INSIDE OUT OUTDOOR DINING GOES UPSCALE.

Byline: Barbara De Witt Staff Writer

Barbecues, brunches or romantic dining under the stars.

No matter what the outdoor dining occasion, it's no picnic in the woods. So don't even think about paper plates.

``Trends have shifted and the home is the new fashion focus, so outdoor dining has become a dining experience ... a destination. From the dishes to the linens to the lanterns, it's more upscale,'' says Pottery Barn spokeswoman Leigh Oshirak.

It's inspired by the European-style outdoor dining that has hit our shore, and like other European ideas, we've tweaked it to suit our fancy.

The result?

According to Christiane Dwyer, spokeswoman for Pier 1 Imports, ``This summer there's a trend to taking the inside out and dressing up the outside table with crystal and china on good linens ... even velvet runners with candles for the patio for dinner.''

But there's room for whimsy carried out in Americana themes and also the newer Asian theme that's spicing up interior design. And stay tuned - Dwyer says a sari theme, with beaded and jeweled linens, is next on the outdoor dining menu.

For the budget-conscious, Dwyer says you can still achieve a formal setting with many of the new acrylic dishes and goblets on the market.

Candles, good linens and fancy table settings?

Could dress codes for backyard barbecues be next?

Touch of Americana

Americana fans - those who favor burgers, hot dogs and checked tablecloths - will find plenty to choose from in kitschy plastic and acrylic goods.

At Pier 1 Imports, diners have a choice of novelty fish plates and acrylic goblets with fish designs. At Bed, Bath & Beyond, there are straw mats in the shape of fish, leaves and watermelons with matching dishes and tablecloths, and also plastic plates designed to look like hamburgers and corn-on-the-cob. There's even a ceramic serving tray that looks like a plate of six hot dogs.

Also serving up traditional looks is Lands' End. According to Lands' End design director Dabney McAvoy, there's a trend to cotton linens over plastic tablecloths, and this year they're bright, fresh and cheery in old-fashioned handkerchief or plaid designs. And since tablecloths are back, so are those novel little weights that keep the cloth from flapping in the breeze. At Lands' End they're in pewter shells and starfish, while other stores carry them in fruit shapes.

There are retro flower themes at Target, where the plates are shaped like flowers, but even fresher is their pastel polka dot collection of acrylic plates and glasses with matching place mats.

Formal fare

Do you love dining under the stars but prefer the clink of crystal wine glasses and think food tastes better on real china?

You're not alone. Interior designers and style gurus such as Colin Cowie have noted that as we extend our living space to include patios and porches, outdoor dining has become a more fashionable affair, perhaps modeled after the Europeans, who eat their barbecue on cloth-covered tables with candles and flowers.

To cater to fastidious diners, numerous stores offer garden-themed china and linens. At Macy's there's a collection of '50s-inspired floral tablecloths with colorful borders in wash-and-wear fabrics as well as flannel-backed vinyl that looks like fabric, plus coordinating fabric place mats with napkins and napkin rings to match.

Other stores, such as Pottery Barn, have created ceramic dinnerware that can go indoors and out, while Restoration Hardware suggests accessories such as wrought iron bar carts to get the edge on poolside swank.

For those dress-up outdoor meals, designers have even created an array of plastic and acrylic plates, parfait dishes and wine goblets that won't break the budget if they hit the patio pavement. Shoppers will notice that acrylic has almost entirely replaced plastic this year because of its ability to pass for glass, as well as its durability. Although it won't stand up to the heat of the microwave oven, you can run it through the dishwasher, which adds to its year-round use, say dining experts.

Asian ambience

Looking for that Asian decor that's in every decorating magazine?

A recent check around town showed a variety of wooden and bamboo table mats at Bed, Bath & Beyond, Pier 1 Imports and Cost Plus World Market, but the latter had the biggest selection, including twigs, polished bamboo and varnished woven grass mats in addition to bamboo-handled flatware.

The Asian dining theme continues at Pottery Barn, where stainless steel flatware has a bamboo motif to coordinate with square plates, featuring a crackled glaze, that go atop square chargers. And at Restoration Hardware you'll find classic Asian paper lanterns to hold votives or tea lights on the table or for stringing across the yard.

CAPTION(S):

12 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 3 -- cover -- color) Nostalgic red-checked glasses with teaspoon straws from Restoration Hardware will give your table a dash of Americana, as will Martha Stewart's new picnic collection at Kmart stores. Create a casual scene with Lands' End cotton table linens and accessories.

(4 -- 12 -- color) no caption (outdoor dining accessories)

Land's End

Bed, Bath & Beyond

Pier 1 Imports

Restoration Hardware

Charlotee Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer