MENU dorset issue 17 **MENU17..dorset pdf issue 17 | Page 3

MENU
A
DORSET
l fresco. Say it with a proper Dorset accent
and it can sound like you’re talking about
this bloke you know, called Alan. It is, of
course, Italian, and borrowed from the phrase “in the
cool air”. (Although they now use it to mean spending
time in prison rather than eating outdoors). However,
in a county as blessed with beautiful views and great
food as Dorset, you could perhaps wonder, when
the sun is out and cocktails are being sipped, if we
didn’t invent the concept in the first place. Then you
remember the weather.
The fleeting presence of the sun in a British
summer only heightens our desire to eat and
3
drink outdoors. We are a country full of patios
and terraces, beer gardens and decks, all ready
for the clouds to part or the rain to stop so we
can get out there for our moment in the sun. You
need to be prepared. We’ll show you some of the
nicest spots for dining and drinking outdoors in
Dorset and throw in a couple of summer cocktail
recipes too. Best take an umbrella though (p22).
Elsewhere we have Plenty: seasonal food, events
and festivals, we have recipes to cook, outdoors if
you like, and we know where your next
Robin Alway
Group Editor
meal is coming from with our Eat Out
section (p49). Summer is here, enjoy it!
Contributors
Nick Marshall
Nick’s been topping
up his tan by eating
al fresco for our
cover feature this
issue. Read his
powerful, patriotic
call for his right to
bare arms starting on p.22.
Two Thirsty Gardeners Tom East
Summer’s here
and Rich and
Nick’s boozy gaze
turn to the glories
of the beer garden
and some local
brews to enjoy
outside. Pray for no wasps.
Tom’s all about
the aubergines
this month.
Turns out they’re
the purple,
pillowy staple
of some of the
world’s greatest dishes.
www.menu-dorset.co.uk
Alison Smith
Has barely
bothered her Aga
for a month, she’s
been eating out so
much. It’s when she
asks for the wine
list at home that
her family should worry.