Knowing we were going to be in Canton around lunch I remembered a
place I had been to a couple of times when it was a more regular
stomping ground. Dirizzmo’s. An Italian deli. Unique in that you
could have any of your sandwiches Dirizzmo-ized which meant it would
be packed with their own giardiniera mix. I remember the sandwiches
being big, tasty and greatly enhanced by the giardiniera. So I
spelled them into the navigation on the phone and drove down Fulton
to find that they are no more. Bummer. The building is not empty,
however, it now houses Dog Daze. Hey, were already here, and in we
go. |
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The same structure with a warmer Sonoranesqe paint on the walls we were met by a guy I’m assuming is the owner and a few other pot bellied guys cycling in and out for their lunches. The same dude waited on us and really has a knack to be personable, efficient and welcoming. He did an amazing job all the way around from the basics to the tiny details that are so often overlooked. Nice to see in a hot dog joint. We really spread our order out with mac and cheese, pierogies, chili cheese fries and three dogs, the Cinnci, the Italian and the Italian sausage.
The four “hand-made” pierogies arrived first,
stuffed with potato and cheddar, sautéed in butter and onions and
served with sour cream. The pasta pillow was so full of more starch
and cheese that any attempt to cleave them with a fork resulted in
an epic blow out. The onions had been browned to the point of
serious sweetness which added a nice touch to the buttery potato and
pasta. The pierogies were better than I expected. |
Hand Made Pierogies |
Absolutely Stuffed With Starchy Goodness |
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More Mediocre Mac |
Fries Okay, Chili Less So. That Chewy Texture Returns |
The mac and cheese was standard and plain. It tasted like cheese
which was an improvement over several previous versions and was
comprised of a mix of different pastas. You wouldn’t make a trip
just for the stuff but it worked. The fries were thinner than those
we had at Retro Dog but somehow had the
same odd chewy texture and decent flavor as the thicker sticks from
Retro. The chili that topped the fries was a small grind all meat
version that passed but did nothing to excel. They seem pretty proud
of their chili like most places that make their own but to my taste
it is pretty run-of-the-mill. |
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Cinnci = Standard Chili Cheese Dog |
With Sub-standard Chili |
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The Cincinnati Dog comes with chili, cheese,
mustard and onion. The chili fares a little better on the dog than
it did on the fries but there isn’t much of it (or mustard and onion
for that matter) and there was little consequence perceived in the
eating. At least the menu doesn't proclaim "Famous" or "Award Winning"
chili which most menus seem to do anymore, most often without
payoff. |
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Both The Link And The Sandwich |
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The Italian sausage was a pretty mild version with sautéed onions,
green peppers and mustard. Mild sausage, less than detectable
mustard, again okay but not extraordinary. Probably just a notch
below the sandwiches you get off a trailer at a fair or roadside
stand. |
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The Italian Dog |
More Memorable Than The Others With Cured Italian Meats |
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The Italian dog was the best of the trio with Capicola, Salami and provolone with lettuce, tomato and Italian dressing. The combo of Italian sub and dog made for a tasty bite.
Dog Daze is a comfy and friendly place to catch a solid and quick
lunch. There are plenty of other dogs to choose from and some other
options as well. A nice addition to the Canton scene, even if it
means no more Dirizzmos. |
Ratings | |||||||
Food |
Service |
Ambiance |
What's Best |
What's Worst |
Overall |
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C- | A | C | B | D | C- | ||
Pierogi | Chili and Fries |