Best Patio

Relishing one's freedom of speech is a rewarding part of being American. But sometimes, just watching good folks waving "No Blood for Oil" signs around the Plaza's J.C. Nichols fountain is satisfying enough. It's not as if being above it all means you're too good for the masses, but the outdoor deck at Frondizi's is a great place to watch them, along with myriad runners, baby pushers, dog walkers and fountain splashers. Of course, the Hawaiian flowers and palms and the red Peroni umbrellas occasionally make us feel as if we're royalty from some far-flung island, what with the attentive waiters just an eyebrow-raise away and all. That's when it's time to unclench our fists from around the wine stem (Frondizi's has 1,100 bottles) and get our ass down to the park, before someone mistakes us for the patriarchy.