When we think of spring, we imagine early Saturday mornings at farmers’ markets with the season’s best produce, followed by a mid-morning breakfast at a local diner where the clanking of white café dishes echoes from the kitchen. By afternoon, you’re stealing a nap with the bedroom window cracked just enough to let in the cool breeze, drifting off as you contemplate which pastel outfit you will wear this Easter.
However, spring is also the time when things emerge from winter hibernation. It’s the beginning of an event-driven season—and an extremely windy one at that. From high school sports banquets to college graduations, heavy gusts don’t discriminate.
Patio season has officially returned to Amarillo. Across town, diners are boldly choosing outdoor tables, fully aware they may spend the entire meal pinning down napkins, paper plates or their own skirts. Personally, I love the scent of mesquite smoke drifting across my neighborhood. It’s the unmistakable signal that someone’s crazy uncle decided the weather was nice enough to fire up the smoker. In Amarillo, “nice” can easily mean 72 degrees with a casual 35-mile-per-hour breeze!
When planning an outdoor gathering, remember: This is not the season for towering buttercream cakes or loose arugula salads, okay? To keep your party from taking flight, follow these ground rules:
Weigh it down: Use heavy tablecloth clips, and keep your centerpieces low.
Put a lid on it: Keep hot food covered to ensure it’s seasoned as you intended—and not by West Texas dust!
Choose hefty foods: Serve items that can hold their ground, such as sliders instead of a delicate crostini, or create a zesty pasta salad. Even deviled eggs are a safe bet; those puppies are heavier than you think.
If you’re grilling, lean into the elements. Mesquite actually loves circulating air and uses it in order to do its magic. The breeze feeds oxygen to the fire, keeps embers glowing and carries that signature smoky flavor deep into the meat. But absolutely remember to heed fire weather warnings. Don’t flame-cook when winds could carry embers beyond the grill.
Always keep your serving platters covered until the last possible second. And for the love of all things holy, skip anything that can double as a kite. Paper plates are a no in this instance. Real dishes are an absolute yes.
Spring in Amarillo is never soft, so protect your charcuterie spread. You don’t want the dust threatening it with a good time. It will absolutely take you up on that offer, and no one has ever described gritty Manchego as a good time.
