Tag Archives: #pets

Dining Out with DOGS in Metro Phoenix AZ April 2018

 

Dining Out with Dogs in Metro Phoenix is just a “fluff story” about my food adventures out with my dogs. It all sort of started when my dog Louie was diagnosed with cancer. I felt I had to take him to as many restaurants as possible because eating out was one of his greatest enjoyments. There are a bunch of things you need to know before you start dining out with dogs. Many restaurants in Metro Phoenix do have outdoor patios but not all patios are dog friendly. It’s always BEST to call a restaurant and ask them if it’s ok to dine there with your furry friend before hand. You never know if the patio is already booked for a party or if the restaurant suddenly stopped accepting dogs. It also is always BEST to dine at off times so your dog(s) is the only dog on the patio. Often even well behaved dogs start barking at each other and you might be asked to leave. It’s also best to dine at off times to avoid other people. Many people don’t share a love for dogs and you could soon find that out….Also some people are allergic to dogs. Other rules to dining with dogs are that dogs must be by your side at all times. Dogs are NOT to sit on restaurant furniture or to eat off restaurant plates. You also need a dog friendly food list available from your veterinarian and a list of foods to avoid. Much of the food and drink you consume is either harmful or can be TOXIC to your dog. Usually the safest thing to feed your dog from the table is a lean piece of sauceless meat. In Phoenix we also have to worry about the temperature so make sure it isn’t too hot for your dog to dine out. Dogs absorb more heat than we do and can’t sweat. I think 90 degrees in the shade is the top temperature most dogs can tolerate. OK now your ready to dine out with Dogs!

Sadly we lost our nicest dog friendly patio recently. Carvalho’s Brazilian Kitchen in North Scottsdale. They actually had a separate patio just for Dining out with Dogs….Amuse Bouche in Surprise was also a nicer restaurant to dine at and is under a new ownership so I’m not certain if dogs will be welcomed there anymore.

Cucina Tagliani in Glendale offers a Certified Dog Patio so we went there. This is a family friendly American/Italian Restaurant. They serve up all your American Italian favorites and offer you the choice of many healthy spins on the food. you can substitute spaghetti squash for pasta. They also offer spaghetti squash lasagna, grilled chicken parmesan and whole grain and gluten free pasta.

I usually like the Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad here but today tried the Chicken Fritte Salad.

It’s just a basic salad with house made Italian Dressing. The Chicken is fried absolutely perfect and seems free of grease. For my taste it could use a little seasoning.

“Looks like we are getting a bunch of chicken!’

My husband get the Sausage Rigatoni.

“We do pretty well at Cucina Tagliani!”

www.CucinaTagliani.com

“We are on our way to Pita Kitchen in Glendale”

Pita Kitchen is a very casual Greek Mediterranean Restaurant. They aren’t officially dog friendly but I asked them if it’s ok for me to bring my dogs there and they said yes. I always go at off times. So far we never shared the patio with anyone.

It might be a little boring but the only thing I ever get here is the Greek Salad with a Chicken Kabob. I tasted most of the food here and the Greek Salad with a Chicken Kabob is what they do best to me. The Chicken is usually moist with a nice flavor and a little char. My husband got the Gyro Plate today.

The dogs get very excited for chicken.

“I’m watching YOU!”

“More Chicken Please!”

“We do good at Pita Kitchen!”

www.PitaKitchen.net

We get to try a new Official Dog Friendly Restaurant!

“We are off to PNPK in North Scottsdale”

PNPK is a craft slider restaurant and wine bar. It’s sort of mostly Comfort Casual American Tapas Food and Drink…..They offer many different Flights of different foods, dessert, Craft Beer and Wine.

This is an official Dog Friendly Restaurant. The Dogs got started off with individual water bowls and biscuits…..The dogs were very relaxed afterwards.

The patio was very comfortable even at 90 degrees F that it was today.

Dogs got to sample sample some macaroni and cheese and some of the sliders we tried.

For us the macaroni and cheese was good but a little too mild and under seasoned for our taste. The dogs disagreed with us and thought the macaroni and cheese was scrumptious.

Look at the smiles.

They also enjoyed some of the sliders…..(some weren’t dog friendly)

Between me and my husband we tried 5 different sliders. My husband liked the Banger and mashed slider best of what he tried and I liked the Hot Chicken best of what I tried.

Service was really attentive to us and our dogs. They made us feel very welcomed.

www.PNPKAZ.com

“We are on our way to the Twisted Italian in Peoria AZ”

The Twisted Italian Restaurant is a small local American Italian Restaurant located in a strip mall. They are indeed a bit different from other American Italian Restaurants. They serve Pirogies of the month (that have been corned beef and cabbage on my every visit all year round here) Besides Pirogies The Twisted Italian offers also offers Italian Rellenos, other American Italian favorites, pizza and they highlight their Chicago Beef Sandwich. I recently found The Twisted Italian listed on www.BringFido.com so I called them up and asked if it was ok to bring my furry friends and they said yes so we did dine with dogs here.

“We are eating “Twisted Today!”

I went with a two course $7.99 lunch special***(subject to change).They gave me a fresh pretty good size salad.  I tried the chicken pesto, mozzarella, provolone, pesto and roasted pepper panini. (I got the chicken on the side for sharing). The bread is pretty good and MUCH BETTER than when this restaurant first opened up. (different ownership) Our waiter tells us that this bread is from New Jersey Ummmmmm. The sandwich is pretty tasty even without the chicken. Then I try some chicken. It’s moist and seasoned well. It’s actually much better than most sandwich chicken I get out from many places….I have paid almost twice the price for chicken sandwiches that weren’t as good.

“This is a BIG FORKING WIN for us….look at all that food…she doesn’t need much chicken.”

