The setting was ideal: Prima is an Italian-style ... from an open patio, which is beautifully furnished to invite conversation. A private guest house overlooks the courtyard.

Touring the old stone courtyards of Italy inspired ... special Thanksgiving dinner out on the patio during a particularly warm November. The oven has an Italian clay dome and can reach ...

Italian courtyard. English garden. Mexican hacienda. To bring the ambiance of your favorite alfresco setting inside, consider using outdoor lanterns as interior sconces or accent lamps.

But the patio – more of a courtyard, really, with mosaic tile tabletops, plants spilling out of large earthenware pots, and a large central reflecting pool combining to evoke an Italian piazza ...