Outdoor dining spots are rare now in NJ — try this one (Opinion)

I am not in the camp that is uncomfortable eating indoors in restaurants because of the threat of getting sick. But it turns out that many of my friends are. So when we’re looking for a place to go out to eat, it can be challenging.

One couple was so crazy trying to find a place for indoor dining last week, finding out that most of them have closed up shop for the winter.

Some people have just given up eating out for the immediate future. But if you’re looking for somewhere to eat that’s not necessarily indoors, I’ve got a good one for you.

If you’ve spent the past week searching for safe outdoor dining, this place may be of interest. If you are willing to drive, or conveniently live close to Basking Ridge, NJ, make a reservation at Washington House.

A friend turned me onto this restaurant over the summer when outdoor dining wasn’t as hard to come by. Now this place is one of the few restaurants still offering outdoor dining in this climate.

The entire dining area is located under a heated tent of sorts, and no matter where you’re seated, you will feel safe.

The menu also has a wide variety of dishes to accommodate any kind of diet, making it an easy dinner decision when you don’t feel like cooking.

Not to mention (but I’m happy to), they have pretty good cocktails in addition to virgin drinks such as hot chocolate and fresh lemonade.

This place does a great job of changing its menu with each season, and the holiday specials were amazing. They’re famous for their House Bouillabaisse and the seafood was cooked to perfection. You’ve got to try the tuna tartare, and beet salad.

If you like getting a little taste of everything, I recommend ordering a bunch of items and sharing with the family. And I don’t wanna call anybody out but the bread we received with our meal was so addictive that some people had to have it removed from the table so that they wouldn’t completely ruin their appetites.

Overall this is a great spot to check out with family and can easily be turned into a dressy occasion, or a casual one. And if you’re one of those people who absolutely can’t fathom eating with a bunch of people indoors this is definitely going to be your spot.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco only.

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