Elaine and Jo Ann Cousins pose in front of their new business in Pawcatuck, the Cousins Dog House &Grille.

Spending time in this dog house is really not such a bad thing By Patricia Ann Chaffee Press Writer PAWCATUCK – Two cousins, Joann Baker of Westerly and Elaine Rosenblum, originally from New York, are fulfilling their childhood dream this week when Cousins Dog House and Grille opens. Scheduled to open on Tuesday, this family-run establishment is offering the community a taste of Americana through its classic hot dog variations and retro style décor. An extensive selection of fresh and sometimes unusual toppings, as well as specialty dogs found all over the country, cover the wiener selections, but their menu has other selections, too. Chicken, burgers, salads, sides and even a kids menu is sure to please any appetite. These folks are hot dog connoisseurs by now, after tasting some 50 different kinds of hot dogs located between Providence and New York, before deciding on Sabretts, as the dog of choice for Cousins Dog House. Most husband don’t want to be in the dog house but Elaine’s husband Dave wanted in on this one, acting as partner. Also joining in is their son Mike who has mastered the French fry process. Working together, both families will be creating something fresh and new for folks on the run. Take out is available of course, but the inviting décor might just make you want to pull up a chair and eat in. Be sure to take note of the tablecloths sporting a hot dog and hamburger design that they searched for high and low.

They knew what they wanted and when Dave finally found it, the fabric was discontinued, so they bought it all. Elaine’s sister Joanne Pace set to work making tablecloths and curtains to match. Outdoor seating at picnic tables is available as well. Dave has a background in business. He operated his own photography studio in Stamford for 30 years prior to one month of retirement before realizing that wasn’t going to work. So they moved to Westerly last year, found the 1,200 square foot building at 76 South Broad St. for sale, right near the post office, and bought it. That’s a lot of hot dogs, but the families are confident they have something great to offer and look forward to their grand opening in a week or two. “It’s a cozy little nook,” says Elaine. “Something no one else in the area has done,” adds Dave. Why hot dogs? They wanted something that was relatively simple and allAmerican. That pretty much describes a hot dog. And the all beef Sabretts natural casing hot dogs they sell are being delivered directly from the Bronx. Their burgers are black angus. The salads are for the health conscious, making something on the menu for everyone. Joann will be heading up the baking department with homemade baked goods available daily, including items like cakes, cookies and cupcakes. Elaine is in charge of salads. “Mike has the French fry division covered,” says Elaine, pointing out they are hand cut. Dave created the Web site www.cousinsdoghouse.com and is in charge of publicity, and they all took the safeserve course so they can all help out with any task at the restaurant. They opted not to use Styrofoam packaging despite it being far more cost effective in an effort to do their part to be environmentally friendly.

 

Gone to the Dogs: Cousins’ Dog House & Grille opens in Pawcatuck

Posted by Russ Morey on Jun 26 2008, 04:24 PM

Filed under: Dog House

Due to extensive road work, traffic along Route 1 in Pawcatuck has slowed to a crawl. While this might be a drag for most motorists waiting for the policemen to turn their signs from stop to slow, there is a silver lining.
As luck would have it, Cousins’ Dog House & Grille, unaware of the pending road work, opened its doors on June 2 amid the heaviest traffic in years.

Owners JoAnn Baker, and husband and wife team Dave and Elaine Rosenblum, agreed that not only has the mass of passers-by helped their exposure, but it has also helped their immediate business, as more than a few have stopped in to see what this new restaurant is all about. And as the name would suggest, it’s all about the dogs.

A Bronx native, Dave has a love for hotdogs, and when Elaine and JoAnn, cousins and close friends since childhood, began talking about opening a restaurant, he was compelled to get involved.

“These are Sabrett’s dogs that we decided on,” Dave said. “Before we did this, I went to every place I could find within 50 miles in every direction and probably went to 60 different places and tried around 30 different types of dogs and finally settled on Sabrett’s—they bring them out here fresh from the Bronx.”

And while anyone who loves a hot dog fresh off the grill will appreciate the classic standbys like the Coney Island Dog (mustard, chili, sauerkraut, and chopped onion), or the New Yorker (mustard and spicy red onion sauce), those with a more adventurous palate will find their match in the Hawaiian Dog (crushed pineapple, teriyaki sauce, and scallions) or the Asian Dog (peanut butter, teriyaki sauce, and scallions).

But if any of the 11 specialty dogs don’t ring your bell, you can customize your own, choosing from any of the 15 different toppings available, including favorites like chili, cheese, and relish, and the more daring, such as jalapenos, bacon, barbecue sauce, and coleslaw. Yet while its all-beef hotdogs may be the focus, Cousins’ Dog House & Grille also offers 100 percent Angus burgers, grilled chicken sandwiches, fresh-cut French fries, and an array of salads and desserts.