My husband got the Chicago Beef.

We were told the owners are from Chicago and they get their beef from Chicago.

While this variation of the Chicago Beef is not up there with the top Chicago Beefs it is still a tasty sandwich with lots of beef.

“We did FORKING GREAT at The Twisted Italian”

www.EatTwisted.com

“That was Dining Out with Dogs for April 2018…..It’s getting Hot here in Metro Phoenix but we hope eat out a few more times and 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 March 2018

 

“We are on our way to Humble Pie in Glendale AZ”

Dining Out With DOGS is just a “Fluff” story of my adventure out taking my dogs out to eat. This kind of started when I found out when my dog Louie (who has passed) was diagnosed with aggressive cancer. I thought I’d take him out to eat as much as possible because he enjoyed it. Instead of the three month – six months diagnosed doctors gave him he made it 19 months longer due to his strong urge to live and good medical advise. We usually go to very casual local restaurants with patios. Most restaurants in Arizona do have patios but not all patios are dog friendly. It’s always best to call a restaurant before dropping in with your furry friend because you never know if the restaurant patio is booked or suddenly went to not allowing dogs. It’s always best to visit at off times to avoid other people and dogs. Many other people don’t share your love for dogs and might complain. Also other people’s dogs might not get along with your furry buddy and maybe all the dogs will start barking and everyone with dogs might get asked to leave……Avoid problems call first and dine at off times. There are a few rules for dining with dogs. You must keep your dog by your side at all times. Dogs are not to sit on restaurant furniture and are not allowed to eat off restaurant plates. Much of the food and drink you consume is not safe for your dog and some of it is TOXIC to your dog. You MUST consult your Veterinarian for a Dog Friendly Food List and or a List of Foods to avoid. For the most part usually you are the safest if you feed your dog lean sauceless plain lean meats. Now that we got all that out of the way it looks like you are ready to Dine Out with Dogs!

Our first stop this month is at Humble Pie in Glendale AZ (I don’t believe this is techniquely Glendale anymore but it’s close (the territories and zip codes here have changed three times so far…..so…) Anyways- Humble Pie is a small local group of restaurants in mostly in Metro Phoenix (one is located in Tucson). They serve Neapolitan Style Pizzas with house made cheese, a few appetizers, soups salads and sandwiches. They offer a very comfortable patio that is well stocked with heaters for the few days it’s cold here and many fans for the many days of high heat we have here. I have to say the $10.99 two course express lunch special is hard to beat.

I usually get a Strawberry Gorgonzola salad and a pizza. The salad is really pretty good as far as salads go.

 

Today was a very rare cold for Phoenix day so I got Butternut Squash Soup and a Margherita Pizza.

My husband got the Minestrone Soup and a Humble Pie Signature Sausage Pizza with roasted fennel. The sausage is a special Humble Pie Recipe.

Both dogs enjoyed trying a little taste of Butternut Squash Soup but they were more excited about the pizzas……especially the sausage pizza. I note not all dogs can digest cheese so you probably already know if your dog can digest cheese. I only give them small amounts of cheese but they enjoy it.

www.HumblePieUSA.com

“We are on our way to Culver’s in Phoenix”

Culver’s is a Nation Fast Food Chain from Wisconsin. They are well known for Butter Burgers, Frozen Custard and maybe Hand Batter made to order Fried Fish. Culver’s claim is that they differ from other fast food restaurants because they say that their food is restaurant quality. I tried the Battered Walleye Special and I have to say it was better than what some restaurants serve and much cheaper too. We wanted to try the Walleye again before it’s gone.

Look at my cup…It says Fresh never frozen……..That is pretty hard to believe…..maybe just the hamburgers I think……….

“The food smells pretty good to us…..Give us some please”

This is an enormous amount of food that we shared. The fish is really great. Seems fresh tasting. it’s mild a meaty in a shattering crisp crust that seems oil free. I don’t know why but I don’t like the green beans. Onion rings are ok. Not too into the Wisconsin Cheese Curds but the Dogs think they’re yummy.

The Dogs said, “We love everything we tried”

I saved some room to try my first Culver’s Custard. I tried vanilla with peanut butter and Reese’s Cups and my husband tried Chocolate with Brownies.

Wow this is too much of a good thing…….this is enough for three people….It’s really good….I should have stopped sooner……. (I ate a little more than half…)

“We have more room for the leftover cheese curds”

“I enjoyed my meal at Culver’s”

www.Culvers.com

“We’re on our way to Bahn Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in Phoenix AZ”

Bahn Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in Phoenix AZ is a Pho Free Vietnamese Eatery that offers many of your usual Vietnamese favorites except for Pho. This eatery specializes in the Banh Mi Sandwich. They use Vietnamese Style Rice and Wheat Baguettes that seem lighter than a regular baguette with a crunchy exterior and a soft center. You have your choice of around a dozen fillings. the sandwich also contains pickled radish, carrot salad, jalapeños, fresh cilantro and house made aioli. They also offer rice plates, noodle bowls and much more!

Today I got one of my favorites……..The Vietnamese Style Chicken Curry…..

With Rice instead of the baguette option.

The Curry is delicious with tender white meat chicken, some carrots, onions and red potatoes in an aromatic sauce. It seems lighter than other curries I tried….

My husband got the Pork Rice Plate.

They offer many varieties of pork here for the sandwiches…but my husband thinks he likes this pork best. This Rice Plate comes with a dressed salad, broken rice, a crispy pork egg roll, fish sauce and chili sauce.

Both dogs are found of the pork.

Both dogs are found of the Chicken Curry.

