Nice Family Meals photos
A few nice family meals images I found:
The Scott Baioli from Dog Haus
Image by ~db~
I’ve been wanting to visit Dog Haus for a long time. It’s gotten quite a good rep since they opened their first Pasadena shop in 2010. They’ve now opened two more company-owned locations and scores of franchise outlets.
I visited the Dog Haus Biergarten in Pasadena because, uh, IT’S A BEER GARDEN! It was a little after 1pm when I got there and the line stretched out the door. Fortunately it moved quickly and I was placing my order in about 10 minutes. This gave a chance to peruse the menu which was divided into a "build-your-own" section, listing all the various options, and a section listing the house dogs and burgers. For my first time at Dog Haus I wanted a hot dog, instead of a sausage, and didn’t want too much piled on top. I really just wanted to get an idea of what the place was about.
By the time I reached the register to place my order, I decided on the Scott Baioli, a beef frank on two slices of white American cheese, topped with caramelized onions, crumbled smoked bacon, and garlic aioli sauce on a Hawaiian bread bun. I also got an order of tater tots and a pint of the Lagunitas pilsner they had on tap. The cashier handed me the beer and a number to take with me to the table. It was a beautiful day and the outside patio was packed, so I took my number and headed inside to find a quiet corner. In less than 10 minutes I was brought my order by a friendly, helpful server.
The hot dog was very good. I do not oppose the current trend of using a Hawaiian bread bun and it serves its purpose well here. The dog itself is a good beefy frank, though nothing transcendant such as Umami serves at The Hot Dog Show in Burbank, but it is certainly a step up from your basic dog served at a run of the mill stand. The aioli is especially good with lots of flavor. I was pleased that the bacon was crumbled instead of being laid on top in one big piece as I’ve had elsewhere (in which case I usually just take the piece off and eat it separately). If I had complaints, they were minor in that I wish the dog had been served warmer and the cheese had been better melted.
The tots were okay, but like the dog they weren’t warm enough, which is kind of a drag when we’re talking about tater tots. Also, they weren’t salted very much but this didn’t bug me at all and I think is probably a good thing, especially compared with the over-salted stuff which is often served elsewhere and a couple of shakes of the shaker easily fixed it. As for the pilsner, I didn’t really like it. Yea, it served its purpose, but there was something about its characteristics which didn’t go well with the dog. Not bad, mind you. Just not great. Next time I’ll probably just get a can of something.
So, a good meal in a nice setting with a mix of Baby Boomer families, hipsters, and a few old folk like me. I’ll definitely return. Hot dog, tater tots and beer, about .
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