In Roman architecture a peristyle is a columnedporch or open colonnade in a building that surrounds a court that may contain an internal garden. In the Christian ecclesiastical architecture that developed from Roman precedents, a basilica, such as Old St Peter's in Rome, would stand behind a peristyle forecourt that sheltered it from the street. In time the cloister developed from the peristyle.
In rural settings a wealthy Roman could surround a villa with terraced gardens; within the city Romans created their gardens inside the domus. The peristylium was an open courtyard within the house; the columns or square pillars surrounding the garden supported a shady roofed portico whose inner walls were often embellished with elaborate wall paintings of landscapes and trompe-l'oeil architecture. Sometimes the lararium, a shrine for the Lares, the gods of the household, was located in this portico, or it might be found in the atrium. The courtyard might contain flowers and shrubs, fountains, benches, sculptures and even fish ponds.
Though the Egyptians did not use the Greek term peristyle historians have adopted it to describe similar structures in Egyptian palace architecture.
Peristyle's copper bar, the back bar, and most of the floor tiles survived the smoke and water damage and remain as relics for the wistful.
But she forgave Peristyle its lighter, cleaner renovations because, she said, "the food is so good and the people so dear." It was her third time back since the re-opening.
It is the multiple layers of loyalty demonstrated by the regular Friday night barstool diner, Kearney's reverence for each minced shallot and every reduced sauce, and the artful reminder of the framed glass door that was shattered last November by three hits of a fireman's ax.
As Peristyle's co-owner and marquee talent, Anne Kearney Sand was, despite taking the reins while still in her 20s, a throwback: A skilled technician with a respect for tradition, an affection for her ingredients and a firm belief that the bold-faced name on the menu should have intimate involvement in the preparation of your dinner.
Peristyle may not be what it was, but its new owner has maintained its rank among the finest restaurants in the city.
Peristyle's service may be more casual than it once was -- I waited almost five minutes in the foyer one night before a staffer appeared -- but with new faces mixed with the familiar ones, the crew is sweet-tempered and well-informed.
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