More than a hotdog stand, these Dogs are Gourmet

Fat and juicy, this sausage is one you’ll want to sit down for.
Rocket Dogs, the newest addition to the Tilt! Pinball and The Louisville Underground family, boasts not only gourmet and creative hot dogs, but also a smattering of sandwiches, salads, and appetizers. Just like its older sibling establishments, Rocket Dogs has been deeply embedded in the Louisville community since its conception.

“If you come down and get a dog,” says Steve Long, founder and longtime Louisville resident, “most of the employees you interact with live here; the meat comes from one of the Louisville sausage companies, the beer is local. We aimed to be so ingrained in the community that you can’t separate Louisville from us.”

For Long, being a part of the community is more than just buying local products; his businesses can be seen as sponsors for local school fundraisers, nonprofits, and city events. Long knows his community, and he knows his clients. “I have gotten to watch so many kids grow up; they start coming in [to Tilt!] when they are just yay-high, “he gestures about three feet tall, “and now many are graduating from college.” This is what drives him to keep creating spaces.

Long’s sense of community can be seen in his perfect pairing: the Sonoran Dog, a  Top Rope Mexican Lager from The Post, and a game of Rocky and Bullwinkle Pinball. He explains, “It is inspired by the bacon-wrapped hot dogs sold in the Sonoran Desert of Mexico and Arizona. It’s smothered in pinto beans and pico de gallo, it’s not the kind of hot dog you just pick up and eat; you need a fork to really dive in.” These hot dogs remind him of time spent south of Colorado, enjoying different cultures and people, a kind of one-world society he’s brought to this small town.

If Long represents community, then his business partner, Mark Oberholzer, showcases the fun. His light and jovial nature shines bright immediately, and it’s essentially how he got involved in the business. “When Steve [Long] started Tilt!, he was the only one running it. I was a big pinball guy growing up, so I was there all the time.” Oberholzer goes on to explain that over time, he and Steve became good friends: “I would be playing a game late, Steve would want to go home, so he would give me the keys to lock up.”

As time went on, Long started to burn out running the pinball arcade alone and decided to close down. But Oberholzer wasn’t going to let that happen. “We bought in and moved the business to where it is now.”

It’s this teamwork that made Rocket Dogs possible. Oberholzer’s charismatic joy filters through to all employees, making them excited to show up day in and day out.

His perfect pairing? The Fancy Pants Hot Dog with a Crystal Springs Blood Orange Kölsch and a game of Addams Family pinball. “It’s a prosciutto-wrapped dog topped with whipped goat cheese, fig jam, a honey drizzle, and some arugula, so I can tell my wife I ate some greens.”

The last piece of this trifecta is creativity. Enter Chef Ben Keisler, the mastermind behind the deluxe menu. Keisler grew up in the restaurant industry, with his grandparents running The Old Louisville Inn, now 740 Front Street. “I grew up in the back of the restaurant and learned to really love cooking. I moved to Boulder to go to culinary school and have been cooking at various restaurants around town since.” While the newest addition to the trio, Keisler, expresses the same enthusiasm for the establishment as his counterparts, “I jumped when this opportunity came up. It was great food, really fun, and great vibes.”

Keisler’s love for his menu is shown in his perfect pairing, where he couldn’t pick just one entrée. For him, it’s a toss-up between the Sticky Thai Chicken Sandwich or the Seattle Dog, paired with a Crystal Springs Orange Kölsch, and a game of cornhole on the shop’s front patio. “The sandwich is tossed in Thai sticky sauce that we make in-house, caramelizing the garlic, ginger, green onions, then adding a whole bunch of Asian sauces.” He goes on to say that it’s served with spicy peppers and red onions, all presented on a choice of brioche or gluten-free bun.

To find your own perfect pairing, you can either enjoy Rocket Dogs at their storefront or order from next door at Tilt! Pinball, Louisville Underground, or Crystal Springs Brewing.

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The post Off the Menu: Rocket Dogs appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

The dog days of summer have a few holidays mixed in you might not be aware of.

1) July 2: World UFO Day

2) July 11: National Free Slurpee Day (get it, 7/11?)

3) July 14: National Nude Day

4) July 21: National Hot Dog Day

5) July 31: National Mutt Day

The post French’s 5 | June 2021 appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Have food news? Have a dish pick? Let our editors know where to look by sending us an email to editorial@yellowscene.com!

Openings/Closings

2020 Food + Wine Bar opened last month in Prospect at none other than 2020 Ionsophere St. in Longmont. After shifting around, the restaurant situation at the Hotel Boulderado is finally settled with Spruce, which opened on August 5. Alfalfa’s opened their second location in Louisville, complete with hot and cold food bars. Saving best for last, the Cinebarre Boulder opened on August 1 where the old Louisville Regal Colony Square Theater once lived. The cinema/eatery—which includes a fully stocked bar with 24 taps—provides paper and pencil for you to place your order after taking your seat in one of the leather chairs. After years of pizza recon from around the world, the good folks at Rosalee’s Pizzeria in Longmont will be opening for business by the end of the summer. Boulder’s farm-to-table Beehive has closed its doors, and a wine bar called PMG will be taking its place by mid-August.

News

With a smaller food menu and a more neighborly feel aimed at getting people to stay longer with fancy cocktails, The Bitter Bar in Boulder unveiled its new look that has been in the works all summer. PETA named Mustard’s Last Stand (located in Denver and Boulder) one of the top five places to get vegan hot dogs in the country. The owners of Salt, Colterra, Black Cat and Bramble and Hare in Boulder are on a quest to completely eliminate pesky GMOs from their restaurants. Purely Elizabeth, a new natural foods company, has relocated its headquarters to Boulder from NYC for reasons that seem to be quite clear. After a brief Listeria scare, peaches, plums and other pitted fruits have been deemed safe to enjoy in once again (while the summer prices last). Flagstaff House won Wine Spectator’s Grand Award for the 31st year in a row. Great job, guys.

Events

The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse hosted its 15th annual Rocky Mountain Tea Festival at the beginning of August with lectures and tea tastings. Frasca Food and Wine celebrated its 10th anniversary with a special menu offered from August 4-9. Arguably the best seven days of the year, National Farmers’ Market Week runs through August 9 with the Boulder County Farmers’ Market hosting events like “Yoga and Wine in the Gardens” and veggie-harvesting workshops. Want to learn how to cook like a Native American? Head over to Kachina Southwestern Grill in Westminster and Chef Bolton will teach you how. Bring $20 on August 21 at 6pm and get ready to learn while enjoying traditional dishes.

The post Sampler Plate appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.