Rural Missouri - March 2012 - (Page 16)

O U T O F T H E W A Y E A T S P OTTER ' S D AWG H OUSE A different breed of hot dog in West Plains by Kyle Spradley kspradley@ruralmissouri.coop “We actually started a sandwich shop for my wife,” says Steve. “It was more of a walk-up place where you got orders to go.” Wanting to retire, the couple sold the resothing conjures up images of childhood taurant to new owners. However, after visiting like a hot dog. Whether biting into a their uncle in West Plains, they fell in love with frank while catching a baseball game Missouri and its people and decided to move to or hearing the sizzle of a dog on a grill the Show-Me State. during an afternoon picnic, few foods are stitched After taking a few odd jobs in the area, Steve into the fabric of Americana like the hot dog. noticed something was missing: hot dogs. He Just north of the Arkansas border in West soon decided to open the Dawg House in its Plains, there’s a different pedigree of dogs coming new home — 2,000 miles from the original. out of the kitchen at Potter’s Dawg House. Just like the original Potter’s, the West Plains “We sell a creation,” says owner Steve Potter. location also serves a wide variety of sandwich“We take a hot dog and create something on it.” es including hot pastrami, meatball, Italian Since opening in July 2010, Steve and his wife, roast beef and Steve’s favorite: the Reuben. Jan, have been serving up unconventional takes “It’s always hard for me to pick my on the classic summertime treat. favorite thing, but currently it is “Our most popular dog is the Memphis Dog,” says Steve. “We take a halfour Reuben,” admits Steve. pound, all-beef frank, then “We do it a little different top it with barbecue sauce, and use pastrami instead of corned beef and top mustard, smoked pulled it with fresh sauerkraut, pork, cole slaw and celSwiss cheese and our ery salt.” homemade Thousand Another house Island dressing on marfavorite is the Euro ble rye bread. After it Dog, which includes gets toasted, it’s hard to Above: Owner Steve Potter opened Potter’s Dawg House pastrami, pepper in July 2010. Left: The Memphis Dog comes with pulled resist.” jack cheese, sauerpork, cole slaw, barbecue sauce, celery salt and mustard. New additions to kraut and mustard the menu lineup are piled on top of mustard sauce from California that has a distinct burgers. The quintessential a beef link and taste.” hamburgers, cheeseburgers and seasoned with Besides the oddities on the menu, Steve bacon cheeseburgers are offered, celery salt. believes what sets his restaurant but for Steve, settling for Other specialty apart is the fact that he uses the average isn’t an option. dogs include the KC freshest ingredients. Dog with bacon, musTwo new burgers, the Mem“Our dogs are fresh, never frozen, phis and the Grizzly, have become tard, onions, relish, cucumbers Join editor Jason Jenkins Chicago Red Hots made three days overnight sensations. and tomatoes and the New York Street Dog with on his visit to Potter’s before they are served,” says Steve. “The Memphis consists of a halfbrown mustard and sauerkraut. Dawg House in the “Our Italian roast beef is brought in pound beef patty smothered in pulled “We even had one of our cooks come up with a online edition at fresh from Chicago. We also make our pork, barbecue sauce, melted Swiss dog of his own called J Dawg’s Philly,” says Steve. cheese and cole slaw,” says Steve. “The www.ruralmissouri.coop. ground beef burger patties daily.” “This comes with the beef hot dog, roast beef, In the future, Steve looks to add Grizzly, named after the local college’s onions, green peppers and cheese.” more food challenges and continue to expand the mascot, is something truly unique. On top of a Steve also offers basic dogs with your choice of Dawg House menu. half-pound patty we add a slice of grilled ham, condiments, and no hot dog establishment would “Currently, I am working on a 9-1-1 sauce for bacon, a fried egg, cheese, tomato and a special be complete without the classic Chicago-style a hot wing challenge,” says Steve. “We dog. Potter’s Chicago is the traditional like to create things and pass it on to dog dragged through the garden with different people.” onions, relish, cucumbers, celery salt, Potter’s Dawg House Unlike the original Dawg House, this mustard, a pickle and a sport pepper for location is a sit-down restaurant comthat added kick. Specialties: Specialty hot dogs, plete with multiple dining rooms and a For the intrepid, Potter’s dares you burgers, sandwiches and the 22-inch banquet center for larger parties. to attempt the 22-inch Hot Dog ChalHot Dog Challenge. The barn-wood-lined walls give the lenge. Done Memphis-style, this beheWest Plains interior a rustic, but downhome, welmoth weighs in at more than 3 pounds • Price: Hot dogs starting at $3; Burgcoming feel. To make locals feel more with two half-pound, foot-long beef at home, Steve has decorated the place franks and 2 pounds of pulled pork on ers and sandwiches from $4.49. Cash, with local sports team memorabilia. a 22-inch long bun with a side of chips. checks and credit cards accepted. “We have a family atmosphere This colossal concoction is so large, the here,” says Steve. “For those who can’t Potters’ only choice for housing the Details: Open Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; make it to St. Louis or Kansas City to beast is a long-stem rose plastic conSaturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. No smoking. Seats 90. catch a ball game, we encourage them tainer from a local ﬂorist. to stop by and watch it with us and Although Steve is the brainchild Directions: Located at 1027 Porter Wagoner Blvd. enjoy a delicious hot dog. behind most of the dogs, all of this “We like to live by our motto here: madness began in Oregon eight years Contact: 417-257-3300 or www.pottersdawghouse.com We want people to come in as customago when the ﬁrst Dawg House opened ers and leave as our friends.” in the college town of Corvallis. N 16 WWW.RURALMISSOURI.COOP http://www.ruralmissouri.coop http://www.pottersdawghouse.com http://WWW.RURALMISSOURI.COOP

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rural Missouri - March 2012

Rural Missouri - March 2012
Contents
Comments
Columns
Stickin’ to it
Outdoors
Out of the Way Eats
Spending to save
Just vault
Guarding the honeybee
Hearth and Home
Callaway’s kingdom dinner
News Briefs
Around Missouri
Marketplace
The comical curator
Neighbors
Just4Kids

Rural Missouri - March 2012