Outdoor dining: Cleveland's L'Albatros, Eastlake's Trader Jack's just two of area's spots for enjoying a meal under the sky

Jun. 26—The longest day of the year, on the June 21 solstice, made summer official.

Northeast Ohio is a tremendous spot for celebrating summer's twilights lingering past the dinner hour with outdoor dining, especially those with a view. Choices abound.

I find my greatest dining pleasure on the outdoor patio of L'Albatros Brasserie, embraced by a onetime carriage house in a leafy University Circle neighborhood where old mansions are today's fraternity and sorority houses for Case Western Reserve University.

Thirty-some tables on the patio are tucked into gardens of roses, twisted wisteria and other flowers mulched with old wine corks and cleverly placed so only a few other diners are in view. Those tables can't be reserved, only requested, and are filled on a first-come-first-served basis.

Got a small group? Ask for the covered cabana, with six cushy seats in a sunny yellow and ideal for sharing a charcuterie platter with wines from the extensive wine list.

Be sure to make your reservation early and arrive on time.

One in Zack Bruell's small kingdom of Cleveland restaurants, L'Albatros boasts a French-inspired menu that changes little through the seasons. The freshest ingredients shine through classic preparations, inviting diners to build their own dinners from among abundant choices.

There's always a good-value Plat du Jour. Make a meal of the deliciously wonderful French onion soup, string together an appetizer and salad or tuck into an exquisite pizza. Feast on the cassoulet of braised white beans, lamb, duck confit, pork belly and sausages, choose the customer favorite "French Toast," a ragout of wild mushrooms in a balsamic, or lighten things up with the Chilled Roasted Artichoke with lemon mayonnaise.

Find L'Albatros Brasserie at 11401 Bellflower Road in Cleveland's University Circle neighborhood. Call 216-791-7880 or visit albatrosbrasserie.com.

No reservations are accepted, so arrive early for the best spots at Trader Jack's Riverside Grille, on a twisty turn of the Chagrin River in Eastlake. It welcomes diners all year indoors and out. Its 70-seat upper patio is covered and has its own bar, ideal for days when rain may fall. It's also heated and can be closed off by see-through garage doors for those who come in winter, said owner Walt Callam.

A pretty garden that blooms all summer separates the popular upper patio from two outdoor patios, seating another 100 diners, with tables beneath blue umbrellas and some seats surrounding firepits that are lit for cool evenings near the water.

The location has been a hit since the restaurant's beginning nearly 20 years ago. There are just as many seats inside, although they're rarely all used, said Callam.

Callam is proud of the fact that lots of his employees have been there for a decade or more and have earned many followers who request them.

"Our chef, Freddie Antonelli, has been here 18 years, and our food just keeps getting better and better," he said.

Fred's Hot Pepper pizza is one favorite that increases in popularity each year. It's got sausage-stuffed Hungarian peppers defining each slice over a homemade crust with red and white sauce covered with Mozzarella.

"Some of the peppers are really hot and some are mild," said Callam. "You never know what you're going to get."

The hand-breaded Yellow Lake Perch, served with fries, slaw and garlic bread, is a top seller, and one taste proves why.

"People come from miles around to have our perch," says server Jessica Correo, who's worked there for eight years.

Reviews of each dish made by customers are a nice touch on its online menu.

Diners rave online about The Big Jack burger with its twin 4-ounce patties on a double-decker bun covered with American cheese, shredded lettuce and the Big Jack Sauce.

"It's better than a Big Boy," enthused one reviewer.

Low water on the river has been a challenge this year for those visiting Trader Jack's by boat.

"They haven't been dredging the river this year," Callam said. "But we have three guest docks down near the bridge."

Find Trader Jack's Riverside Grille at 35901 Lake Shore Blvd. in Eastlake. Call 440-946-8330 or visit traderjacksriversidegrille.com.

This article is the first in a series about outdoor dining.