Feeding fido: These Asheville restaurants roll out the red carpet for dogs

Asheville, in a manner of speaking, has gone to the dogs. There are canines in hotel rooms, pets on patios — Fido, it seems, is everywhere.

Some Asheville restaurants have decided to go with the flow, keeping water bowls and dog treats on hand. Still others have gone so far as to create special dishes for man's best friend.

Take Twisted Laurel, for example, which has an expansive animal-friendly patio and a $10 dog-friendly entree to go with it. No animals are permitted in the restaurant, per health code.

Vince Charbonneau, general manager of the restaurant, has three dogs and believes top-notch service shouldn't be limited to humans.

He spearheaded a dog-friendly room service program at Missouri's Resort at Port Arrowhead, a move he said was good for business. A similar concept has also drawn attention at his downtown eatery.

"We always have dogs out there and occasionally even cats," Charbonneau said of the patio, adding that one man appeared with a goat on a leash and a boa constrictor around his neck.

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The pet menu, displayed with the regular menu near the front door, offers no sustenance for large snakes.

But a changing doggie menu currently offers a "Twisted Doggie" bowl, which includes protein choices like chicken, salmon or eggs, with rice and vegetables like sweet potatoes or broccoli.

Twisted Laurel also makes scratch dog biscuits and offers a fruit-and-yogurt frozen treat, as well as dog-friendly ice cream from Ultimate Ice Cream Company.

The restaurant has also partnered with a dog-friendly tea vendor, with products including an anxiety-relieving herbal blend, served iced at the eatery.

Charbonneau said the patio can get crowded with pets on perfect days, a situation that can get, no pun intended, "hairy" for his servers trying to move around with trays of food.

"But most of the staff here loves dogs," he hastened to add, noting that the vast majority of the dining dogs are well-behaved. "There might be some barking, but never any aggression," he said.

It's not only brick-and-mortar restaurants getting into the dog food game.

The Purple People Feeder food truck specializes in hibachi-cooked food for humans, but it's also apparently a big hit with local dogs, who relish a dog bowl filled with steak fat, fried rice, peas and carrots. It's a bargain at $3.

"I hate throwing away food, so I wanted to try to do something with our scraps," said cook Lindsey Anderson. "We love dogs, and Asheville loves dogs, so we thought it'd be a good idea."

It's also a hit with humans on multiple levels: "I've actually seen a man eat the dog bowl, so it's good quality," Anderson shared.

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Purple People Feeder serves about five of the dog meals when they cook at places where pets hang, like Pisgah Brewing Company, which the food truck visits every other Friday (check PPF's Facebook page for the updated schedule).

Pisgah's official dog policy is that leashed dogs are welcome in the taproom and in the field, though not during events. "We want to keep everyone safe and stress-free, especially our furry friends," said a spokesperson for the brewery via email.

The Hop Ice Creamery loves dogs so much, the West Asheville production space even hosts Doggie Ice Cream Socials, complete with dog-friendly ice cream, scratch-made with peanut butter, bananas and fat-free yogurt, whipped together with no added sugar.

The plan is to host socials the final Thursday of every month, March-October. The next is March 29, 3 p.m. until dusk.

What's that like? "We have anywhere between 5-20 dogs at a time, plus lots of kids and lots of excited people and dogs eating ice cream," co-owner Greg Garrison said.

The dogs seem to have a blast, he added. "When you watch the dogs eating ice cream it's hysterical, because their personalities really come through while they're eating it."

The ice cream is pretty popular, too: The Hop sells about 100 servings of dog 'scream per week between its three locations. It's obviously a good business plan, but Garrison said there are other reasons to serve it.

"If you look at the ingredients listed in other frozen treats available for dogs, it's sometimes shocking," he said. "We just thought we had the opportunity to do something a little better, and it really took off."

Read on for more restaurants that roll out the red carpet for Fido.

GONE TO THE DOGS

These restaurants/bars go the extra mile for dogs.

Posana. This restaurant has a dog menu with house-made dog biscuit appetizers, entrees including local bison burgers, and a dessert of bacon-soy ice cream. 1 Biltmore Ave.

Battery Park Champagne Bar and Book Exchange: Not only are dogs invited to come inside and hang out, there's even a house Bouvier des Flandres named Corky. Dog treats provided on request. 1 Page Ave.

The Hop Ice Creamery: The creamery (167 Haywood Road) hosts doggie socials and makes a special dog-friendly ice cream, also available at other locations, 721 Haywood Road and 640 Merrimon Ave.

Ultimate Ice Cream also makes ice cream for dogs. 195 Charlotte St., 1070 Tunnel Road.

Twisted Laurel: A special dog menu and dog-friendly patio make this spot extra friendly to Fido. 130 College St.

Avenue M: A dog-friendly patio, plus locally baked dog treats for Fido. 791 Merrimon Ave.

Rescue Dog Cafe: This cafe at 240 East Main St. in Burnsville donates a percentage of coffee sales to local charities. Dogs are welcome, and can snag a puppy latte or other homemade doggie treats.

Upcountry Brewing: The entire taproom is dog friendly, and bartenders keep dog treats behind the bar. This spring, the brewery plans to have the backyard fenced in for four-legged friends. 1042 Haywood Road.