3rd Location - Backyard Pizza Oven - January 2024

Posted by on

Analysis causes paralysis is a trope that people say in business and life.  But, I'm NOW feeling that very thing HARD in regards to our backyard pizza oven planning.  It was just a week ago that I VERY CONFIDENTLY posted about how I was down to just two finalist locations for our oven.  But, today?  I'm not so sure any longer. 

What about a 3rd location, on the south side of the yard, about the same distance from the house.  But, tucked into a current bed where the Alice Oakleaf Hydrangeas are planted?  See below for this 3rd location at the bottom of the drawing:



This 3rd location re-introduces one of the ORIGINAL sites that I contemplated as far back as 2017.   

What does this new site get us?  It certainly doesn't take advantage of the grade change, so that means that the full height and mass of the oven will be in-view.  That provides for a bit of screening.  But, it also means that the oven becomes a garden focal-point.  If site'd here, it would be the biggest draw of your eye in the back.  It also provides for a view directly from our kitchen windows.   This seems to be the biggest factor right now:  do we want to sort-of 'bury' the oven or 'sink' it down into the lowest spot in our yard to reduce the mass.   And/or, do we want any Miegakure (hide-and-reveal) going on? This 3rd location eliminates any notion of Miegakure; both *what* the oven is helping hide/reveal AND thinking about the oven being 'hidden' and 'revealed' down the grade.  The southside location is in plain sight.  There's no 'drawing' the visitor to this location.  They see it immediately.  Alternatively, the other two more 'sunken' locations allow for the oven to serve as a sort-of Walt-Disney-inspired Weenie:  to draw the visitor out from the patio.

If we went with this location, it also would have the oven be orientated TOWARDS the patio/view from inside.  It has made me think a bit about the opening/front of the oven being the 'most attractive' and how the view of the oven from the patio/house while isn't the 'end-all-be-all', certainly is important.  Do we want to be looking-at the opening/front-face of the oven or one of the sides and/or the back?  Either can work (I think), but it is an important consideration.  

Just like the other two spots, this 3rd spot certainly opens up the area for a newly, expanded patio.    But, this one wouldn't be 'sunken' like the other location.  Certainly...would think (right now) that's less 'interesting'.

I'm probably thinking too much about this, but I'm terrified of getting it wrong.  

The 'natural fit' is on the southside.  

The 'better fit' is likely in the sunken area on the northside. 

Location: Downers Grove, IL, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Be nice to each other here.

Popular posts from this blog

Lou Malnati's Salad Dressing Recipe as Published in the 60's

Posted by on
Image
Earlier this winter, I wrote about the old Lou Malnati's menu and mentioned that as I was waiting around for my pie to finish up, I spied an old Chicago Tribune article posted on the wall that included the original Lou Malnati's Italian Salad Dressing Recipe.  The Tribune reporter called it "prized".  We were set to host a little pizza party over the weekend, so I figured I'd give it a shot.  Here's the article as seen through my mobile phone's camera. I'm not a wine drinker, so the fact that the recipe called for Burgundy wine didn't strike me as odd.  I went shopping at Angelo Caputos in Addison - a really incredible shopping experience - and when I got to the wine section I found Burgundy wine was carried ONLY in those HUGE jugs.  And they were dirt cheap.  The only issue is that needed just 4 ounces.  We ended up with a whole-lotta-wine that Nat won't drink. I've taken the recipe and modified it a bit by eliminating the percentage...
Read more

Tom Thayer's Italian Beef Recipe

Posted by on
Image
TOM’S TAILGATER ITALIAN BEEF COURTESY OF Steve Dahl  and  DAHL.COM Ingredients: One 3 ½ to 4 pound boneless beef chuck pot roast One package of Zesty Italian Salad Dressing and Recipe Mix One 16 oz. jar of hot giardiniera One 16 oz. jar of mild giardiniera One dozen baguettes (French rolls) Directions: In a four-quart Crock-Pot, pour in one bottle of giardiniera. Place the roast on top of the layer of giardiniera. Sprinkle the salad dressing mixture on top of the roast. Add the second bottle of giardiniera to the top of the roast. Cover Crock-Pot and cook on high for 6 to 8 hours. When fork tender, shred the roast in the Crock-Pot and allow it to combine with the other ingredients. Slice the baguettes in half and pile on the beef and giardiniera mixture. ------------------------------------ For the babe's baptism party, we hosted a collection of family and friends back at our house after the church proceedings. We ordered some of t...
Read more

Overwintering Disneyland Roses With Leaf Mulch - Floribunda Roses - December 2024

Posted by on
Image
Yesterday, I posted photos of how I'm attempting to overwinter some Dahlia tubers in the ground and in a couple of those pics, you might have peeked at the chicken wire cages next to the piles of mulch on the dahlia tubers.  Those chicken wire cages are full of fallen leaves and are set on top of the three Disneyland Rose crowns along the southside of our house. See below for a couple of photos showing how I set up the ring of chicken wire and filled it with mulched-up leaves: These roses struggled this year, so here's hoping this little bit of extra Winter protection is going to help them get through the cold.
Read more