nosh

Hot Diggity Dog

A longtime
deli man opens
a hot dog joint.

Lindsey Shaw

56

June 14 • 2018

R

ide that inner drive and it will
take you places. Within in
moments of meeting owners
Alex and Debra Winkler, you sense a
dedication to their craft and loving hos-
pitality.
Alex, an Israeli immigrant who
arrived in Detroit at age 10, found his
first job working at a deli off Linwood
in Detroit. Learning the tricks of the
trade and having a strong work ethic
led him to own and operate restaurants
for more than 30 years, including the
famous Al’s Deli on Woodward in Royal
Oak, nine Bread Basket locations and
his latest concept, “Doggy Style.”
You may be laughing in your chair
but, hey, Al wanted to give the crowd “a
name they wouldn’t forget!”
Doggie Style is far from your typi-
cal hot dog joint. It is located at 101
N. Telegraph Road in Waterford, just
south of Elizabeth Lake Road, with an
appropriately priced menu that appeals
to kids, teens and adults alike. It serves
Sy Ginsberg pure beef products with
natural casing (and no funny business),
loaded spuds, decadent mac and cheese
(which you can order on your hot dog!),
grilled “dirty” corn on the cob, and des-
sert egg rolls deep fried and stuffed
with triple chocolate brownies. All hot
dogs are made-to-order and are of the
highest quality meat.
Vegans, don’t be afraid to step into
this hot dog joint because they have
a “healthy hot dog” for you. I couldn’t
believe my taste buds when I took the
first bite into this dish … It’s actually a

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carrot that has been blazed with liquid
smoke and soy sauce, cooked on the
char grill and then topped with mul-
ticolored peppers, grilled onions and
relish in a bun. It will have you saying.
“OMG, I can’t believe this isn’t meat!”
It was incredible. You’ll have to go and
give it a try!
Stay clued in to their website at
dinedoggystyle.com for the “not-so-
secret secret menu,” which is always
being updated and where you can place
online orders for pick up, catering and
delivery.
Inspired by the restaurant’s mascot,
Sushi, a white fluffy bichon, Debra
thought it would be a fabulous idea to
partner with Almost Home, a no-kill
animal shelter in Southfield. The last
Sunday of every month from noon-3
p.m., the team behind Almost Home
will bring out dogs to be adopted. The
kickoff party was May 20 with a num-
ber of dogs brought to the restaurant’s
property. If you do indeed adopt a dog
from the Doggy Style event, your lucky
pup will be featured on the wall inside
the restaurant.
The interior of the restaurant is
adorned with silly hot dog imagery such
as Betty White stuffing her face with a
hot dog. The seating varies: high tops,
booths and tables. Its super easy to
park right next to the building and walk
on in.
This will definitely be a joint where
you can enjoy the outside seating. Grab
your best dawg and get on over to
Doggy Style! •