Chicklet Morris has won beauty pageants, worn the latest fashions and even appeared on television. But put a bowl in front of her, and she's not afraid to shove her face in.
Owner Kathy Sinclair held Kobe, an American Eskimo, as he dined on the terrier taco salad, first of a three-course meal for Paws On The Patio at Doug and Bruski's Bar & Grill in Plano on Sunday. The event benefits Plano Animal Shelter. But the 7-year-old Chihuahua mix and her owner, Kim Morris of Richardson, drew few stares Sunday in Plano at Doug and Bruski's Paws on the Patio dinner. "We've been to a lot of dog events," Ms. Morris said. "But I've never been to a gourmet dinner before."
The restaurant and bar at the Shops of Willow Bend served up a feast fit for a beast, with a three-course dinner that had diners drooling, begging and howling for more.
While owners ate from the standard menu, dogs devoured a terrier taco salad, "muttloaf," and a frozen dessert specifically designed for four-legged diners.
Waiters dodged curious noses and navigated a maze of tangled leashes as manager and self-proclaimed cat person Julie Kaim looked on.
"You could never do this with cats," she said.
Restaurant staff prepared 20 pounds of chicken and 40 pounds of beef for Sunday's dinner – enough to feed more than 300 dogs. To remain within Plano Health Department guidelines, the dinner had to be held off the restaurant's property and required a separate serving staff.
Co-owner Bruce Lazarus hosted doggie dinners in the past at San Antonio's Canyon Cafe but wasn't sure what to expect at Sunday's event, a fundraiser for Plano Animal Shelter.
"Dog owners are very passionate about their animals," he said. "I had a woman taste a soup at one of these events and send it back because it was too hot for her dog."
Golden retriever Buttermilk didn't appear too picky as he lapped up the remains of his frozen poochie pop.
"He'll eat anything," owner Evan Brazeal of Lewisville said. "Even things that aren't food."
A Bobbing for Hot Dogs booth run by Grand Paws Pet Sitter proved a favorite among larger dogs. Tiny Macey Sabin, a Yorkshire terrier, got caught in the wake as a pack of golden retrievers toppled over buckets of water in search of floating franks.
"Well, she was actually supposed to get a bath today," owner Holly Sabin of Plano said. "I think this is as close as she's going to get."
But even with spilled water, bits of food and torn dishes strewn across the patio, Mr. Lazarus remained unfazed.
"It's not too bad," he said. "We've had fewer problems with the dogs than we did with the Mavs crowd on Friday night."
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...1.de0229c.html