KY Restaurant-Bars Bringing Back Heated Igloo Dining

I'm just gonna say it. We have been spoiled this fall. The weather has been absolutely perfect. Obviously, we've been much shorter on rain than we need to be, but, overall, it's been one of the most stunning autumns that I can remember.

The only downside to all these clear, beautiful, sunny days MIGHT be that we have gotten spoiled; prolonged stretches of great weather tend to do that. While we may, once again, enjoy above-normal temperatures as we head into the later stages of fall, we all know it's going to be cold at some point.

WARMING UP IN AN IGLOO

And for those who enjoy outdoor dining (like me), there's a little sadness there. But there are restaurants everywhere that have solved that little predicament. Yes, you'll be outside, but you'll also be "inside."

'HEATED IGLOO' DINING CAME IN HANDY WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT

In 2021, StyleBlueprint.com published a list of restaurants that were offering heated patios or socially-distanced dining. And that last part indicates to me that's where the "heated igloo" idea originated, even if none of the listed establishments mentioned the igloos.

But 8Up Elevated Drinkery & Kitchen was not on that list. And if you have a fat wallet, you and your friends can enjoy a nice evening under the stars in a transparent igloo. In 2020, it got the attention of Good Morning America, who called the heated igloos a "cool pandemic pivot."

'HEATED IGLOOS'--NOT JUST IN LOUISVILLE; THEY'RE ALSO IN COVINGTON

If you head up Interstate 71, you'll find another restaurant-bar--actually, this one might be better described as a bar-restaurant--that utilizes heated igloos for outdoor dining and imbibing. And this northern Kentucky watering hole doesn't mince words; it's called IGLOOBAR, and it's located on top of the Covington Taproom. (By the way, the whole "rooftop restaurant/bar" concept earns any and all superlatives.)

And those things can accommodate eight people. I'd say that sounds like an all-evening-long party, but not at IGLOOBAR; the igloos are only available in two-and-a-half-hour time slots.

But that just means it can be PART of an awesome night on the town. Just pick your town and have a great time.