Al Fresco Appetites

Cafe Drake regrets that we currently have no open-air dining options, so how lucky for us to spend an enchanted summer evening at the home of Jen and Anthony in Clinton Hill. Behind the tree-lined streets (a charming combo of grit and gorgeous pre-War architecture), several trees - and flower beds and rose bushes and bunches of herbs - grow in Brooklyn. Dining under a striped canopy, provided with an endless stream of grilled offerings (vegetable skewers, tender eggplant slices, marinated mushrooms, crispy charred chicken and spice-rubbed pork chops) and chilled white and rose wines, the group seen above noshed away the night. As if the table wasn't groaning already under the happy weight of so many seasonal victuals, we started the dinner with Manhattans, bruschetta and fresh mozzerella and a sweet and savory salad of mangoes and hearts of palm. We could go on and on about the hot buttered corn, the essence of freshness conveyed through a variety of just-plucked herbs (is there anything more delightful than summer oregano?) and the homemade strawberry shortcake for dessert, but will simply leave you with just the pictures above. And time to find a way to scam an invite to this most exclusive of dining destinations.