Everyone is happy!

www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com

“We’re on our way to Salad and Go in Phoenix”

Salad and Go is a Gourmet Fast Food Drive Threw with a Patio. They offer around a dozen different kinds of salads that only cost $5.74 (**subject to change at this time March 2018) and to add a protein like organic chicken it’s only $1.44 extra. Salads can be made into wraps and they offer a few other things like breakfast, soups, smoothies and children’s meals. This is only a Drive Threw Restaurant with a Patio……You either drive threw and leave or eat on the patio. No restrooms so you are not going to travel far to come here. Salad and Go is a FAST GROWING local chain. But I have to admit it’s pretty darn great and quite a value if you eat salads. Beats any national fast food place for salads for sure.

Today I got the Asian Salad with added Chicken. My husband got the Greek Salad with added Chicken and Shrimp but I forgot to Photo his.

Mixed Greens, sugar snap peas, peanuts, carrots, oranges, cabbage..and Chicken….It’s a very large salad too.

Small male dog says, “I’m a big fan of the chicken but that snow pea I had to spit out.” Don’t worry,,,Big Woman next to me ate it so we wouldn’t leave the place dirty.”

The Aussie says, “Picky ones don’t last Forking long in the jungle little boy.”

Dogs say, “We enjoyed our meal at Salad and Go!”

www.SaladandGo.com

That was Dining Out With Dogs in Metro Phoenix for March 2018.

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 February 2018

 

“Whoo Hooo we’re going out to EAT!”

Dining out with dogs is just a fluff story about taking my dogs out to eat. I enjoy filling a page with some food from some local restaurants and I have an excuse to add pictures of my dogs. Me and the dogs make only a minimal reviews on the food. We usually (but not always) go to the same local casual restaurants with patios. You need to know that many restaurants in Metro Phoenix do indeed have patios but not all patios are dog friendly. It’s always best to call a restaurant and ask if it’s ok to dine with your dog that day because a restaurant can suddenly turn non-dog friendly (happened to me) or the patio can be booked for a party. I need to mention it’s always best to avoid problems so I suggest to dine at an off time to avoid as many people as possible. Some people don’t like to dine with dogs, or have allergies and they might complain and it’s a possibility that you might be asked to leave. It’s also best to avoid other people dining with dogs because it’s possible the dogs might start barking with each other and you might be asked to leave for that reason. Now that we got that down there are some rules to Dining Out with Dogs. You need to know Dogs must be by your side at all times. Dogs are not to sit on furniture or to eat off restaurant plates. Most food and drink that you consume can be harmful or toxic to your dog. You should consult you veterinarian for a food friendly and a foods to avoid list. Usually the safest food to feed your dog is lean plain meat without sauce. Now you are ready to Dine out with Dogs!

For our first stop this month we went to Salad and Go! This is a small Drive Threw Restaurant local growing restaurant chain that specializes in serving Natural, Organic, Everything Made in House, Low Priced Gourmet Salads. (salads run about $5.75 and chicken runs around $1.50…at this time) They offer around ten different choices plus seasonal specials. They also offer healthy breakfasts, smoothies, wraps, soups and a children’s menu. This place is a drive threw. No dining room or restrooms but they have a nice patio and except dogs. Depending on who’s working there they hand out dog biscuits to the doggie customers.

I got a Southwest Caesar Salad with added Chicken today with House made Poblano Dressing.

“This is a surprisingly large salad with a good amount of chicken to share” “A few of the other ingredients are picco, chickpeas, kale and radishes”.

 

“We are Forking ready for more chicken!” “And Shrimp.”

My husband had the Santa Fe Salad with added Chicken and Shrimp. He saved a little shrimp for the dogs….

“We scored a good amount of healthy grub at Salad and Go!”

www.SaladandGo.com

“We were going to eat at Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante in Glendale but there was Forking Loud live music on the PATIO so we left.” “Why the Fork would they do that on a dog friendly patio?”

“Now we are on our way to Cucina Tagliani in Glendale.”

Cucina Tagliani serves American Italian Favorites and they offer many heath conscious alternatives like baked spaghetti squash, spaghetti squash substitutions for pasta, grilled chicken parmesan, whole grain pastas and a long menu of side vegetables.

Today I got one of my favorite’s for lunch, the Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad with House Made Dressing.

Dogs enjoy Goat Cheese and Chicken. Actually they’d eat the strawberries and Romaine too!

The Dogs are also very interested in the Chicken and Shrimp Rigatoni.

“We’re Back!”

“We enjoyed our meal at Cucina Tagliani.”

www.CucinaTagliani.com

“We’re on our way to Pita Kitchen in Glendale AZ” (he’s not biting the seat….he’s really yawning but I thought it was cute)

Pita Kitchen serves casual Greek Mediterranean Food. My favorite meal here is the Greek Salad with a Chicken Kabob.

“The salad is good because the white meat chicken is usually juicy and tasty.”

“I’m a BIG fan of the chicken too!”

My husband likes to get the two meat platter.

Gyro Meat and Beef Shawarma with Greek Salad and Rice.

“I’m ready for more chicken please!”

www.PitaKitchen.net

“We’re on our way to Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante in Glendale AZ”

Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante serves Italian Food. They specialize in Neapolitan Style Pizzas, They also serve appetizers, salads, in-house pasta and Italian made pasta. They also serve lunch, seasonal specials, wine dinners and brunch.

The dogs were so cute while they were waiting for our meals to arrive.

“I’m so Forking Happy I’m here!”

He looks up at me between my legs and says, “Where’s the food?”

Today I went for the Vegetariano Panini. (zucchini, eggplant, roasted red pepper, tomato and provolone cheese on seasoned house made bread with a simple mixed green salad, shaved parmesan)

The dogs got to eat slices of parmesan and grilled zucchini.

My husband had the Bottega Pizza. (sausage, pepperoni & fresh basil)

She has her eye on the pizza.

