Erin Podolsky | Special to the Detroit Free Press

Wochit

Romain Blanquart, Detroit Free Press

It’s no secret that there are more dogs to be rescued in Detroit than any one organization can handle. But a benefit under way at 30 metro Detroit restaurants aims to add a good chunk of change to the pot, with proceeds from Hot Dogs for Dogs going to Detroit Dog Rescue to help as many animals in need as possible.

Restaurants and food trucks are putting signature spins on hot dogs at every price point, with sale proceeds going to Detroit Dog Rescue, a no-kill nonprofit that takes strays from the Detroit streets, rehabilitates them and fosters and adopts them out.

The event was created by Mabel Gray chef James Rigato, who was inspired by the heartbreaking tale of Jack, a dog who succumbed last month to multiple gunshot wounds despite DDR’s best efforts to save him.

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“I’m a sentimental guy about dogs, and the idea of this dog being shot in the face, it reminded me of how dogs are such a microcosm of society, how we treat them,” says Rigato, who gave his Doberman Oda Mae a companion in rescued pit bull Chandler earlier this year. “I was thinking about how can we get a large number of chefs involved at a low premium and hit volume. What’s the Detroit mascot of food? A coney. So I thought, let’s do hot dogs and let’s let every restaurant that wants to participate participate and do their own version.”

Mabel Gray, for instance, will feature a basic hot dog and steamed bun topped with sous chef and resident fermentation expert Sam Stanisz’s kimchi, sauerkraut, pickles and caraway beer mustard.

We caught up with a few participating chefs to talk dogs, hot dogs and the intense need for dog rescue efforts in our town.

Rebecca LaMalfa, Standby

Becca LaMalfa

Who she is: After six years in Chicago, LaMalfa moved to Detroit this year (she is married to the Foundation Hotel’s chef Thomas Lents), taking over the reins as Standby’s third executive chef since 2016, putting her stamp on the popular cocktail spot in the Belt alley.

Why she’s participating: “I have always been a huge dog fan. I’ve had dogs my whole life, and I have three rescue dogs in my house right now.”

Her dogs: Busby, 1, mastiff-pit bull mix. “I found him on the street like a month ago. You could tell he was terrified, running back and forth, and I thought he must be out of his yard. But I pulled over and I got him and he was skinny and had a ton of scars, had a huge hematoma on the side of his body, and I was like, ‘OK, no one loves you.’ I called all the rescues and no one could take him. I didn’t know if he was a fight dog and if he was going to eat my dachshund, but we brought him home and he has been super sweet. Now he’s ours.”

Rooney, 3, pit bull mix. “I was in a green room at WGN waiting to do a lunch spot for Christmas and they were promoting rescue dogs and they had this puppy in a Santa suit and he was so cute and I could tell he didn’t feel very good. (Afterward) I tracked him down and we rescued him. He had all sorts of issues. He was only 10 weeks old. I was like, ‘I’m going to keep you,’ and he has all sorts of health problems now, like he just had a bad start, but he’s the most amazing, loyal dog and I love him to death.”

Horton, 6, dachshund. “He’s a puppy. He was terrified of men for like two years and now he doesn’t even remember that he had a terrible life before. He’s totally spoiled and ridiculous. It’s absolutely like ‘Stepbrothers.’ He runs the show. If Rooney and Busby start roughhousing too much he yells at them.”

Her hot dog: The Corn Sonoran Dog, a Sonoran-style corndog with a Kobe hot dog fried in a crackling cornbread batter and topped with pinto beans spiced with green Hatch chiles, lime crema, cilantro and diced tomatoes. “It’s totally a throwback to when I was living in Arizona and that was like the hot dog, bacon-wrapped and fried and it’s basically a torta on a wienie. I was like, if we could corndog that I think it would be awesome. It comes on a stick, on a plate, covered in all the stuff. It’s messy and awesome and hysterical. I think food should be funny, and I think this is super funny.”

Doug Hewitt, Chartreuse Kitchen and Cocktails

Romain Blanquart, Detroit Free Press

Who he is: Hewitt sits at the helm of Chartreuse in Midtown, whose tightly curated, inventive seasonal menu focuses on local produce and excellent beverages with an emphasis on the storied French liqueur.

Why he’s participating: “Anyone who loves dogs will do anything for them. It was really just a matter of I have a soft spot for kids charities, dogs charities, I don’t think I’ve ever said no to any of them. There are a lot of dogs suffering out there, a lot of animals suffering out there, and I think it’s important to help out when I can to raise some money.”

Doug Hewitt

His dog: Bo, 10, Shar-Pei-Labrador mix. “I rescued Bo when he was 4 weeks old, which is way younger than you should ever get a puppy. His mom was a stray and she died after birth. She gave birth to 12 puppies from two different dads. We got Bo home and had to bottle fed him and then make this pureed food for him until he got old enough to eat solids. We rescued him at such a young age and it was kind of the first dog I’ve ever owned myself outside of a family pet. Because of it, he’s pretty attached to me. He’s pretty whiny. We’ve been best friends ever since. I can leave for 10 minutes or 10 hours and every time I see him it’s like we haven’t seen each other in a month. He’s just fantastic, the best companion I’ve ever had.”

His hot dog: The ChoriBo, a revival of a sausage he created for Dlectricity that features a chorizo hot dog on an Avalon bun with queso fresca, salsa verde, grilled pineapple and cilantro. “It’s kind of a play on a Tex-Mex hot dog. I actually bought the sausage on accident, I was trying to get something else and it came in one day and we started using it in the octopus dish and we all fell in love with it. We eat these all the time just ourselves. We’re grilling it, it’s really crispy, it’s spicy, it’s really nice. It’s like the size of a coney frank.”

Andy Hollyday, Selden Standard

Rachel Woolf, Special to the Free Press

Who he is: It’s hard to believe it’s only been four years since Selden Standard opened to huge Cass Corridor hype – and lived up to it. Hollyday continues to keep things fresh with a menu that has something for anyone with a functioning set of tastebuds, paying equal respect to both vegetables and meats.

Why he’s participating: “I had helped with a couple other dinners in the past with DDR. Obviously, I’m a dog lover, number one. There’s a great need for dogs being rescued in the city. It just makes sense to me. I think there’s a big problem with stray dogs and abused animals, and I’m just happy to help in any small way that I can. It’s really a cool kind of event because we all get to raise awareness and we’re all coming together for the common goal and also having some fun doing it.”

Joe Vaughn

His dog: Gazpacho, 5, Chihuahua. “We adopted him from the Humane Society from the Meet Your Best Friend event at the zoo that they do every year. He’s an awesome, fat little Chihuahua that loves lamb ribs and like most Chihuahuas he’s a big dog trapped in a little dog’s body. He’s great and brings a lot of joy to the family.”

His hot dog: The Kimchi Dog, an coney-esque hot dog that starts with a Farm Field Table all-beef hot dog, slots it in a house-made bun and tops it with smoked pulled pork chili, kimchi relish, pickled daikon radish, herbs and either mustard or cheese (or both). “It’s a riff on a classic coney. We had once done a coney dog back in the day at Roast and we had made this smoked pulled pork chili and thought it was a pretty good sauce that was close to a coney, but smokey and with a little spice to it. With the seasoning, we’ll add some Korean chili powder and make a relish. This is pretty much a hodgepodge of cuisines coming together to create a tasty dog.”

John Vermiglio, Grey Ghost

Mark Kurlyandchik, Detroit Free Press

Who he is: Vermiglio and co-chef Josef Giacomino opened Grey Ghost in Brush Park last year, bringing an exciting presence to the neighborhood. The hot spot boasts great eats and a wicked sense of humor, unafraid to put things like baloney on the menu.

Why he’s participating: “That’s simple: I love dogs. DDR does a phenomenal job, and to me there’s not much more rewarding than finding dogs homes. I just have a profound respect for the care and attention that goes into finding forever homes for dogs. It was an easy decision to support such a cause.”

His dogs: Sway, 2, chow chow-German shepherd-Staffordshire terrier mix. “I had a DNA test done so I could learn what the heck she was. We went in search of a German shepherd and I saw this little lady hiding in her crate and I was like, ‘We’ll take that one.’ I’m pretty sure Sway will literally eat anything that’s in front of her. She gets a lot of meat scraps I

John Vermiglio

bring home with me from the restaurant. She’s probably one of the only dogs eating 60-day dry-aged steaks.”

Stanley, 8, Cairn terrier. “He’s like 15 pounds and lives in a constant state of fear because of Sway. Stan is obsessed with the tennis ball. His entire life exists around the tennis ball. He carries it with him wherever he goes.”

John Vermiglio

His hot dog: The Cubano Dog, featuring a hot dog with ground pork shoulder and ham topped with braised pork shoulder, Swiss cheese, jalapeno mustard and pickles on Golden Wheat’s French bread. “It’s sort of a hybrid of Spam that we make here every so often, and ham, of course. We’re going to butterfly the hot dog, sear that, top it with the pork shoulder, then smash the whole thing together with Swiss cheese and press it on the flattop. The Cubano is one of my absolutely favorite sandwiches, and to combine a hot dog and a Cubano – we always try to take a playful, whimsical approach to food at Grey Ghost.”

Hot Dogs for Dogs

30 metro Detroit restaurants participating

Through Dec. 3

Benefiting Detroit Dog Rescue