Rover Reviews

Forge in the Forest

When you’re a special dog (like I am), it’s hard to find just the right dining establishment. When you’re used to excellence and are fed at home like a princess, it’s hard to find a restaurant that will satisfy your special pooch palate.

That’s why I’m so glad my nanny took me to The Forge in The Forest, one of Carmel’s oldest and most adored restaurants. The outdoor patio was obviously designed for dogs…plenty of room, woodsy, rustic with maple trees, bougainvillea, and a great old oak tree surrounded by ferns with festive lights. No surprise that for twelve years “The Forge” has been designated by The Monterey County Weekly as the # 1 outside dining restaurant in Monterey County.

Dogs have always been part of Carmel’s charm, and the Forge in the Forest made me feel as if I was not only allowed, but I was WELCOME! Thank you! Bow Wow!! I should say so!! The service was up to my high standards, and I was happy to get extra attention (as I was the prettiest and the most intelligent of all the dogs there).  The waitress promptly turned on the outdoor heater when she saw I had a new “do” and my hair was quite short for the cool Carmel evening. She was also quite aware that I was an English cocker spaniel, an important distinction that many ignore. Once all of this was established, I was treated befittingly and able to concentrate on the special “Dog Pound Menu.”
To tell you how scrumptious the choices on this special menu were…the diners at the table next to us ordered something from the dog menu for themselves!!  
I was torn between “The Quarter Hounder” (for the hound with a hankerin’ for beef), and the “Hen House Chicken Strips” (five ounces of grilled and sliced boneless chicken breast).  I eventually requested the “Good Dog” (eight ounces of grilled and sliced New York steak), as it quite described my nature and was much less bourgeois.

The only part I didn’t like about our dinner at The Forge: I had to share the space with other dogs. I know some dogs like that, but I’m a princess and like my privacy. I was told, however, that this need not happen again. Next time I go, I’m going to celebrate my birthday and reserve the whole patio for myself and my select friends.

And, I can make the reservations in my name!

Now, that sounds like the way things should be….

Always…For me!  

Arf, Arf! Rover