I’m an apron convert thanks to this new collab

I’m an apron convert thanks to this new collab

And my 17+ picks for fall outdoor dining.

Amanda Hesser

Oct 09, 2026

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There’s one part of

our outdoor set-up

that I haven’t yet figured out: the open space between

our pizza oven

and grill and a seating area. The original plan was to build a small island on wheels that could be used as a serving table, back-up prep space, or bar when we’re entertaining, but it hadn’t been made by the time we were moving in, and then I hit pause on it

after using the pizza oven

a few times.

It would be great to have a place for people to gather around while I’m cooking, yet I worried about crowding the area with a tall visual obstacle. Without anything there, though, it feels bare. Guests stand around, unmoored. It’s the great outdoors—give the people places to feel sheltered and at ease!

We went with Option A (top), where the pizza oven and grill share one long surface to make room for the island, which will (never?) be installed at a later date.

While I’ve been hemming and hawing, the stone company, from whom we bought a stone slab for said island, has started charging us rent for holding onto the stone. Want to feel colossally dumb? Then rent space for a stone slab that you can’t decide what to do with.

Any Homewardians want a piece of stone that’s sitting in L.A.?

So now I’m going to publicly hem and haw and show you what I’m thinking about, and hopefully you will help me break the spell and make a decision. The comments are open!

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