There’s an Italian restaurant in St. Louis called Edera that I greatly enjoy, and they recently started posted photos of “chalets” they set up on their large patio. Even without knowing anything else, I was entranced by the idea of eating in one of these:
I looked into the chalets and learned that they’re just as magical as I’d hoped: They’re private and completely enclosed, allowing you to eat indoors at a restaurant without breathing the same air as other people (the reason I haven’t dined in a restaurant since the pandemic started). They’re made of metal and plexiglass, and each one has a space heater inside. They’re different sizes, seating a range from 2 to 8 people. And while you need to make a $50 deposit to reserve one, you get the deposit back, and there’s no extra charge I could see.
So I had to try it. I invited a couple to join us for an early Tuesday night dinner at Edera, and it really was as magical as I’d hoped. The Christmas lights really add to the effect of having your own private chalet:
I just want to tip my cap to Edera for making these chalets available. This is going to be a tough winter for restaurants–just like last winter–but the lack of shared air in these chalets offers customers an option to still have that restaurant dining experience. You’ll probably still need to dress warmly if you try it, as the space heater is pretty small. Also, the 2-person chalet is quite tiny–I’m glad we had a 4-person chalet.
Have you seen any other restaurants do this? If you get the chance to try Edera, I highly recommend their grilled broccolini and cauliflower. They’re excellent.