July's heat dried up the outdoor patios, but now that temperatures have cooled off, patios are heating up again.

Promising to be among the hottest in town: Mel's Anti-Bistro at 1120 East Sixth Avenue. Charlie Master reports that the new patio opened this week, and it's already a popular gathering spot -- just as this address was thirty years ago, when it was home to Dudley's and the owners included Mel and Jane Master, Charlie's parents.

But unlike Dudley's, which was intimate and enclosed, Mel's patio is wide open. To almost anything. -- Patricia Calhoun

• Word of Mouth