Some childhood memories never fade. Susan Paden recalls family vacations with her history teacher mom, and Dutch immigrant father, who led the family on ‘brown sign’ tours of historic sites. “We ate cheese and butter sandwiches in the car, but dad would stop for a hotdog.” His favorite toppings of mustard, chili, cheese, and onion are commemorated atop ‘The Fred’ from her Good Dog menu. Now in its second year, the Frazier Avenue restaurant has charmed a following.
A former folk art gallerist, Paden composes her topped dogs carefully for both appearance and consistent taste. Gone are the Chicago-style half moon wedges that become an all-or-nothing bite of tomato. She prefers them diced, then sprinkled amid the neon-green, sweet pepper relish that Windy City people call kryptonite. In another nod to her Midwestern roots, Bertman’s Stadium Mustard from Cleveland joins an exotic array of condiments for all to try. There’s even a
fritessaus (mayonnaise to you) for the house-cut fries, and the caramelized onion relish is made from scratch. Yum.
Lighter styles prevail in a salads menu that pairs avocado with cranberries, or red onion with oranges. Don’t tell anyone that the chili is vegan, and those who do care may ask for a soy dog instead of meat. What else from a place where the pepper mills dispense ‘dog dust’, and the salt shakers are kitschy collectables?
It was their cheeky, ‘Nice Buns’ slogan screen printed on a variety of thrifted t-shirts that first caught my eye for
The Chattanoogan. More creative reuse abounds in décor accents of picture frame moldings, magazine bits, bottle bottoms, and bottle caps. The scullery flooring arrived as the packing crate for kitchen gear. Recycling aluminum, paper, and plastic was never more fun than when funneling it through ductwork into the bins below.
Merriam-Webster etymologists tell us that ‘restaurant’ is the present participle of the French verb
restaurer to restore. Good Dog is a happy place. Its vibe is infectious, and good for you.
"Sit. Stay. Eat."
In a window of the Elea Blake studio at 133 Frazier Avenue are three arm sculptures, fingers elegantly splayed upward. Darin Wright's aesthetics practice is one of many small gestures, nuances that blend art, and science to complement one's natural complexion.
After cleansing her client's face, Wright searches for a foundation match. "Skin tones are different in different places," she explains, and complements her client's well coordinated outfit of soft pinks, and beiges. Empathy matters because these ladies will be spending most of an afternoon together.
"If eyes are the window to your soul, brows are the drapes," Wright continues. Like an energetic painter of canvas, her face is a fierce mask of concentration as the brush stokes are applied. Then, with hands apart, she steps away to gauge their effect. Smiling, bantering, mixing, and applying color, her dance continues.
"We are mixologists creating on skin," she says. The powders are mineral-based, and not tested on animals.
Blending may follow one of three schemes. The monochromatic results in shading. Analogous colors harmonize in their proximity on a color wheel while complements reach across the wheel to balance each other.
As time passes, her working surface comes to resemble a painter's palette, and like that portrait artist's, the colors are unique, be they applied with a stipple brush, or molded into a lipstick. Wright's clientele will leave the studio refreshed, and empowered, knowing that they look their best.
