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. He was given 3-6 months. He already was old and couldn’t do a lot but he enjoyed going out to eat so I took him out as often as I could. Instead of the 3-6 months Louie made it another 17 months. Today my current dogs enjoy going out to eat.

Before you dine out with dogs there are some things to know. Most restaurants in Phoenix have patios but not all patios are dog friendly. It is always BEST to call any restaurant on the day of your visit and ask if it’s ok to dine there with your dog. That way you find out if it’s ok to bring your dog and you also find out if the patio is available that day. It’s also AWAYS BEST to dine at off times to avoid as many people and other dogs as possible. Not all people share your love for dogs and some people are allergic to dogs. It’s best to avoid other dogs because dogs like to bark at each other and you might get asked to leave.

You need to beware that when dining out with dogs that your dog must be by your side at all times. Dogs are NOT permitted to sit on restaurant furniture or to eat off of restaurant plates. You should bring a bowl from home for water for your dog. You need to be aware that most food and drink that you consume can be harmful or even TOXIC to your dog. You must get a list of safe and a list of foods to avoid from your veterinarian. Usually a small piece of lean meat that is without sauce is usually a safe bet. Here in Phoenix you also need to know that your dog is not as heat tolerant as you are. All people and all dogs do have different tolerances for heat. In general but not for all dogs I’d say over 90 degrees F is too hot to dine out with dogs. Maybe 90 degrees is tolerable but only in FULL SHADE. All dogs do differ. Hopefully you know your dog well enough to decide. When there is any doubt PLEASE LEAVE YOUR DOG AT HOME.

Now I will let The Forking Truth go to my dogs. They will tell you about their dining experiences.

“We were on our way to Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante but my folks didn’t make it early enough and the patio was full of people so we left.” “BAH!” “But we did great at Phila-Deli.”

“The nice owner runs us out some turkey before my folks got their meals.”

“Our female human companion got a turkey wrap again.”

“It’s a different brand of turkey today.” “I think I like this one better because it’s more moist without that smoke taste and I really like the pepper jack cheese that gets pulled out for us.”

“We also really Forking love cheese steaks (without the onions for us dogs!’

“We always get a “Phila-Belly from Phila Deli…….(we enjoy that!)”

www.PhilaDeliAZ.com

“We are on our way to Culver’s in the Deer Valley part of Phoenix.” “Culver’s is a national group oof quick casual restaurants.” “Culver’s is famous for their signature never from frozen butter burgers, hand battered Icelandic cod and their daily made fresh frozen custard.”

“That butter burger is nicely caramelized and smells delicious.”

“We get the eat some yummy butter burger!”

“Our folks like the limited walleye special.” “It’s a very large platter.” “We helped eat that one too!”

“We always do great at Culver’s.”

www.Culvers.com

“We are on our way to Banh Mi Vietnamese Bistro in Phoenix.”

“Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery serves up most of your usual favorite Vietnamese foods except for pho.” “They are a pho-free eatery and post signs that say,”Eat a banh mi instead.”

“Today our folks got a lotus root salad ($5.00), chicken potstickers ($4.00) and a pork rice plate ($10.00).”

“We are doing so good today!”

“We loved everything we tried from Banh Mi Vietnamese Bistro!”

“Yep that was delicious!”

www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com

“Holy FORK!” “Now we are having a coronavirus crisis!” “Our folks did take out from Fabio On Fire today!” “We got to enjoy a small amount of sausage pizza.”

We didn’t get any of the bufalina pizza because it isn’t dog friendly with the balsamic vinegar.”

“So we were fed some eye roast she made.”

“We also did Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery this week because it’s very important to keep our local restaurants in business.”

“Helped with two lunches out of one chicken banh mi.”

“We also helped with a delicious shaken beef banh mi ($8.00).

“We also got to eat food from Cucina Tagliani.”

www.CucinaTagliani.com

“Well that was Dining Out and DINING IN with Dogs in Metro Phoenix for March 2020.” “We hope for the best during this pandemic.” “We also hope that you’ve enjoyed and we hope to see you next month!”