“We are waiting for our next bite.”

www.BottegaRistorante.com

“We are on our way to Culver’s in Phoenix”

Culver’s is a national chain Fast Food Restaurant that started in Wisconsin and is in around half the United States. The signature dishes at a Culver’s are Butter Burgers, Frozen Custard and maybe the made fresh to order- Hand Battered Fish.  Culver’s advertise that they differ from the other Fast Food Restaurants out there because they claim the food they serve is restaurant quality…..I’ve never been to a Culver’s Before……but they have a limited special on Walleye….(a really GOOD fish that’s hard to come by) so I thought we’d try Culver’s today!

My husband got me the three piece Walleye platter.

It came with a bun, crinkle cut fries, cole slaw, lots of tarter sauce and THREE BIG BATTERED pieces of fish.

“The fish is fresh tasting mild and flaky in a shattering crisp crust”………”I like it a lot”

“I agree the fish is Very Good for the price point and even if there wasn’t a price point….it’s still very good……… I hate to say this but I’d even say it’s better than from a few full service restaurants I had walleye from.” ……….. “I’m not the biggest fan of the crinkle fries but the cole slaw is surprisingly good.” The  Butter Burger made with Wisconsin Cheese and the Bun is buttered and grilled with Wisconsin Butter.”…………gets an OK.

“My folks wouldn’t let me finish up the leftovers so I get to have Walleye again for lunch soon!” ‘Woo Hoo!”  “We will be dining at Culver’s again!”

www.Culvers.com

That was Dining Out With Dogs in Metro Phoenix for February 2018. 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 2017

 

#We are on our way to Carvalho’s Brazilian Kitchen in Scottsdale AZ”

Dining out with Dogs in Metro Phoenix is just a “Fluff” story about taking my dogs out to eat. These stories are not restaurant reviews. We usually go out to the same local casual places but once in a while we go out to another location. Many restaurants in Metro Phoenix have outdoor patios but not all patios are dog friendly. It’s always best to call a restaurant and ask if it’s ok to dine with your dog that day for several reasons. Sometimes restaurants suddenly stop accepting dogs. Other times the patio might be booked for a party. It’s also best to dine with your dog at off times to try to avoid other people and other dogs. Some people don’t feel the love you do for your dog and might complain. Some people are allergic to dogs and also complain. Sometimes when other dogs are on the patio all the dogs might start barking and you might be asked to leave so try to dine at off times. There are a few rules for dining out with dogs. Your dog(s) must stay by your side at all times. Dogs are NOT to sit on furniture or to eat off of restaurant plates. You also NEED TO BE AWARE that most food and drink you consume can be HARMFUL or TOXIC to your dog! You should consult your veterinarian for a list of safe foods and non-safe foods. A small amount of plain lean meat without sauce is usually a best bet for dogs.

We wanted to go a nicer place that’s dog friendly and were about to head out to Surprise AZ to Amuse Bouche but found out they changed their hours again and were closed today. We also found out that Rhythm and Wine in North Scottsdale changed their hours too and were also closed. So we went to Carvalho’s in North Scottsdale.

We went to the front patio that has a “PET FRIENDLY” sign on the gate. I’m sorry I couldn’t take a picture on how lovely the patio was. It’s very lush with flowers and flowing bushes that accent a small man made stream. They start us off with seasoned tasty plantain chips and a Big Bowl of Ice Water for my Dogs!

We decided to try the Bolinho De Bacalham – Salted Cod and Potato Croquettes

The server told us how to eat them. You cut the croquettes in half, then drizzle with olive oil and add a fresh squeeze of lime. The croquettes had a slightly stringy texture and were made with far less potato than I was expecting.

“The Croquettes have onions and garlic in them so we can’t eat them because that stuff is harmful and Toxic to us dogs.”

I went with a grilled chicken salad but they were 86th so I went with a Grilled Chicken Sandwich.

It was just a basic sandwich with fresh baguette and nicely seasoned chicken.

Both Dogs got to enjoy Chicken.

It seems that anything BEEF is the way to go at Carvalho’s. Here is the Beef Tenderloin Tip Sandwich. (sorry for the BAD picture…The sun was so bright I couldn’t see the screen)

The beef is flavorful, tender and buttery and is married with Grilled Red and Green Bell Peppers and covered in a blanket of cheese (he picked pepper jack).

Both dogs really REALLY enjoyed the beef.

“We did Forking Great at Carvalho’s!”

www.Carvalhos.co

“We are on our way to Amuse Bouche in Surprise AZ”

Amuse Bouche is a very small bistro with patio. The owners are a married couple that met at and attended culinary school in France and are French Trained Chefs. Currently this restaurant is open for brunch and lunch (M-F). They currently run occasional cooking school classes and do some special event dinners. This restaurant is well known for serving a really great Quiche and amazing desserts. The dinners they used to serve here were among the best on the west side. I also liked that they were a B.Y.O.B. so I saved a good amount of money on my wine when I used to enjoy well crafted dinners here. I am saddened that Amuse Bouche is no longer a regular dinner option for me but I’m happy that they are still here.

Today I ordered the Kale & Quinoa Salad with added Chicken.

My salad came with a hot roll and butter. This time the seasonal fruit are strawberries. The salad also contains toasted almonds and creamy goat cheese. The chicken is moist and juicy. I have LOTS of chicken to share with the dogs.

The dogs are very happy with the chicken.

My Husband had the Cabernet Burger. He was really thrilled with this burger and thinks it’s the best burger you can get on the west side. This is one of the very few restaurant were you can actually get a Medium Rare Burger. The beef is also ground in house (seldom if at all found anywhere on west side) The rich roll is the correct size for the burger and had a bit of quality sea salt applied to the bun. The sandwich also contains a bacon jam, garlic aioli and really great fries that have a moist interior and a crisp exterior. My husband said that I should try a burger from here because he thinks these burgers are among the VERY best that you can get out….maybe I will try one of the  burgers next time……..

