We prefer a nice dinner at home to something fancy as well. And if friends are available to join us, even better.
We also enjoy simple summer entertainment on our patio - we have everything set up to make serving and cleanup easy, with reusable dishes, a "handout" spot for putting the beverages in the outdoor cooler, 2 grills, lots of shady places to sit, a pond with a bubbling fountain, and water toys for the kids.