I would also consider a 2-level approach or something similar that lets you make the transition to ground seem more gradual. There is also the idea that you may find you want to do a good deal of grilling the food outside, then eat inside, because well, it is just so convenient and you can grill under less ideal circumstances than required for outdoor dining. The utilitarian steps down to patio just to get to the grill will be a barrier to that. The problem with same level is that you have to use decking, then it does tend to force you to a large deck, then a large area underneath it plus lattice or whatever, plus maintenance--though new deck materials as you suggest make that less of an issue. So I do not want to discourage you from thinking about having a "stone" patio that is part of the yard. I think over time that area could be very nice and will feel more permanent--properly landscaped. So the deck idea gives a more immediate sense of its being just an extension of your kitchen and feeling like a "room", but the patio has the ability to feel "in the yard", as noted above. The problem with bi-level structures is you have to design carefully so that neither part is too small to be useful or it breaks up your party in the wrong way. So, for example, if you envision 6 guys or gals yakking around the grill, you want room for that in your design. I think the deck landing as shown in your picture has that dreaded ubiquitous tacked-on landing look that just gets you up and down, and if you do actually make just steps, I would try to put more into their design to make a more graceful descent to the yard--whether that is broader, curved, or something. Of course that might be too expensive, so part of the fun of the forum is that we can brainstorm about how you might spend your $$! Really, just giving you things to think about. Broad steps or more gradual transition type structures can also often be used as seating/dining (for kids) as long as is wide enough. You don't show anything about the exposure of the back of the house, sun patterns, etc, so any design needs to think ahead to whether you will plant trees for shade, use umbrellas, arbor, or what--meaning, leave space in yard, or plan layout of space.

I guess it depends on your objective. If you want it really secure against overturning by wind or kids/adults, you would anchor each post in concrete. This would also help insure that the joints of the pergola wouldn't loosen up over time. It's also possible, depending on your local regulations, that your building department would require such structures to be firmly tethered in some way. However, any kind of anchoring would be better than none. Maybe, I should have asked first, but: 1) how light/heavy is this structure?; do you intend to grow anything on it?, and 3) what is the main concern you had when you referred to safety in your original post?

makes sense so guess we should actually have the security fence installed BEFORE the patio is redone maybe? -that way they can just cut around the sleeves or we can choose a patter/pavers that integrates the security poles the best...

Yep. We get some very strong winds in Iowa that knocked my old Weber off our back deck a few times. It’s got a natural gas hose that’s not convenient to unhook and roll the grill to a protected place. When I got my new Stainless Steel Weber yesterday and a storm was coming through I knew that I needed to secure it down. Thought of placing a 40# patio paver on the bottom shelf but not sure the shelf is strong enough. Then decided to secure it down to my Trex Composite wood deck and when doing my research for ideas, I came upon your post. Perfect solution! I’ll use 4 Cargo Control D rings that you used, but I’ll order Stainless Steel. I’ll post a picture when I’m done. Thanks again!