Sadly the dogs can’t eat any of the burger because of the wine added to the burger. (anything grape related is harmful to dogs)

www.AmuseBouche.biz

“We’re on our way to Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in PhoenixAZ”

Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery is a casual Pho Free Vietnamese Eatery. They specialize in the Banh Mi Sandwich.   We think the Banh Mi Sandwiches they serve here are the best we’ve tried anywhere. I am also a big fan of the Rice plate and the Vietnamese Chicken Curry from this eatery.

Today we both went with Banh Mi Sandwiches.

I went with the Chicken Banh Mi. The Baguette seems lighter than a regular baguette with a crunchy exterior and a moist interior made from wheat and rice flour. They brushed the roll with house made aioli. Inside is moist flavorful white meat chicken, sliced cucumbers, jalapeños, pickled radish and carrots and fresh cilantro. It is a delicious tasty sandwich and one of the best bargains around in this part of town. Only $6.00 and I usually make two meals out of it.

“I’m getting me some Banh Mi Today!”

“I’m also getting ME some Banh Mi today too!”

My husband got the pulled pork Banh Mi and the dogs enjoyed some pulled pork too!

www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com

“We are on our way to Leo’s Island BBQ in Peoria AZ”

Leo’s Island BBQ is among the few of the independently owned restaurants in the Arrowhead Mall area of Peoria. Leo’s Island BBQ specializes in the Hawaiian Plate Lunch. A Hawaiian Plate Lunch is a Big Styrofoam Container that’s filled with an enormous amount of meat, a double scoop of rice, heavy macaroni salad and some steamed vegetables. Leo’s Island BBQ offers about 30 choices of the Hawaiian Plate Lunch and most are priced at around $10.00.

My husband got the BBQ Chicken and Pulled Pork Combo.

I got the Maui Maui Grilled Fish with Brown Rice…..(they now offer egg fried rice as a choice…)

It’s a FORKING ENORMOUS Plate of food. My dogs helped me out with all that food and I took half home too.

www.LeosIslandBBQ.com

That was Dining Out with Dogs in Metro Phoenix for December 2017.

Take Care, Happy New Year 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 October 2017

 

“Hi there!” #We are on our way to Bpttega Pizzeria Ristorante in Glendale AZ”

Dining out with dogs in Metro Phoenix is just a “Fluff” story of my dining adventure out with dogs. Dining out with dogs stories are not restaurant reviews just stories about taking my dogs out to eat. Not all but many restaurants in Metro Phoenix do have patios but not all patios are dog friendly. It’s always a great idea to call a restaurant just before your about show up with your dog because you never know if the patio is booked up for a party or if the restaurant suddenly stopped allowing dogs on the patio. It is also a good idea to dine at off times to try to avoid other people and other people’s dogs because you could be asked to leave if something goes wrong. (like dog barking or if a customer is allergic to dogs) There are some rules for dining with dogs. Dogs are never to eat off restaurant dishes. Dogs must stay close to your side and dogs are not allowed to sit on restaurant furniture. Other things that you must be aware of are that most foods and drink you consume might be harmful or toxic to your dog. To be on the safe side feed your dog plain lean meat.

October here in Phoenix was mostly hot…mostly too hot to dine out with dogs…. 🙁 But we just had a cool day so we went off to Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante in Glendale.

They were offering a special seasonal menu today along with the regular menu so I decided to try the Butternut Squash Pizza with some pancetta on the side for my dogs. (I know pancetta is fatty but I am very careful with the amounts I give to the dogs)

The Butternut Squash Pizza is really different. Instead of a tomato base we have cooked pureed Butternut Squash with crispy sage and melted cheese. Very different. Don’t know if I want some sweet or spice or heat for my taste…It does have an excellent chewy blistered crust. It’s not a wet center like from some of the other pizzas I had here.

“Ummmm Butternut Squash Pizza….I Forking want some!”

“Hey Runt move the Fork over I’m getting some Butternut Squash Pizza!” Both dogs get to try small tastes of Butternut Squash Pizza. Then they get to try some of my husband’s pizza.

My husband got a Spicy Salami Pizza….Not sure if it was made with the same salami as last time?

 

“Let’s Forking move in on the Butternut Squash Pizza.”

 

Both dogs decide they want more of the Butternut Squash Pizza.

www.BottegaRistorante.com

That was Dining out with Dogs in Metro Phoenix for October 2017. 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 September 2017

 

“We’re Dining Out Today!”

Dining with Dogs is just a “Fluff” story on how it was taking my dogs out to eat. We usually go to casual places with patios. I do note that not every patio is dog friendly and you must find out in advance if it’s ok to bring your furry friend(s). There are some rules to dining with dogs. It’s very important that you don’t let your dog sit on the furniture like in the picture below.

Dogs also should be close by your side at all times and dogs shouldn’t eat off restaurant plates.

You also need to be aware that most of the food you eat can be harmful or toxic to your dog’s health. You need to get a list of dog safe foods from your veterinarian. Basically you can do alright if you just feed your dog small amounts of plain meat with the sauce removed. It would also be a good idea to bring a collapsible water bowl for your friend. I try to dine out with dogs at off times. That works out best to avoid as many people as possible because many people don’t like to dine around dogs. Another thing to try to avoid is dining out with other people’s dogs because the dogs might start barking and you might be asked to leave.

Now that we got that out of the way…. It’s been another very hot summer around Metro Phoenix and it just got bearable to dine out with dogs in Mid-September.

