Tiffany Groner and Jill Larsen, both of Arlington Heights, are served drinks by bartender Liliana Luna at Scratchboard Kitchen's outdoor dining area Friday afternoon on Campbell Street. It marked the first day of the 2022 season for Arlington Alfresco, the popular street dining zone in downtown Arlington Heights.
Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com
With overcast skies and temperatures hovering near 60 degrees, about a dozen sweater- and sweatshirt-clad people were among the first outdoor diners for Arlington Alfresco during the noon lunch hour Friday in downtown Arlington Heights.
“I love Arlington Alfresco. I am so happy that it's back,” said Jill Larsen, who was having lunch at a table with Tiffany Groner outside Scratchboard Kitchen on Campbell Street.
The village shut down the intersection of Campbell and Vail Avenue to vehicle traffic Monday, and installed fencing and barriers Wednesday, as restaurateurs put out tables and chairs along the streets and sidewalks.
The popular outdoor dining zone — created at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and now in its third year — is expected to last through the last week of September, before the two-day Harmony Fest. Streets will reopen in October.
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Mark Heffernan and Dan Baird, both of Arlington Heights, enjoy drinks and conversation about the NFL draft Friday afternoon on the sidewalk patio of Salsa 17. It was the first day of Arlington Alfresco, the outdoor dining zone in the village's downtown.
Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com
A server prepares fresh guacamole Friday for patrons sitting in the alleyway of Salsa 17 in downtown Arlington Heights.
Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com