What’s more, everything is made from scratch on the premises, save the hotdogs and the buns, which are delivered daily. Even the fries are hand cut from russet potatoes bought fresh from Sandy’s Fine Food Emporium in Westerly. Dave and JoAnn agreed that their customers thus far are proof that their concept of serving simple yet delicious food made only from the finest and freshest ingredients is succeeding.

“We’ve been very fortunate, it’s been busy straight through,” Dave said. “We haven’t had a grand opening yet—this was just a soft opening and we’ve been too busy to have a grand opening, so I think we’ll probably just let things be.”

“Our customers actually gave us a grand opening,” JoAnn agreed.

Although Cousins’ Dog House & Grille is still young, Dave believes he and his partners have found their niche, as there are no other eateries in the area that offer the same type of fare.

“This is an all-American place—hotdogs, burgers, grilled chicken, salads,” Dave explained. “You know there are a lot of places around—pizza places and delis and full-blown restaurants. We kept it simple: The burgers are all-Angus burgers; the chicken is delivered fresh to us every couple of days...We’ve been open two and a half weeks and some people have been back six or seven times.”

Cousins’ Dog House & Grille is located at 76 South Broad Street (Route 1) in Pawcatuck and is open from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. seven days a week. For a menu or to place a pick-up order, call 860-599-FOOD (3663).

 

Happily going to the dogs at Cousins

By David Collins ,

Published on 7/24/2008 New London Day

One of my companions on a recent visit to Cousins Dog House in Pawcatuck, a young man who is the better part of eight years old, declared, not long after finishing his Vermont Dog, with melted cheddar cheese and strips of crispy bacon, that he could eat the same thing every day, breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Having tried the Vermont Dog, too, I could almost agree. Well, maybe not breakfast. But it's certainly a winning combination when it comes to hot dog excess. And Cousins is just the place to do hot dogs in the extreme.

This cute little café, which opened this spring on an unlikely stretch of Route 1, through a mostly residential part of Pawcatuck, seems to have already found its own quiet following, presumably not all eight-year-olds. Build a hot dog shack, it seems, and they will come.

The theme here, right down to the drawings on the tablecloths, is all hot dog. And the format is simple: a regular is $2.95, jumbo, $3.95, or spicy red hots, $3.95, and all the fixings are included.

You can order up your own combinations of toppings, from the usual, like mustard, ketchup or pickle relish, to more exotics, like peanut butter, crushed pineapple, jalapeno, chili, barbecue sauce or cole slaw.

Or you can choose from some of the many clever combos, from the Asian Dog, with peanut butter, teriyaki and scallions, or the New York, with mustard and spicy red onion sauce, to the Miami Dog, with salsa and onion.

We tried going local, with the Westerly Dog, topped with the most Westerly of meats, soupy, chopped tomatoes and cheese. I liked it, but the soupy was not as much of a standout as the crispy bacon slices in the Vermont Dog.

We also ventured away from dogs on our visit to the other corners of the menu, which offer some fine choices for the dog shy.

A burger menu works like the dogs. A third of a pound burger is $4.25. A double is $5.75, and all the toppings free. You can also pick your cheese choices, from American, cheddar, mozzarella, Monterey Jack or provolone.

We enjoyed the burger we tried, fresh from the grill, although I'd say the strength of the menu is in dogs.

Another non-dog choice is the chicken sandwich, $4.50. We liked the Mexicano version, with salsa, sour cream, lettuce and tomato, but the chicken tended a bit to the dry side. Other chicken choices include one with buffalo sauce and ranch dressing and, more simply, one with lettuce, mayo, tomato and onion.

Lest the vegetarians feel neglected, there are also a couple of salads, including a Caesar and what's called a gourmet salad, with red onions, walnuts, dried cranberries, feta cheese and raspberry vinaigrette dressing.

We finished up with what appears to be Cousins other specialty: homemade dessert. Apparently, when the idea of a Vermont Dog for breakfast, lunch and dinner seems logical, so does finishing up with a big piece of whoopee pie, moist chocolate cake and a smooth, sweet creamy filling. So we did.

We also tried one of the M&M cookies and a slice of excellent, dense and rich orange cake.

Along with the check came packages for the kids, plastic beach balls, which made this visit to the new hot dog house in Pawcatuck all the more like a picnic.

 

JoAnn & Elaine are looking forward to seeing you at the restaurant...

 We are open from 11:00am to 7:00pm, Monday Thru Saturday (closed Sundays)...See You Soon!