Where to Eat in Perfect Weather

Do not let yourself be trapped indoors while the weather is this gorgeous! Go out and enjoy yourself! Lift your face to sun! Let the breezes mess up your hair!

Here are my recommendations for dining al fresco during these lovely fall days:

For those flush with cash, Commander's Palace courtyard.

For everyone else, the courtyard at Café Rani on Magazine Street (the best combo ever thought of -- New Orleans and Indian), or the porch at the Audubon Clubhouse. The Courtyard Grill on Magazine Street, front or back, where the Turkish food is off the charts good. For a light lunch, the outdoor tables at the Village Coffee at the corner of Freret and Jefferson Uptown.

For those across the Lake, the front porch at Rip's on the Lake in Old Mandeville, with its fabulous view of the lake and the great lake breezes.

Of course, this being New Orleans, this is only a partial and prejudiced list. Readers are invited to send in their favorite New Orleans-area outdoor eating spot.