We headed out to Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in Phoenix AZ. BMBVE is a Pho-Free Vietnamese Eatery. They specialize in the Banh Mi Sandwich but also do offer many appetizers, salads, noodle dishes, rice dishes and MORE! Today I got one of my favorites – the Chicken Rice Plate. I enjoy the very flavorful marinated boneless chicken thigh that is always prepared with a tasty char and is brushed with an appetizing glaze. I also get a nice refreshing salad accented with some pickled vegetable, Steamed rice and a pork egg roll.

Chicken and Rice Plate

“We are big fans of Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery” “We love everything we get to try here!”

Shaken Beef Banh Mi

www.BanhMiBistro AZ.com

The next weekend was unseasonably cool so we got to dine out again.

“WE are off to Pita Kitchen in Glendale AZ”

Pita Kitchen is a casual Greek/Mediterranean Restaurant in the Arrowhead section of Glendale AZ. Our favorite meal to order here are the Greek Salads. I like the Chicken Kabob topping best and I think the dogs like that one best too!

“! never had Greek Food before…..but something sure smells good!”

“Maybe you won’t like Greek Food Runt, you better leave it all for me”….”I hear Runts like olives. Maybe you better eat the olive and leave the rest for me.”

“Oh that Greek Food was Delicious!” “I can’t wait to go to Pita Kitchen again.”

www.PitaKitchen.net

That was Dining with Dogs for September 2017

Hopefully we’ll see you next month.

The Forking Truth

In Memory of Louie 5-5-2001 – 3-3-2017

Dining With Dogs and the Dogs Non-Safe and Safe Foods to Eat!

 

“It’s too Forking HOT to dine out with dogs in Metro Phoenix!” “Oh FORK!”

Normally I have a story and cute photos of my dogs to share from Dining out with Dogs in Metro Phoenix. We are having another brutal summer and we’ve already had record breaking heat that made it around up to 120 degrees F in Metro Phoenix. Even if we cool down a bit it’s still too hot to walk a dog across a hot pavement in the sun during most of the day. We’ve been able to take the dogs on a few rides out early in the morning to walk around Petsmart ( a dog superstore and market.)  They also got a few rides to a few burger drives.

During these times with high heat it’s a good idea to give dogs extra chewing treats and dog puzzles to keep them busy. Other things that help keep dogs keep busy inside are Natural long lasting treats like bully sticks and antler horns are some of what is suggested. Some dogs do choke on rawhide so rawhide isn’t suggested.

It is recommended to get the latest list of the safe and the non-safe food list for dogs from your veterinarian. The list I posted may or may not contain the latest or complete information……but at least it’s something….

Here’s the List of Foods for Dogs to avoid.

From www.Pets.WebMD.com

Xylitol (usually but not always in sugar free candy and gum)

Avocado

Alcohol

Onions & Garlic

Coffee, Tea, Caffeine

Grapes & Raisins (all grape products, wine, jelly, vinegar, gummies)

Milk and Dairy (some dogs don’t have lactase to break down lactose)

Macadamia Nuts (I read somewhere that dogs can’t eat most nuts) (only can eat peanuts & cashews)

CHOCOLATE

Fat and Bones

Persimmons, Peaches and Plums

Raw Eggs, Raw Meat & Raw Fish

Salt

Sugary Foods and Drinks

Yeast Dough

Your Medicine

Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Nutmeg, Other Spices

No Heavily Seasoned Foods

I also went to a second site www.EntirelyPets.com – here are a few extra things they had on their list.

mushrooms

baby food

cat food

Jimson Weed

Lantana

Mold

Here is the SAFE DOG FOOD LIST (from www.PetsMD.com

Lean Meats

Some Fresh Fruits like – Apple, Orange, Banana, Watermelon (Cleaned with Skin seeds and stems removed)

Some Vegetables like – carrot, green beans, cucumber, zucchini and Skinless Baked Potatoes

We are wishing all of you a safe happy summer and we hope to dine out with dogs again soon!

 

“We are Forking looking forward to dine out in Metro Phoenix Again!”

The Forking Truth

In Memory of Louie 5-5-2001 – 3-3-2017

 

Dining Out with DOGS in Metro Phoenix AZ June 2017

 

Where the Fork are we going?”

Dining with Dogs in Metro Phoenix is just a “fluff” story about taking my dogs out to eat. We usually go to most of the same casual places that aren’t too far from home but we do hit a new places now and then. You do need to know that there are some rules for dining with dogs. Many restaurants here in the Metro Phoenix Area do have patios but not all patios are dog friendly. It’s always best to call a restaurant first before you decide to dine there with your dog because the patio could be booked already for a party or closed for another reason. Once you decide on a dog friendly patio you must make sure to keep your dog(s) by your side at all times. Dogs are NOT to sit on restaurant furniture or eat off of restaurant plates. It is always suggested to dine at off times to avoid as many people as possible because some people other diners don’t want to dine around dogs and it’s best to avoid screaming children as they tend to spook dogs. You also need to be aware that most of the foods you eat can be harmful or toxic to your dog. You should get a list of these foods from your veterinarian. Basically it’s usually safe to feed your dog a few small pieces of plain meat with any sauce removed. You might consider purchasing a collapsible bowl for water for your dog.

For our first Dining with Dogs Adventure with our new member we decide to try out Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in Phoenix AZ. This is a Pho Free Vietnamese Restaurant that specializes in the Banh Mi Sandwich. A Banh Mi Sandwich is served on a rice and wheat flour Vietnamese Style Baguette that has a crisp exterior and a soft interior and is filled with pickled Daikon & Carrot, jalapeños, house made aioli, cucumbers and your choices of around 10 fillings. The sandwich is a mix of savory, spicy, sour and sweet. They also serve a variety of tasty appetizers, noodle bowls, really good rice plates and MORE!

“My first Dining with Dogs in Metro Phoenix….I’m on TOP OF THE WORRRRRRLD”!

