Cafe Brauer at Lincoln Park Zoo... Alfresco! At Last!

Location, Location, Location! Cafe Brauer's Patio is OPEN!

It's official! Summer is here! That means white shoes, beach days, sultry evenings, sun screen ...and the long-anticipated beginning of the ever-too-short al fresco dining season. And where better to enjoy open-air seating and eating than amidst nature and animals at Cafe Brauer's patio in the Lincoln Park Zoo?

So begins our ode to Cafe Brauer, that lovely and adored plaza with a prime waterfront terrace just steps away from the Green City Market, the Lincoln Park Conservatory, and the Notebaert Nature Museum, where you can refresh yourself after taking in your fill of nature, flora, and fauna. Eating healthy? Order a crisp and bikini-friendly summer salad or small plate. Feeling indulgent? Cheeseburgers, rosemary parmesan French fries with garlic aioli, or traditional Reuben will hit the spot. On babysitting duty? Kids' meals and apple juice will please the tykes. Looking to, er, take the edge off? Draft and bottled brews range from domestic to imported; wines include $3.95 house selections and sparkling champagne; specialty drinks range from sultry gin martinis to crisp and wondrous mojitos.

We admit that we're partial to Sunday Brunch at the cafe, because there's something so surreptitiously satisfying about sinking our forks into the cheese-studded three-egg Patio Omelet and sinfully sipping a Mimosa while joggers pass by and eye our plates with stark, unadulterated stares of pure, unmitigated envy. An added bonus? Fido and Fifi are welcome, too, and you can easily slip your four-legged friend a slice of your side bacon-and-sausage plate to keep him or her from barking at the jealous joggers' canine companions. Aaah! Al Fresco!