The sun was shining, the air cool and crisp and the company was the best. What better way to spend an afternoon than dining and sharing in conversation, outside at a pooch friendly patio where dogs are catered to. You begin by valet parking your vehicle, where the valet offered to assist Miley out of the backseat. There are these über cool stairs to the main lobby that have water flowing down the front portion. The sound of the water begins the relaxation time. Entering through the lobby you notice dark woods, clean lines and meticulously placed right angle furniture. Look right and you'll see a set of stairs (and a sign) that points you to the outside patio area, hence “The Backyard”. Go through the glass doors at the top and voila you have just entered a subtropical dining paradise!

There are two areas you can choose to be seated in. One is under a tented area that includes a bar and a grouping of tables. Or there's a lovely space outside that has individual umbrellas for each table. This area is surrounded by a grassy area and includes a potty station that is stocked. There is ample space for semi-privacy, allowing your dining companion to wander a bit without disturbing others.

The staff is both congenial and professional. They immediately greeted us, provided water for both the human patrons and canine ones. The seats were comfortable patio wicker type furniture and the tables were stable enough to withstand the light breeze that wafted in between the umbrellas. The light background music, warmth of the sunshine and attentive staff lent to the very pleasingly comfortable ambiance of The Backyard. We ordered appetizers, their goat cheese margherita pizza and the fire roasted tomatillo – mint salsa‘n’smashed avocado dip, with white tortilla chips. Both were yummy and filling. In addition, I had my first Arnold Palmer - wow what have I been missing!! They not only brought out water for the pooches, they also have a selective canine menu. Shamus decided on Stella's Mutt"za" Balls with rice and Miley followed suit. The presentation was equal to the obvious tastiness (is that even a word) exhibited by the "woofing" down of the meal.

To say I'll be back is correct. A peaceful, sunny and pooch friendly place is always welcome in my world.