Today it rains. Tomorrow it’s balmy enough for shorts and flip-flops. Welcome to spring in Atlanta! As sure as the Braves play baseball, temperatures will continue to climb, sending many of us to decks and patios all over town in search of coolness, crab cakes and/or cocktails.

What’s your favorite al fresco spot? Encore Atlanta wants to know. With your help, we’ll create an admittedly unscientific road map to the best outdoor eats around. So, please, take a photo of yourself and your fave spot, dish or drink and send it our way.

There will be a winner! The taker of the photo judged as best, earns a $40 Gordon Biersch gift card.

HOW TO ENTER:

• Post your picture on Facebook, using either Encore Atlanta or Art E. Encore‘s page.

• Tweet or Instagram using #YayPatios.

• Email information@encoreatlanta.com.

• Please include the restaurant’s name.

Photos will be accepted through April 25. Voting will take place on Encore Atlanta’s Facebook page from April 26 to 30. The winner will be named May 1.

NOTE: Taking a shot on a Gordon Biersch patio/deck does not give you an inside edge.

About Kathy Janich

Kathy Janich is a longtime arts journalist who has been seeing, working in or writing about the performing arts for most of her life. She's a member of the Theatre Communications Group, the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas, Americans for the Arts and the National Arts Marketing Project. Full disclosure: She’s also an artistic associate at Synchronicity Theatre.

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