you arrive.
The Sicilian Butcher is centered upon a build-your-own meal experience featuring gourmet meatballs and charcuterie boards with casual dine-in and to-go services. This modern-casual meatball and butchery-inspired concept are the first of its kind to launch in Arizona. They have three locations across Arizona and offer a special 3-course prix fixe meal that looks out of this world. If you’ve been craving high-quality authentic Italian food, look no further than the Sicilian Butcher.
Dine Out at Home
If you are unable or not ready yet to dine out, consider supporting your local restaurants by ordering take-out from their establishments. This year has been challenging for every American, but restaurant owners and workers suffered by closing up shop. Not only can you celebrate some of the best cuisines that Arizona has to offer, at the same time you can enjoy your fine outdoor furniture while helping your fellow Arizonan business stay open.
Restaurant Week is the perfect excuse to have people over and try some exciting new local foods. Here at All American Outdoor Living, we have plans to host a big backyard party catered by some of these participating restaurants. If this sounds like a good time, consider doing the same with your family and friends! Lucky for you, we have all the information and equipment you’ll need to pull off a successful Restaurant Week backyard celebration. Let’s cover the basics for throwing the best backyard bash.
Get Your Backyard Party Ready
Hosting a memorable backyard party is all about providing comfort for your guests. Comfortable furniture, fire pits, good food, and proper protection from the elements are the foundation of your event. Here are some essential items you can add to your backyard to bring the party to life.
Fire Pits
Gather around your fire pit with a delicious Restaurant Week Fire meal and finish it off with freshly roasted s’mores. Fire pits can be custom designed to match most styles using marble, cast aluminum, concrete, and slate. They can also be customized to your gas preferences, whether it’s natural gas, ethanol, propane, or an actual wood-burning pit.
We suggest getting one that sits above the ground for the first-time fire pit owner instead of committing to a full dug-out pit. Think of it as getting the fire pit equivalent of an above-ground pool; it will do the job and requires a smaller upfront investment and long-term commitment. Concrete fire pits are a great place to start your search. The Round Moderno Concrete Fire Pit is an affordable starting pit and comes with fifty pounds of stunning blue volcanic rock that will make your entire patio pop visually.
If you are looking for a fire pit that is less about functionality and more about decoration, check out the Tavola Concrete Fire Pit below. This pit is perfect for covering large areas of your patio and adding a really elegant ambiance to the environment.
If your fire pit desires are purely about decoration, see the Pentola Concrete Fire Pit below. A few of these strategically placed around your yard will warm your space and make it feel exquisite.
Fire Tables
Fire pits are not for everyone as they can be a big commitment for your patio space and tend to be pricey; if this sounds like you, consider an alternative such as a fire table. Fire tables are functional pieces of furniture that feature a live burning centerpiece. These tables come in various shapes, sizes, and finishes and are usually powered by gas or gel canisters.
If your family enjoys dinners outside, consider the Trinidad Octagonal Gas Dining Firepit. Its sturdy aluminum frame and powder-coated finish make it ideal for fall weather and are big enough to fit most large families. For those who enjoy a hot beverage in the morning or cozying up and watching the sunset, consider one of our favorite options: The Icon Rectangular Fire Pit Coffee Table. This table can fill your patio space in both form and function, perfect for coffee and snacks.
Patio Covers
Patio covers are essential all year round, but especially so during the hot Summer months. Protect your furniture patio investment by covering your pieces with patio covers. Rain, persistent dew, falling leaves and branches, and wind are all factors that could damage your property in the long term. It is a good rule of thumb to be preventive about your protection practices instead of reactive. Some damage can’t be undone.
Our outdoor patio covers are constructed of top-grade fabrics and fibers, made of solution-dyed acrylic and nylon fabrics. Our outdoor patio furniture covers are durable and breathable, water-resistant, and will not crack or peel like vinyl. The patio covers are beige and have various sizes that fit table and chair covers, individual covers like an outdoor sofa or loveseat. We also offer fire pit covers, chaise lounge, and umbrella covers too. Our outdoor patio covers will fit aluminum furniture companies such as Tropitone, Mallin, Brown Jordan, or Castelle, as well wicker manufacturers like Ebel, NorthCape International, and Lloyd Flanders, along with outdoor wrought iron companies like O.W. Lee and Meadowcraft.
Spring into Summer with All American Outdoor Living, Arizona Restaurant Week, and your long-lost friends and family members.