[jyl]

Yes, I'd like the annular countertop to at table-top height. Not quite as high as bar height, because the chairs for our outdoor dining tables are regular height and I'd like to be able to shift chairs back and forth. If the outer rim were about the same diameter as the current wood "table" thing, the radial distance from outer to inner rims was about 18 inches, that would be enough space for six people to eat with full place settings, etc.

I was thinking the grate should be one to two inches below the countertop's inner rim, so you can lay steaks, skewers, etc right on the grate.

The wood should be resting on something not too far below - 12 inches? That would be close enough to get nice cooking heat with a reasonably small amount of firewood, or even with charcoal if I wanted to. Maybe an opening/door in the side to access the combustion chamber, wood-stove style, maybe on the side where the photo was taken from as people wouldn't usually sit there (and get their knees singed).

And then I dunno if the wood should sit on a grate with ash falling below and combustion air coming up, or if it should sit on a solid stone/brick surface. But it should be easy to sweep out.

Thinking of a sort of Beni-Hana thing where you sit around the cooking surface.

During the winter I'd like to put a big circular lid on it, just like a lid on a stock pot, to keep the rain out. In fact, I could see using such a lid during cooking - though the grate might have to be lower then.