There’s nothing we love more in the summer than al fresco dining. Even if the Alderman does kick us off the patio sometime between 11 pm and midnight, we’ll take what we can get. On the river, on the sidewalk, in a backyard. Make sure to check out some of our faves this summer: Piccolo Sogno, Volo, Japonais, 404 Wine Bar, the list goes on and on.

Although not al fresco (because we went last week and it was still cold!), check out our reviews of Spring, South Coast and L2O. We’ve also got some information on al fresco entertainment: movies in the park.

Last week, almost 200 of you came to our Il Mulino patio party. Let us tell you, it was one helluva good time. Don’t miss out – come to the intersection of Dearborn and Elm this Thursday at 5 pm for a repeat extravaganza ($10 gets you 2 St. Germain cocktails, pasta bar and passed apps). In the meantime, check yourselves out on our Pics page.

In the spirit of outdoor fun and entertainment, we are thrilled to announce the "Cheeky Scavenger Hunt"! It’ll take place inside (in your computer, actually), but starting this month, Cheeky will be giving away an awesome FREE prize to one of our lucky Cheeky readers. Just look for the Cheeky pink heart alongside a sign-up box hidden in any one of our articles. (The heart's location will change randomly, so you might want to read all the sections). All you've got to do is enter your email, hit submit and wait to win (chosen at random)! The prizes will change every month, so stay tuned to our newsletters for all the details.

This month: Win an hour of VIP food and drink service for you and 10 of your friends at Rockit River North or Rockit Wrigleyville. Holla!

So get outside this season. Whether it’s drinking a cold glass of pinot grigio on a Michigan Avenue sidewalk, running by the lake, taking in a movie at the park, indulging in a picnic or reading a book on your rooftop, al fresco-it-up for the next few months. It’ll be gone before we know it...

Cheekily,