GetOut Magazine

Hot Dawg: Chicago transplant brings Windy City fare to Scottsdale
By ADRIENNE FRANK
Get Out
Dec. 5, 2002

Windy City transplant Peter DeCarl may have left his snow shovel behind, but he did bring a bit of the city with him when he moved to Scottsdale last year his love for Chicago-style hot dogs. And now that DeCarl, a master chef, has opened a new restaurant specializing in hot dogs and sliders you too can enjoy a taste of Chicago.

Lazlows Dawg House opened in October in a strip mall on the southeast corner of Thomas and Scottsdale roads. DeCarl a former corporate chef who owned a successful Mediterranean restaurant in Chicago before moving to the East Valley for the weather describes his new venture as five-star fast food.

When you come here youre going to get lots of personal service. We know people by name, and we offer the same top-quality service that a fine-dining place would, he says. Plus, we only use top-quality ingredients. From the fries to the hot dogs, were not going to skimp on anything.

When it came to deciding on a focus for the new eatery named for DeCarls lovable 190-pound mastiff he says the choice was a simple one.

I sat down with my wife, and we both love hot dogs, we both love fast food. So, hot dogs it was. Lots of restaurants (in the East Valley) claim theyre Chicago- style, but theyre just not up to par. We wanted to give people a real Chicago experience.

And that they did.

Lazlows menu, though small, is packed with Chi-Town favorites, from sliders (miniature hamburgers served with sautéed onions) to Vienna hot dogs steamed to perfection and served on poppy seed buns. Other specialties include sweet potato fries, Italian beef and sausage sandwiches and milkshakes made with soft-serve ice cream.

The food is great, says George Candea, a fellow Chicago transplant who now resides in Tempe. It tastes like home.

With its concrete floors and exposed piping, Lazlows exudes a hip but casual vibe. Black-and-white pictures of DeCarls hometown line the walls, which are also adorned with old-school advertisements for products like Pez, Coca Cola and Reeses. This retro feel is also reflected in the selection of nostalgic candy Lazlows offers, from Sugar Babies and Bazooka to Clark bars and Bottle Caps.

Its just a fun place, Candea says. Fun, but not pretentious.

And while Lazlows has only been open for two months, DeCarl is already talking about expansion.

Eventually wed like to have about five locations, he says. The Chicago dog I grew up on is what I serve. And overall, people really seem to be enjoying it.

Lazlows Dawg House & Company

Where: 2765 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 107, Scottsdale
When: 11 a.m. to
9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday
How much: 85 cents-$5.75
Info: