Category Archives: Forking Dining with dogs

Dining Out With DOGS in Metro Phoenix AZ March 2022 – NakedQ BBQ, Craftsman Cocktails & Kitchen, Twisted Italian, Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery,

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Dining out with dogs in metro Phoenix is just a “FLUFF” story about where I take my dogs out to eat. It all sort of started with my dog Louie. He was elderly and diagnosed with aggressive cancer. We were told to only expect three months and maybe up to six months for him to live. He couldn’t do a lot. but he always enjoyed eating and going out to eat. so I took him out to eat as often as I could. Instead of only three to six months Louie made it another seventeen months. Today I take my current dogs out to eat when I can.

There are a lot of things that you need to know about dining out with dogs. First thing that you need to realize is that many restaurants do have patios but not all patios are dog friendly. You need to see a sign posted that reads dog friendly patio. If you don’t see that then you must call the restaurant and ask if it is ok to dine there with your dog. It might seem strange but it is ALWAYS BEST to dine at off times and avoid as many people and other dogs as possible. Some people do’t share your love for dogs….Other people may be allergic to dogs. It’s best to avoid other dogs because dogs tend to bark at each other and this is a disturbance and you can be asked to leave.

You need to know that most food and drink that you consume can be harmful or even toxic to your furry friend. You need to get a list of foods to avoid and safe foods for your dog from your veterinarian. Usually a small un-sauced lean piece of meat is usually a safe bet. Also here in Phoenix it often gets too hot to dine out with dogs. Your dog is not as heat tolerant as you. They have fur coats, they can’t sweat, and they absorb heat up their paws. Everyone and every dog is different but for the most part 90 degrees F and up is too hot to dine out with dogs. When ever there is any doubt keep your dog safe and leave them at home.

If you do take your dog out to eat you need to know that your dog must be by your side at all times. Dogs are not to sit on restaurant furniture or to eat off of restaurant plates. You should bring a water bowl with you for dining out with dogs.

We thought about a new treat for the dogs today and went to NakedQ BBQ in North Phoenix. It’s a casual BBQ restaurant. I like the BBQ turkey here because it is consistently delicious and moist. My other favorite is when they offer the BBQ corned beef…GOSH it’s usually FORKING amazing.

They have two high top tables for dining outside and we thought it would be difficult so we took our food togo and stopped at a cute little park on Union Hills & 59TH. The dogs were delighted by the smell of BBQ.

Me and the dogs enjoyed NakedQ BBQ’s AMAZING BBQ turkey on a garden salad.

The BBQ turkey is always amazing at this NakedQ BBQ. It was so good my bigger dog kept whacking me in my gut with her paw to get more turkey.

The dogs also enjoyed some BBQ Brisket, BBQ Pork, and Hot Links from my husband’s plate.

We enjoyed our take out from NakedQ BBQ in North Phoenix.

www.NakedQ.com

2340 W Bell RD PHX AZ

602-439-4227

We made a trip to The Craftsman Cocktails & Kitchen in North Scottsdale. This restaurant is a craft kitchen and distillery. Today my husband got the Brunch Burger.

Look at the BIG SMILE on my dog’s face. This burger was ground in house of short rib and brisket. The. burger is also made of a fried egg, American cheese, and house made maple ketchup on a brioche bun and house chips. My dogs were WAY MORE excited about my husband’s lunch than mine today…….(They also got to eat mostly his burger today)

I had the shipwright ahi tuna salad today.

I have had this before and today’s does taste different. It was still good so I didn’t complain but it taste like it was missing some of the ingredients…or maybe it just had too much wasabi taste today that burnt out all the other flavors?????? Still good though…..The dogs got a small amount of ahi tuna.

My dogs hung out with my husband today……

We enjoyed ourselves at The Craftsman.

www.cheers@TheCraftsmanAZ.com

20469 N Hayden RD Scottsdale

480-401-1102

We also took the dogs to Twisted Italian in North Peoria. They serve mostly typical Italian foods and some twisted things like home made pierogi and Italian chili rellenos. The Twisted Italian is always a good choice for dining out with dogs because they only have two outside tables so we avoid potential problems.

I had the salmon lunch platter.

It comes with a lot of vegetables (green beans, asparagus, zucchini, and broccoli) and a good amount of pasta in a lemon white wine caper sauce. My dogs liked helping me eat almost everything on this platter. I was surprised that they liked the zucchini about the same as the fish. I liked the green beans but I think the green beans were the dogs least favorite.

My husband got the Italian beef and sausage sandwich with fries.

They gave him an enormous amount of meat there. They gave him beef jus, giardinier. The dogs got to enjoy some of the beef and a tiny bit of sausage.

We did alright at Twisted Italian in Peoria.

www.EatTwisted.com

9940 W Happy Valley Rd Peoria AZ

623-537-4000

We regularly go to Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in North Phoenix. They specialize in serving around a dozen different banh mi baguette sandwiches. Other popular dishes that they offer are noodle bowls and rice plates but they don’t serve pho.

We both got the noodle bowls today. I got the chicken and my husband got the grilled pork. Here’s a better look at the chicken noodle bowl.

It’s a very large bowl of food. There is salad with pickled vegetables and fresh mint and rice noodles, a crispy egg roll and lots of marinated chicken. For some people this can be two meals. I have my dogs to share with and they sure don’t mind helping to eat the chicken.

They get to eat grilled pork too.

We always do great when we go to Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery.

www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com

2340 W Bell Rd PHX AZ

602-843-3637

That was dining out with dogs in metro Phoenix. We hope that you have enjoyed and we hope to see you next month.

The Forking Truth
In Memory of Louie 5-5-2001 – 3-3-2017

Dining Out With DOGS in Metro Phoenix AZ February 2022 – Wraps ‘N’ Curry, The Craftsman Cocktails & Kitchen, Cucina Tagliani, Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery

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Dining out with Dogs in Metro Phoenix AZ is just a “Fluff” story about taking my dogs out to eat. It all sort of started with my dog Louie. He was elderly and diagnosed with aggressive cancer. We were told to only expect him to live 3 months more or maybe up to six. Louie couldn’t do a lot but he always enjoyed. eating and also enjoyed going out to eat so I took him out to eat as often as I could. Instead of the 3-6 month diagnosis Louie made it another 17 months. Today I take my current dogs out to eat when I can.

There are many things to know about dining out with dogs. One thing is that not all patios are dog friendly. You usually see a “Dog Friendly Patio” sign. If you don’t see a sign you must call the restaurant to find out if it is ok to bring your furry friend. It is also best to dine at off times and avoid as many people and other dogs as possible. It’s best to avoid people because some people out there really hate dogs and other people might be allergic to dogs. It’s best to avoid other dogs because dogs like to bark at each other and this can be a disturbance and you might be asked to leave.

When dining out with dogs here in Phoenix you have to consider the temperature because your dog is not as heat tolerant as you. Dogs wear fur coats, they can’t sweat and dogs also absorb heat up their paws. All people and dogs have different heat tolerances. In general 90 degrees F and higher is. too hot to dine out with dogs. When there is any doubt it is always better to keep your furry friend heathy and leave them safe at home.

Do you know that most food and drink that you consume can be harmful or even TOXIC to your dog? You need to get a list of safe foods and foods to avoid from your veterinarian. Usually a small lean piece of un-sauced meat is a safe bet. You should also bring a doggie water bowl with you so your dog can have some water.

Now that you have made to the restaurant patio with your dog you need to know that there are rules to dining out with dogs. Dogs must be close and by your side at all times. Dogs are NOT permitted to sit on restaurant furniture or eat off of restaurant plates.

Wraps ‘N’ Curry is an Indian fast food but made from fresh casual located in North Phoenix. They offer wraps on fresh made to order wraps, fresh baked other breads, and Indian dishes. They recently got a community patio at the strip mall near the restaurant so we took the dogs there.

Today I got the goa fish curry.

I think it’s tasty. I lick the sauce off of the fish for the dogs because some of the spices might not agree with them.

My husband had a spicy chicken wrap………sort of……He asked them not to put the sauce on…….but they did anyway.

It was dressed with mint mayo (and my husband won’t eat mayo) so he only picked at it and left the fresh made bread because of the mayo. (he ate something when we got home)

www.WrapsNCurry.business.site

4221 W Bell Rd PHX AZ

602-866-1907

Another restaurant that we went to was The Craftsman Cocktails and Kitchen in North Scottsdale. They are a craft American kitchen. They have a very nice dog friendly patio and the food is very good there. They also are a distillery too! One of their dishes that my husband LOVES there is the muffuletta and had it several times already. It’s served on house made herbed focaccia and he got it with their tasty house made potato chips.

I had the fish and chips….but without the chips and substituted a salad.

The Craftsman vodka crust on the fish is shattering crisp and fresh cod is the flakiest cod that I have ever had. The dogs enjoyed the cod ass well as some parts of the muffuletta.

www.TheCraftsmanAZ.com

20469 N Hayden Rd Scottsdale AZ

480-401-1102

We also went to Cucina Tagliani in North Glendale. They are an. American Italian Restaurant. They offer sandwiches, salads, build your own pasta dishes and offer more vegetable sides than most places that are similar. They also offer pizzas, pork ribs, a few steaks, some other entrees, and more.

I got a strawberry chicken salad.

The chicken was a little dry today but my dogs didn’t mind.

“Wining!!!!” “We get MORE chicken when it’s dry!” “WHOOHOO!”

My husband got the Stromboli today.

“Stromboli is always a good choice.”

“We are ready for some more chicken!”

www.CuucinaTagliani.ccom

17045 N 59th Ave Glendale AZ

602-547-2782

We also took the dogs to Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in North Phoenix. They specialize in serving the Banh Mi Baguette sandwiches and offer around a dozen different varieties. They also offer other Vietnamese favorites except for pho.

Today I got the curry chicken with rice.

My husband got the beef banh mi (the beef really is very good here…….It’s tender like filet mignon but it is really ribeye)

Portions are very large (and prices are low) so we have plenty to share.

We always enjoy going to Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery.

www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com

2340 W Bell Rd PHX AZ

602-843-3637

Well that was Dinning Out With DOGS inn Metro Phoenix for February 2022. We hope that you’ve enjoyed and we hope to see you next month!

The Forking Truth
In Memory of Louie 5-5-2001 – 3-3-2017

Dining Out With DOGS in Metro Phoenix AZ – January 2022 – Squid Ink Sushi, Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante, Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery

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Dining out with dogs in metro Phoenix is just a “Fluff” story about taking my dogs out to eat. It all sort of started with my dog Louie. He was elderly. He was also diagnosed with aggressive cancer. We were told he only had three – six months to live. Louie couldn’t do a lot but he always enjoyed eating. I took him out to eat as often as I could. Today I take my current dogs out to eat when I can.

There are several things to know about dining out with dogs. One thing is that not all restaurant patios are dog friendly. Usually a sign is posted that reads, “Dog Friendly Patio.” If you don’t see that then you have to call the restaurant and inquire. You also need to know that it is ALWAYS BEST to dine at off times. You need to avoid as many people and other dogs as possible. You need to avoid people because some people hate dogs and other people are allergic to dogs. You want to avoid other dogs because dogs like to bark at each other and if that happens then you might be asked to leave. Here in Arizona it often gets too hot to dine out with dogs. Your dog(s) is NOT AS HEAT TOLERANT as you are. They wear fur coats. They can’t sweat. They also absorb heat up threw their paws. All people and pets do have different tolerances for heat. Generally 90 degrees and up is too hot to dine out with dogs. When there is any doubt just leave your furry friend home. Did you know that most food and drink that you consume can be harmful or toxic to your dog. You must get a list of foods that are safe and what to avoid from your veterinarian. Usually a small lean piece of meat without sauce is usually a safe bet.

There are some rules for restaurant dining. You dog or dogs must stay close to you and be by your side. at all times. Dogs are not to sit on restaurant furniture or to eat off restaurant plates.

I called up Squid Ink Sushi inn North Peoria (#UpperWestSide) and they said that they were dog friendly so we went there. Of course they offer sushi but they also offer seasonal menus that always have something interesting to try. Some of my favorites from past menus were the Scottish salmon bowl and the wagyu steak salad. Today I saw Thai chicken fried rice.

My husband had the 8oz wagyu burger with havarti cheese, shoyu onions, truffle mayo (on the side for him), arugula, on a Noble challah bun with fries.

We did alright at Squid Ink Sushi.

www.SquidInkSushi.com

9947 W Happy Valley Rd Peoria AZ

623-561-7747

We also dined at Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante in Glendale, (Arrowhead, #UpperWestSideAZ). They are an Italian Restaurant that also serves Neapolitan Pizzas.

“I wonder what will I eat today?”

I went with the branzino special.

“I’m here ready to eat”

I received two grilled branzino filets (plenty to share) and a big serving of vegetable studded risotto.

“May I have some please?”

My husband went with the chicken pizziola.

The dogs got some of that too!

“Your turn to feed me now!”
“We enjoy going to Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante”

www.BottegaRistorante.com

19430 N 59th Ave Glendale AZ

623-777-1868

We also went to Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in North Phoenix. They serve most of your Vietnamese favorites except for pho. They specialize in serving the Vietnamese baguette sandwich called the banh mi and offer it in around a dozen varieties. Today. we had a pork noodle bowl and a chicken noodle bowl.

We were all very pleased like we usually are. My husband eats the whole bowl. I think it’s a lot of food. For me and the dogs it really is two meals.

www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com

2340 W Bell Rd Phoenix AZ

602-843-3637

The next week it was unusually cold and windy or Phoenix so we took the dogs threw a Culver’s Drive Threw (a national chain) for a butter burger.

Wee fed them outside on the Culver’s patio real fast.

That was dining out with DOGS in Metro Phoenix for January 2022. We hope that you have enjoyed and we hope to see you next month.

The Forking Truth
In Memory of Louie 5-5-2001 – 3-3-2017

Dining Out With DOGS In Metro Phoenix AZ – December 2021 – Greek Palace, Twisted Italian, Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery, The Rec Pizza & Dogs

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Dining out with DOGS in Metro Phoenix is just a “FLUFF” story about taking my dogs out to eat. It all sort of started with my dog Louie who was elderly and diagnosed with aggressive cancer. Louie couldn’t do a lot but he always enjoyed eating and dining out. I took him out to eat as much as possible and instead of his 3-6 month diagnosis he made it another 17 months. Today I take my current dogs out to eat as long as the weather agrees.

There are many things to know about dining out with dogs.

Not all restaurant patios are dog friendly.

Most food and drink that you consume can be unhealthy or even toxic to your furry friend. It is best to get a list of foods from your veterinarian on what to avoid. (or to find what is safe. Usually a small lean piece of un-sauced meat is a good bet)

Your dog is not as heat tolerant as you are. (90 degrees and up is too hot to dine out with dogs).

If you do decide to dine out with dogs….

Your dog(s) need to be by your side at all times.

Dogs are not allowed to sit on restaurant furniture or eat off of restaurant plates.

Bring a water bowl for your dog.

It’s also best to dine at off times to avoid as many other people and dogs. (many people don’t like dogs and some people are allergic) (dogs often bark at each other and this might be a disturbance)

I called Greek Palace in North Peoria and they confirmed to me that they are dog friendly so we took the dogs there! They serve most of your traditional Greek dishes and a very good Greek Flaming Cheese called saganaki. Greek patio has not one but TWO dog friendly patios.

We placed our order and they started us out with salads.

The salads were tasty and fresh but not much here to give the dogs.

I tried the veggie chicken shawarma.

I got more than I can eat! That makes a couple of pups very happy.

You can see my dog on the right is drooling.

My husband got what they call the fire fighter platter. It’s sliced beef and lamb cooked on a vertical skewer. It came with grilled onions , rice, and vegetables.

The dogs also tried some of that too.

www.GreekPalace.net

We dined at Twisted Italian in North Peoria. They are an American Style Italian Restaurant that offers some Twisted options like house made pierogi and Italian chili rellenos. The official dog friendly patio is extra great for dining out with dogs because they only have two tables so we avoid lots of potential problems here.

They started us off with crusty hot bread, and olive oil with balsamic.

Today I got the citrus salad with added salmon. The salmon is cooked medium and is nicely spiced. I also have blue cheese candied. walnuts, mandarin oranges, and cranberries.

My husband got the antipasto salad.

We did alright at the Twisted Italian in Peoria.

www.EatTwisted.com

We regularly dine at Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in North Phoenix. They specialize in serving around a dozen different Banh Mi Baguette sandwiches. They also offer most Vietnamese dishes except for PHO. Prices are low, portions are large and the food is consistently good!

Today I had the curry chicken with rice.

The Curry chicken is lots off chunks of tasty marinated white chicken with potatoes, carrots, onions, crispy shallots in a tasty curry sauce (rice is on the side)

My husband got the pork rice plate today.

It comes with a pork egg roll, rice, pickled vegetables and a generous serving of marinated flavorful pork.

“We are always happy to dine at Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery!”

www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com

We went to The Rec Pizza & Dogs. They offer Detroit Style Pizza, some fried things, bread sticks, Hot Dogs, and a few other things.

I tried the seasonal pumpkin and ricotta pizza (individual size).

The dogs got to eat some pumpkin and cheese.

They also enjoyed some pepperoni and sausage from my husband’s pizza.

We also shared a n individual plain pizza and brought the leftovers home.

We did alright at The Rec Pizza & Dogs in Peoria.

www.TheRecPizzeria.com

We hope that you’ve enjoyed reading Dining Out with DOGS in Metro Phoenix December 2021. We wish you happy holidays and we hope to see you next year!

The Forking Truth
In Memory of Louie 5-5-2001 – 3-3-2017

Dining Out With DOGS in Metro Phoenix AZ – November 2021 – Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery, Cucina Tagliani, Skewers Mediterranean Grill, Oscar’s Pier 83

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Dining out with dogs. is just a “Fluff” story about taking my dogs out to eat. It all sort of started with my dog Louie….he was elderly and was diagnosed with aggressive cancer. He couldn’t do a lot but he always enjoyed eating so I took him out to eat as often as I could. Instead of the 3-6 month diagnosis Louie made it another 17 months. Today I take my current dogs out to eat.

There is a lot to know about dining out with dogs. First of all not all restaurant patios are dog friendly. Even if a patio is dog friendly it is always best to call because you never know if the patio is. reserved for a party. It’s also always better to dine at off times. It’s always best to avoid as many people and other dogs as possible. Some people don’t share your love for dogs and other people are allergic. It’s best to avoid other dogs because dogs like to bark at each other and that can be a disturbance and you might be asked to leave. Dine at off times to avoid potential trouble.

Here in Phoenix it is often to hot to dine out with dogs. Your dog is not as heat tolerant as you. Dogs wear fur coats, they can’t sweat, and they absorb heat up their paws. Just like people all dogs have individual heat tolerances. Hopefully you know your dog well enough to determine if you should dine out together. In general 90 degrees and higher is too hot for dogs to dine out. But maybe up to 90 degrees for younger healthier dogs in shade. Shade makes a difference here. When there is any doubt be smart and leave your furry friend at home.

Most food and drink that you consume can be harmful or toxic to your dog. It’s best to get the facts from your veterinarian on what is safe and what to avoid. Usually a small lean un-sauced piece of meat is a best bet.You should bring a water dish so your dog can lap up some water.

When you dine out with your dog(s) you should keep them close to you. You should never let them sit on restaurant furniture. You should also never let them eat off of restaurant plates.

We went out to Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in North Phoenix. They are a Vietnamese restaurant that offers around a dozen different Banh Mi Baguette sandwiches and most of your Vietnamese favorites except for pho.

Today I had a chicken cabbage salad and chicken pot stickers. (this big and delicious salad with fresh herbs is only $7. and the tasty hand made potstickers are only $5.)

Someone is eyeing up the food.

My husband had a shaken beef Banh Mi today.

Someone is hoping extra beef shakes out.

We all enjoyed our meals at Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in North Phoenix.

www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com

Next we went to Cucina Tagliani in the Arrowhead part of Glendale. Cucina Tagliani is a neighborhood type restaurant that offers American Italian style favorites, build your own pastas, soups, sandwiches, salads, a few entrees and more!

Cucina Tagliani happens to also have a nice large officially licensed dog friendly patio and it’s usually very quiet on Sundays so we like to take advantage of that and we get treated like kings and queens.

My dogs were served their own water pans right away.

We ordered and my husband started with some minestrone soup.

Each dog got a piece of bacon from the soup.

Soon the meals came out.

I had the strawberry chicken salad and dogs got lots of the chicken.

My husband had the chicken parmesan.

All the chicken was moist today so we did ok at Cucina Tagliani.

www.CucinaTagliani.com

This next trip out with the dogs went into plan “B.”

Our destination was Phila-Deli in Glendale. When we got there we saw a note they posted on the door and it read that they are temporarily closing on Sundays. Plan “B” was to go down the street to Skewers Mediterranean Grill ( fast/casual fresh Mediterranean foods). The …Skewers doesn’t have a patio but just across the street is a small park with tables for us to dine at.

I got a chicken kabob salad with turnips and chick peas.

It’s a pretty nice and tasty salad with lots of tasty moist delicious chicken to share with the dogs.

The dogs are waiting for their chicken.

My husband got a gyro salad.

The dogs are enjoying the food from Skewers.

Nice tasty large salads from Skewers Mediterranean Grill in North Glendale that don’t cost much more than fast food and is much better.

www.SkewersAZ.com

Since we couldn’t do Phila-Deli last week we thought we’d try again this week. We tried to call in our order 6 times and nobody answered the phone. We were afraid that they went out of business. When we got there we were relieved that they were open. We found out that they no longer make salads….(my first choice)…..Then I found out that they discontinued wraps too…..(my second choice). I like the people there and my husband likes the sandwiches but I am pickier…..and only liked the wraps and salads here…………We decided that we’d go down the street to Oscar’s Pier 83. Unfortunately the patio was already packed with lots of babies and other dogs. So we did take out and the dogs had to eat on our patio.

I got a salmon salad. It’s nothing fancy but the fish is fresh here.

My husband got a three piece fried fish (cod) dinner.

www.OP83.com

Well that was dining out with dogs in metro Phoenix for November 2021. We hope that you’ve enjoyed and we hope to see you next month.

“YUM!” “We LOVE eating!”
The Forking Truth
In Memory of Louie 5-5-2001 – 3-3-2017

Dining Out With DOGS in Metro Phoenix – October 2021 – The Craftsman Kitchen and Cocktails, Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery

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Dining out with dogs in Metro Phoenix is just a “Fluff” story about taking my dogs out to eat. It all sort of started with my dog Louie. He was elderly and had aggressive cancer. He couldn’t do a lot but he always enjoyed eating so I took him out as often as I could. Instead of his 3-6 month diagnoses he made it another 17 months. Today I take my current dogs out to eat as often as I can.

There are many things to know about dining out with dogs. Not all patios are dog friendly. Even if a patio is dog friendly it is always best to call first and ask if you can bring your dog today because the patio can be booked for a party. It is also always best to avoid as many people and other dogs as possible. Some people don’t share your love for dogs and other people can be allergic to dogs. It’s best to avoid other dogs because dogs enjoy barking at each other and that can be a disturbance and you will be asked to leave. Avoid potential problems and dine out with dogs at off times.

You also need to know that much of the food and drink that you enjoy can be harmful or toxic to your furry friend. It’s best to get the facts on that from your veterinarian. Usually a small amount of lean meat without sauce is usually best for your dog. Here in Phoenix the temperature is something to be cautious about. Your dog is NOT as heat tolerant as you. They wear fur coats, can’t sweat and absorb heat up from their paws. All dogs like people do have different heat tolerances. Hopefully you know your dog well enough to determine for dining out. For most healthy younger dogs 90 degrees F and over is too hot to dine out with dogs.

There are also rules to follow to dine out with dogs. Dogs are not to sit on restaurant furniture. Dogs are not to eat off restaurant plates.

My Lucky dogs got to eat at The Craftsman Cocktails and Kitchen in North Scottsdale. The Chef is from a fine dining Italian Restaurant Sassi that is no more so the food is pretty darn good. Just look how excited my dog is to be here.

Today I had the crunchy quinoa salad with chicken.

crunchy quinoa salad with chicken

My husband had the Craftsman muffuletta with fries.

Craftsman muffuletta with fries

We all enjoyed our meals at The Craftsman Cocktails and Kitchen in North Scottsdale.

www.TheCraftsmanAZ.com

We always enjoy Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in North Phoenix. They are a pho-free Vietnamese restaurant that specializes in serving the Banh Mi Baguette sandwich.

My husband got a pork rice plate and I got a chicken noodle bowl today. Portions are double for some people, prices are very low and the food is always good. I didn’t get a good picture of my other dog today so you are only seeing the bigger dog.

www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com

That was dining out with dogs in Metro Phoenix AZ for October 2021. We hope to see you next month!

“Don’t worry we are in this thing together and are here to help you eat all this delicious food”
The Forking Truth
In Memory of Louie 5-5-2001 – 3-3-2017

Fluff Story – Cooking Eye Roast with DOGS

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Today is just a “Fluff” story about cooking eye roast with dogs in the kitchen. My October 2020 recipe called Forking Great Eye Roast with Magical Delicious Rub is one of my best eye roast recipes. It’s the one I did here.

The worst part of doing an eye roast is removing all the fat and silver skin. I admit that I am not the best at trimming but am good enough to get it done.

But the dogs are always interested with the eye roast from here on.

It takes me around 20 minutes to clean up the eye roast and big piles of slobber are by my larger dog.

The eye roast gets rubbed with oil and Worcestershire sauce and lots of spices.

I have to walk around lots of dog feet and avoid the slobber that I can slip on.

The roast is in the oven and my large dog feels the need to guard the oven.

The roast comes out and someone is smiling.

Soon I am able to cut it to see how it came out. It came out perfect like it always does.

I get smiles from the large dog too!

October 2020

I get a similar look from my husband too. Then he volunteers to hand slice it. He does really well I don’t slice as well.

That was my “Fluff” story of cooking eye roast with dogs.

The Forking Truth

Cooking with Dogs

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You wouldn’t understand unless you have or had dogs. Today is just a “FLUFF” story. This is what it’s like in my house when I’m cooking with dogs,

Up above is my big dog with my smaller dog in the kitchen. They were very interested in what I was making……I think they both are smiling at me trying to butter me up so I’d give them a taste of something.

There is cheese on the counter. The smaller dog thinks all the cheese in the house is his.

I am making polenta cakes. This dog is waiting for it.

Real polenta takes around 40 minutes to cook. This dog has been waiting 40 minutes.

I’m putting chicken in the sous vide. My bigger dog is very interested in that and stretches out to occupy almost the whole kitchen.

My smaller dog is eyeing up the eye roast I just made.

I just made Jodhpuri Tawa chicken and I’m also portioning pastrami. Looks like someone is hoping that I drop some his way.

He’s checking out a New York Strip that I sous vide and then seared. He’s hoping that it jumps off the plate.

He’s supervising me removing the silver skin from an eye roast.

Both of them are waiting for something.

He’s waiting for something cooking in the oven.

He’s waiting for some brisket.

He’s eyeing up another eye roast.

The big dog doesn’t usually get in my way. She admires from a far and is already licking her lips.

Interested in another steak I made.

Always interested in perfect chicken from the sous vide getting portioned out for lunches.

Both dogs are always interested in the food but the large dog has better manors and doesn’t get up in my way.

Smoking a pastrami

Large dog feels the need to guard oven with the precious pastrami.

They are delighted with the results.

Interested in oven fries. Well they were a really great batch.

I don’t know why but he is there for the vegetarian andouille squash sausage that I made.

I think I like this picture of both dogs in the kitchen best so I played with it on www.LunaPic.com and came up with this.

That was cooking with dogs. You wouldn’t understand unless you have or had dogs.

The Forking Truth

Dining Out With DOGS in Metro Phoenix – May 2021 – Twisted Italian, Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery, Culver’s

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Dining out with dogs is just a “Fluff Story” about taking my dogs out to eat. It all sort of started when my dog Louie was diagnosed with aggressive cancer and was only expected to make it another three months or up to six months if we were lucky. Louie was already old and couldn’t do a lot but he always enjoyed eating and still loved going out to eat so I took him out to eat as much as I could. Instead of the 3-6 month diagnosis Louie made it another 17 months. Today I take my current dogs out to eat as much as I can.

If you are dining out with dogs there is a lot that you need to know. Not all restaurant patios are dog friendly. It is always BEST to call a restaurant first before attempting to dine there with your dog. You don’t know if the patio could already be booked for a party. It is also ALWAYS BEST to dine with your dog at off times. It is always BEST to avoid as many people and other dogs as possible. Not all people love dogs and some complain. Other people are allergic to dogs. It is also best to avoid other dogs because dog tend to bark at each other and this could be considered to be a disturbance and you might be asked to leave. It’s BEST to dine with dogs at off times.

Do you know that most of the food and drink that you consume can be harmful or even toxic to dogs? You need to get a list of what foods are safe and what foods to avoid to give to dogs. Usually a sauce free lean piece of meat is usually a good choice. You should also bring a water bowl for your dog.

You have to consider the temperature in Phoenix when dining out with dogs. All dogs like people do have different heat tolerances. Usually 90 degrees F and up is too hot and very dangerous to dine out with dogs. Your dog is not as heat tolerant as you. They wear fur coats. They absorb heat cup their paws and they can’t sweat. Ninety degrees F and up it is always best to leave your dog safe at home.

You also need to be aware that there are some rules to dine out with dogs. Your dog must close and by your side at all times. Dogs are NOT permitted to sit on restaurant furniture. Dogs are also not permitted to eat off of restaurant plates.

Got all that?

I think we are ready to dine out with dogs.

Our first trip is to the Twisted Italian in Peoria.

They only have two sets of tables out front but this restaurant is officially dog friendly and is listed on www.BringRover.com

They start us out with bread, oil and vinegar.

Then we share the southwest hand made pierogi.

The pierogi are tasty but are not dog friendly. I break off just a tiny end for the dogs to taste.

For my main I had the citrus salad with added salmon.

My dogs liked the salmon.

My husband had the antipasto salad.

The dogs got some cheese off of that salad.

www.EatTwisted.com

We were lucky because it is starting to heat up in Phoenix but today around 11am the weather was still pretty cool so we made it out to Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in North Phoenix. They specialize in serving Banh Mi Baguette sandwiches and offer most of your Vietnamese favorites except for Pho.

Today I got the salmon firecracker rolls and the chicken cabbage salad.

This cabbage salad is delicious. It’s made with tender marinated chicken breast. It’s herby with cilantro and mint and has a light vinaigrette dressing. The salmon roll is really different with nicely prepared salmon that is moist…It’s wrapped in seaweed with a nice crisp wrapper and Asian seasonings. It rest over more cabbage and comes with an Asian dressing. I can’t believe that these are only priced at $4 & $5 each.

My husband got the beef Banh Mi.

The beef in it is so delicious and tender…..It seems like a very flavorful filet to me but I know that it is ribeye. It’s really great! We always love coming here.

www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com

Now it is getting too hot to dine out with dogs. It is suppose to be close to 100 degrees here today. At 10am it is only 83 degrees F so we took the dogs to Culver’s so they could eat something out. (Culver’s is a national fast food chain but the butter burgers are never from frozen and the cod is always hand battered to order. They also serve daily made frozen custard) We ate someplace else.

Here we are at the drive threw…(the dogs know what they are getting).

Then my big dog pushes my small dog out of the way so she can see the burger coming.

Nobody is on the patio so we feed the dogs half of the burger.

I remove the bun for the dogs. They only need some meat and cheese.

This is some of the burger. It feels very moist and looks caramelized.

The dogs always enjoy food from Culver’s.

www.Culvers.com

We hope that you enjoyed Dining Out With DOGS in Metro Phoenix AZ May 2021. It’s heating up in Phoenix so the dogs might be mostly dining in. We will see you when we can!

The Forking Truth
In Memory of Louie 5-5-2001 – 3-3-2017

Dining Out With DOGS in Metro Phoenix AZ April 2021 – Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery, Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante, Phila-Deli, Cucina Tagliani

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Dining out with dogs is just a “FLUFF” story about dining out with my dogs. It all sort of started when my dog Louie was diagnosed with aggressive cancer. We were told that he only had 3 or maybe up to 6 months to live. Louie was already elderly and couldn’t do a lot but he always loved to eat and also loved going out to eat so I took him out to eat as often as possible. Instead of the diagnosed 3-6 months Louie made it another 17 months. Today I took my current dogs out to eat.

There are things that you need to know about dining out with dogs. Not all restaurants with patios are dog friendly. It is always best to call a restaurant first and ask if it is ok to dine there with your dog. You never know if the patio is booked already. It is also always BEST to avoid as many other people and other dogs as possible so it is best to dine with your dog at off times. Some people hate dogs and other people can be allergic to dogs. It is also best to avoid other dogs because dogs enjoy barking at each other and this can be considered a disturbance and you might be asked to leave. Avoid as many potential problems as you can and dine out with dogs at off times.

You need to get a list from your veterinarian of food and drink to avoid giving dogs. Much of the food and drink that is yummy for you can be harmful or toxic to your furry best friend. Usually a small lean piece of meat without sauce might be a safe choice. You should also bring a water bowl so you best friend has a drink. Here in Phoenix the temperature is an issue. All dogs do have a different heat tolerance but also all dogs are less heat tolerant than people. They wear fur coats. They absorb heat up the paws and they can’t sweat. 90 F degrees and above is too hot to safely dine out with dogs. Maybe up to 90 F but only in full shade might be ok for younger healthy dogs? Hopefully you can judge your dogs needs. When there is any doubt leave your dog at home.

When you are ready to dine out with dogs you need to know that your dog (s) needs to be by your side at all times. Dogs are also not to sit on restaurant furniture. Dogs are not to eat off restaurant plates.

Our first dining out was to Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in North Phoenix. They specialize in serving Banh Mi baguette sandwiches and offer around a dozen different varieties. They also offer many Vietnamese favorite dishes EXCEPT FOR PHO. Today I got a chicken rice plate.

I haven’t gotten this one in a while because it is usually 2 dinners for me. But gosh that chicken is really FORKING DELICIOUS.

It’s around 8 ounces of JUICY DELICIOUS FLAVORFUL slightly charred DELICIOUS chicken. The plate comes with some pickled vegetables, lettuce, seasoned rice, egg roll, fish sauce (for dipping the chicken) and some chile sauce. This plate makes anyone with a mouth happy.

My husband got the pork rice plate. He also enjoyed it. The dogs AND MY HUSBAND helped finished off my plate because that chicken is really great. (I honestly think it’s one of the best chicken dishes around this part of town)

We always enjoy Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in North Phoenix.

www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com

We enjoy going to Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante in North Glendale/Arrowhead/#UpperWestSide. They serve Neapolitan Pizzas, house made pastas, Italian dishes, seasonal specials and more! They offer a nice patio with heaters, shades and misters for our comfort.

Today I got the strawberry chicken salad.

My husband got the piccante panino (imported prosciutto crudo, spicy soppressata, flor di latte, lettuce, house made spice sauce).

Dogs got to eat some of my chicken and cheese from the side salad. They were pretty excited about that.

www.BottegaRistorante.com

Next trip out was Phila-Deli in Glendale/Arrowhead/#UpperWestSide. They are a small hoagie and cheesesteak place but I like the build your own salads. (at the moment subject to change they serve these salads for $8.99. Avocado is 75cents extra).

There is plenty of chicken to share with the dogs.

They also got some beef from my husband’s cheesesteak.

We always get a filled belly from Phila-Deli.

www.PhilaDeliAZ.com

We also got to take the dogs to Cucina Tagliani in Glendale/Arrowhead/#UpperWestSide. This restaurant is an American Restaurant that offers American-Italian style food, some healthy choices, and a menu of pork ribs and New York Strips, plus more. They offer a large spacious officially licensed dog friendly patio and it usually isn’t crowded during the day.

Today I got the strawberry chicken salad and my husband got a lasagna with extra hot sausage.

This salad is refreshing on a hot day.

The dogs always enjoy eating at Cucina Tagliani’s.

www.CucinaTagliani.com

That was dining out with dogs in Metro Phoenix for April 2021. The weather is turning hot so we will have to get out early before the temperatures rise too much for Dining Out With DOGS if we can……we hope to see you next month!

The Forking Truth
In Memory of Louie 5-5-2001 – 3-3-2017