Introducing: Craft Dogs, a new place for artisanal street meat on King East
Name: Craft Dogs
Neighbourhood : St. Lawrence
Contact Info: 95 King St. E., 647-748-2033, craftdogs.com
Owners: Craig Smith, Brian Morin and Kathleen McGinn (Beerbistro)
The Food: Handmade hot dogs with organic hormone-, antibiotic- and preservative-free ingredients. The French fries are cooked in beef and duck fat and the condiments, like smoked ketchup and smoked-pepper mayo, are made in-house.
The Drinks: Fountain sodas, including cocoa root beer and peach gingerale, craft beers and something called the Pie Shake, which, apparently, is a vanilla milkshake blended to order with a slice of homemade pie.
The Place : The mustard- and ketchup-coloured walls are plastered with graffiti and pop art. Chalkboards advertise the Ontario farms that provide the ingredients.
The Numbers:
• 200 dogs cooked everyday
• 180 years the heritage building has stood at 75 King St. East
• 3–4 hours to make the house-smoked condiments
• 3 years to find the space—the owners bid on 12 different spots but were edged out by big chains every time
• 1 in-house smoker
218742 (Image: Lee McVittie) Introducing Craft Dogs Introducing Craft Dogs https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-craft-dogs-1-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-craft-dogs-1.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-craft-dogs-1.jpg 382 624 [] https://torontolife.com/food/craft-dogs-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-craft-dogs-1/ introducing-craft-dogs-1 0 0
(Image: Lee McVittie)
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(Image: Lee McVittie)
218740 (Image: Lee McVittie) Introducing Craft Dogs Introducing Craft Dogs https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-craft-dogs-4-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-craft-dogs-4.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-craft-dogs-4.jpg 624 394 [] https://torontolife.com/food/craft-dogs-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-craft-dogs-4/ introducing-craft-dogs-4 0 0
(Image: Lee McVittie)
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(Image: Lee McVittie)
218738 Pork with mustard, relish, raw onions, tomatoes, pepperoncini and celery salt ($6.50) (Image: Lee McVittie) Introducing Craft Dogs Introducing Craft Dogs https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-craft-dogs-6-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-craft-dogs-6.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-craft-dogs-6.jpg 382 624 [] https://torontolife.com/food/craft-dogs-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-craft-dogs-6/ introducing-craft-dogs-6 0 0
(Image: Lee McVittie)
218737 Arctic char topped with blue crab mayo, raw onions, arugula and capers ($11.50) (Image: Lee McVittie) Introducing Craft Dogs Introducing Craft Dogs https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-craft-dogs-7-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-craft-dogs-7.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-craft-dogs-7.jpg 624 394 [] https://torontolife.com/food/craft-dogs-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-craft-dogs-7/ introducing-craft-dogs-7 0 0
(Image: Lee McVittie)
218736 Bundled asparagus, in lieu of meat, with sheep’s milk ricotta, smoked pepper mayo, arugula and grilled onions ($8.75) (Image: Lee McVittie) Introducing Craft Dogs Introducing Craft Dogs https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-craft-dogs-8-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-craft-dogs-8.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-craft-dogs-8.jpg 624 394 [] https://torontolife.com/food/craft-dogs-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-craft-dogs-8/ introducing-craft-dogs-8 0 0
(Image: Lee McVittie)
218735 Rabbit with arugula, grilled onions, rhubarb chutney and blueberry mayo ($13) (Image: Lee McVittie) Introducing Craft Dogs Introducing Craft Dogs https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-craft-dogs-9-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-craft-dogs-9.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-craft-dogs-9.jpg 624 394 [] https://torontolife.com/food/craft-dogs-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-craft-dogs-9/ introducing-craft-dogs-9 0 0
(Image: Lee McVittie)
218734 Berkshire pork belly, house-smoked organic bacon, tomatoes, mayo and lettuce ($10) (Image: Lee McVittie) Introducing Craft Dogs Introducing Craft Dogs https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-craft-dogs-10-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-craft-dogs-10.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-craft-dogs-10.jpg 624 394 [] https://torontolife.com/food/craft-dogs-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-craft-dogs-10/ introducing-craft-dogs-10 0 0
(Image: Lee McVittie)
218730 Green-curry chicken with peanut satay sauce, toasted coconuts and mango salad ($8) (Image: Lee McVittie) Introducing Craft Dogs Introducing Craft Dogs https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-craft-dogs-intro-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-craft-dogs-intro.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-craft-dogs-intro.jpg 656 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/craft-dogs-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-craft-dogs-intro/ introducing-craft-dogs-intro 0 0
(Image: Lee McVittie)
218733 Cocoa root beer ($3), peach gingerale ($3), vanilla cola ($3) and maple syrup lemonade ($5) (Image: Lee McVittie) Introducing Craft Dogs Introducing Craft Dogs https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-craft-dogs-11-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-craft-dogs-11.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-craft-dogs-11.jpg 624 394 [] https://torontolife.com/food/craft-dogs-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-craft-dogs-11/ introducing-craft-dogs-11 0 0
(Image: Lee McVittie)
218732 A vanilla milkshake blended with a piece of homemade blueberry-peach pie ($7) (Image: Lee McVittie) Introducing Craft Dogs Introducing Craft Dogs https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-craft-dogs-12-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-craft-dogs-12.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-craft-dogs-12.jpg 382 624 [] https://torontolife.com/food/craft-dogs-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-craft-dogs-12/ introducing-craft-dogs-12 0 0
(Image: Lee McVittie)
Tried it, over priced for what you get, won’t be going back any time soon
I love this place..amazing handmade hot dogs with organic hormone-, antibiotic- and preservative-free ingredients – couldn’t get any better.
Great hot dogs! I’ve been there several times now. The Duck Dog is my favorite, and the staff is super friendly.
I’m on the fence with this – it was SO hot in there, and the staff was moving sloooow, which is understandable I guess. It was pricy, but once I bit into it I could tell immediately that the ingredients were really high end…I MAY be back, but only to impress some inexperienced hot dog lovers!