“I’m so FORKING GLAD these people adopted me!”

I decided to get the Chicken Curry with Rice and my husband gets a Pulled Pork Banh Mi.

The curry is a nice light and aromatic with good flavoring and tender chicken. The pulled pork is tasty and satisfying.

“This is a FORKING GREAT DAY!”

“We couldn’t be more pleased!”

www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com

“Hey Big Mama!” “Where are we off too?” “Don’t you FORKING call me Mama you RUNT!” “We’re off to Salad and Go in Phoenix AZ”

Salad and Go is a small local chain that serves a variety of about ten kinds of quick packaged salads, breakfast items, wraps, soups, smoothies and more! Salad and Go is only a Drive Threw Restaurant without a Dining Room but they do have a Dog Friendly Patio and Usually hand out Dog Biscuits to Dogs.

I Forgot to Photo our salads but they both looked similar to this one.

It’s a pretty good sized salad with lots of seasoned moist chicken. This time I got the seasonal salad that included Quinoa, Roasted Beets and Candied Walnuts. My husband got a Greek Style Salad with Chicken and Shrimp.

“My first time at Salad and Go!”   “Yum!”

“I better get up as close as I can to get the most food!”

“Your playing DIRTY you FORKING runt!”

“This food is pretty tasty isn’t it!”

“We did alright at Salad and Go!”

www.SaladandGo.com

“Woo Hoo where am I going?’

It’s been mighty hot in Phoenix but we had one day the next week where the high was only 94 degrees F and it was still comfortable and cool at lunch time so we sneaked out for Lunch again at Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in Phoenix.

Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery is a Pho Free Vietnamese Restaurant and they recently expanded the menu slightly with a few newer offerings. A Cheeseburger Banh Mi, Coconut Curry, small Chicken Cabbage Salad and Asian Flavors of Ice Cream. This time I got a Chicken Banh Mi because I haven’t had one in a while.

“Hey Runt, you only get to eat after I eat first.”

My husband got a BBQ Pork Banh Mi.

There was more than enough to go around for everyone. I even got to take half of mine home with sharing.

“We FORKING ENJOY Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in Phoenix.

www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com

It seems that Dining Out with Dogs in Metro Phoenix will be more like Dining IN with dogs in Metro Phoenix because it is Forking Hot Here Already. We took the dogs to the Burger King Drive Threw for a Breakfast Sandwich.

“I just started dining out in Metro Phoenix and it’s already so FORKING HOT” The cement burns our paws and we can fry in the heat!”  “Where are we going?”

“We’re going to Burger King.” “Get used to it Runt….this is about as good as dining out gets for us because it so hot outside.”

“It Forking looks like food comes out the window”…..”My Big Beautiful Aussie Queen!”

“That’s all Folks!”

It’s very hot in Phoenix now. We had some record breaking heat already. It already got up to 120 degrees F. We can only hope for a monsoon to cool things down.

We’ll see you when we can!

That was Dining Out with Dogs in Metro Phoenix for June 2017…take care and we hope to see you next month.

The Forking Truth

In Memory of Louie 5-5-2001 – 3-3-2017

 

 

Dining with Dogs in Metro Phoenix AZ May 2017

 

“I’m off to Humble Pie Near Glendale AZ

Dining with dogs is just a “Fluff” story about taking my dogs out to eat. We usually go to very casual places that aren’t too far away from home. There are some rules to dine with dogs. Dogs are to be kept near your side. Dogs are not to sit on restaurant furniture and dogs are not to eat off restaurant plates. It’s usually a good idea to dine with dogs on off times to avoid diners that don’t want to eat with dogs. In Metro Phoenix most restaurants do have patios but NOT ALL patios are dog friendly. It’s recommended to call a restaurant first before you dine there with your furry friend because on occasion dog friendly patios sometimes turn non-dog friendly and sometimes the patio might be already booked for a party.

This week we have unseasonably hot temperatures in Phoenix so we needed to dine as early as possible to avoid the screaming high temperatures. We decided to dine at Humble Pie. They have a covered patio with fans and it’s quite comfortable. The pizzas are thin and sort of crisp the cheese is hand pulled. Humble Pie also offers one of the best Lunch Deals in Town. Choice one of several salads and a generous lunch size pizza for just under $10.00. You get BOTH a NICE Salad and a PIZZA for only $10.00!

“Ummmmm what am I getting here”

We both got lunch specials and we started with a chopped salad and a gorgonzola and strawberry salad. The both salads are very good. At many places in Scottsdale these salads alone would cost more than what we are paying for that includes a good pizza.

“The Strawberries taste sweet and fresh farm picked and not like those cardboard strawberries from the supermarket.”

Soon our pizzas arrive.

Crust is thin with a nice crisp. The sauce is concentrated and sweet. The hand pulled cheese is melty and milky and the fresh basil is the perfect accent.

“I did alright at Humble Pie!.”

www.HumblePieUSA.com

“I’m off to Pita Kitchen in Glendale AZ”

“My folks and me like the salads from Pita Kitchen” Pita Kitchen is a small casual Greek Style Restaurant.”

“I got to try Chicken and Gyro.”

“All was tasty to me.” “I did alright and it was great getting away from that Forking little runt that now lives in my house.” “I think I hate him.” I wish my old man was still here…..as he was perfect.” “I loved him.”…..”even if he didn’t show love back to me he still was perfect and a perfect gentleman at all times……I really miss him.”

This is the one that she called a “runt.”……….”Not ready for the Dining with Dogs team yet.”

“I’m off to Oscar’s Pier 83 in Glendale AZ” “Woo hoo without the Forking Runt.”

