Melrose Has Outdoor Dining Now. So I Ate Outside.

MELROSE, MA — Mother Nature knew Monday was the first day of outdoor dining in Massachusetts. So in 70 degrees and low humidity, I went to one of my favorite local coffee spots, Jitters, to experience what I couldn't for nearly three months.

The order hasn't changed: A small iced mocha latte and the Sergeant breakfast sandwich. How I ordered did change: I used the app.

Jitters wins some points right off the bat for having the front door propped open — I've been surprised at how many places have been keeping their doors closed. When I go to Starbucks or Dunkin' for a coffee, I use the tip of my pinky to pry open the doors. (My column on germaphobia is forthcoming.)

There's a table in the entryway that serves as a point of contact. Since I already ordered, I just grabbed my bag and cup and took them out to the familiar black tables and chairs on the patio.

I was greeted by a giant (see: Andre the Giant) container of hand sanitizer. But every good pandemic outdoorsman carries his own industrial-sized Purell bottle in his car, right next to the Clorox wipes. I wiped down my hands, wiped down my table, wiped down my hands again (I don't know why,) and had at it.

And you know what? It was great. The only discomfort came from my own paranoia, but there was ample space between myself and the two women who grabbed another outdoor table, plenty of sanitizer at my disposal and a scrumptious eat.

Feeling "normal" completely removing my mask while I was eating took some getting used to, if only because it's stapled to my face whenever I'm being a customer. And the self-imposed pressure of only touching my food — not the table, the seat, my phone (ouch,) my pockets — was like eating with an itch you can't really scratch.

But that's my new normal right now.

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