Oscar’s Pier 83 serves up a variety of fried fish and some other items. Today I went with the Ahi Tuna Salad. They gave me a large tomato, hard boiled eggs, crisp romaine a few other veggies and a generous portion of Ahi Tuna.

My husband had the Battered Cod Platter.

“It’s not fancy food but I enjoyed everything my folks would let me eat.”

www.OP83.com

“I’m on my way to Leo’s Island BBQ in Peoria AZ.” “Again without the Forking runt…WOO…HOO!”

Leo’s Island BBQ specializes in the Hawaiian Plate Lunch. The typical Hawaiian Plate Lunch is lots of meat, a double serving of rice and creamy macaroni salad served in a styrofoam container. They offer around 30 choices and pricing runs on average less than $10.00.

I had a non-typical order today and got the BBQ Chicken Salad.

It isn’t fancy but does contain lots of chicken for sharing. It’s really only fast food priced and far better than what I’d get from a fast food joint.

My husband got the BBQ Pork and Chicken Lunch Plate.

“Whoa, lots of meat here…I’m not leaving hungry.”

www.LeosIslandBBQ.com

Hopefully our newest arrival will be able to join the Dining with Dogs Team Soon.

He’s just now learning how to ride in the car.

“Don’t worry folks I got this down.”  “I’ll be Forking Dining with Dogs in no Time!” “I’ll be Forking dining out next week!” “I had this down a month ago but nobody knew yet!”

That was Dining with Dogs in May 2017. We hope to see you next month!

The Forking Truth

In Memory of Louie 5-5-2001 – 3-3-2017

 

Dining with Dogs in Metro Phoenix AZ April 2017

 

“I’m off to Tru Burger in Peoria AZ”

Dining with Dogs is just a “Fluff” Storyand not a full blown restaurant review that’s about taking my dogs out to eat. Most restaurant in Metro Phoenix do have patios but not all restaurant patios are dog friendly. It’s always best to call a restaurant the day of your visit and and ask if its ok to bring your furry friend to dine there. It is also suggested to dine at off times to avoid a bigger crowd of people that might include people with allergies or dog haters. There are some rules to live by with dining with dogs. Dogs are to stay close to you. Dogs are NOT to sit on restaurant furniture. Dogs are also not to eat off of restaurant plates. It’s important that you are aware of the dog friendly food list. Basically most foods you eat are not healthy or possibly TOXIC to your dog. Your usually safe feeding your dog sauce free plain piece of meat. You know that’s what your dog wants anyway….a few of the foods to avoid are anything related to a grape, onions, garlic, chocolate, avocado (some veterinarians do disagree with avocado) bread, alcohol and more.

We went to Tru Burger in Peoria AZ. This is a casual Build your own burger place and more. You have your choice of style of burger, type of patty, sauces, toppings and side.

Tru Burger is very DOG FRIENDLY and even has a special gate on the patio just for people with dogs. The patio is nice and comfortable with a relaxing blue color scheme.

We started with an appetizer of Green Bean Fries.

“Oh I Forking Like Green Beans when they are fried!”

The Green Beans were sort of addicting but very substantial and came with a mild but tasty creamy wasabi sauce.

I had the Lettuce Wrapped Salmon “Burger” with guacamole, tomato, onion, Habanero sauce (on the side) and Onion Rings.

Salmon is seasoned nicely and is juicy. I’m able to cut off a good slice without avocado for my furry friend.

“I LOVE when restaurants serve me my own water…but I love eating better.”

Onion rings are really tasty and that habanero sauce is REALLY HOT but tasty!

My husband had the Grass Fed Green Chili Burger with Fries. It’s a really big burger! Our waitress said it was a half pound patty! My husband said the burger was a good tasting burger and the chili was also a good tasting one.

 

www.TruBurgerCo.com

I’m on my way to Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in Phoenix AZ

Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery specializes in the Vietnamese Baguette Sandwich called the Banh Mi. This Vietnamese Restaurant is Pho Free. You can’t get a bowl of Pho here. They now offer around eleven varieties and also offer various appetizers, salads, noodle bowls, rice plates and more!

I decided to try a new menu item. The Chicken Curry with my choice of rice or bread. I’ve had Chicken curry from other Asian Restaurants but only one time before from a Vietnamese Restaurant. At B.M.B.V.E. I got a generous portion of tender tasty chicken with fresh carrots and potatoes. The sauce is light, thin and very fragrant with lemongrass. I like the lighter more fragrant sauce.

 

Our furry friend got to try some of my husband’s Shaking Beef from his Banh Mi Sandwich.

“Everything I tried from Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery was so delicious!” ” Both the chicken and Steak were so tender and flavorful. I’m a big fan of both!” ” I do well every time I visit!”

www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com

“I’m off to Salad and Go in Phoenix AZ”

Salad and Go is a Drive Threw Eatery with several locations in Metro Phoenix AZ. They serve about a dozen varieties of gourmet salads, breakfast, wraps, smoothies and child’s meals. Salad and Go is very Dog Friendly and Dog Patrons are served complimentary Dog Biscuits.

Today I went with a Southwest Style Caesar Salad.

I got a big bowl of fresh crisp romaine, garbanzo beans, tortilla strips, added flavorful tender chicken that was tossed in a poblano pepper dressing.

My husband got a seasonal special salad with seasonal Chicken Corn Chowder Soup.

Someone thought the Italian Salad gave off an appetizing aroma.

“I’m a big fan of Salad and Go!”

www.SaladandGo.com

We are proud to announce a new member that we hope to be a part of the Dining with Dogs team.

He is only pint sized but has a great big appetite. But for now he is young and very rambunctious. I don’t know how long it will take to get him dining with dogs ready.

That was Dining with Dogs for April 2017

We hope to see you next month!

The Forking Truth

In Memory of Louie 5-5-2001 – 3-3-2017