I Took My Dog to a Restaurant Weekend for Dogs—Here’s How It Went

If you’ve ever caught yourself missing your dog while you’re dining out, I can relate. In between bites of delicious pizza, tacos, or crab legs, I constantly find myself daydreaming about what my fur babies are up to while I’m away. Luckily, I didn’t have to leave my dog at home to attend CESAR Restaurant Weekend. Sorry to my cat Jazzy, though—I still had to leave you behind.

Read on to get a firsthand account of CESAR Restaurant Weekend, a pop-up dining experience for canines and humans alike.

What Is CESAR Restaurant Weekend?

Capitalizing on the inaugural event’s success in 2024, CESAR Restaurant Weekend expanded its footprint to include four cities this year, including:

• New York
• Los Angeles
• Nashville
• Chicago

“The return and expansion of CESAR Restaurant Weekend is about more than just a great meal — it’s about celebrating the special bond between pets and their pet parents,” says Jean-Paul Jansen, chief marketing officer of Mars Pet Nutrition North America. “It’s a meaningful step in the CESAR brand’s mission to help make the world a more dog-friendly place, where our four-legged friends are welcomed and included in life’s most memorable moments.”

A First-Hand (and Paw) Account

It wasn’t all smooth-sailing, but CESAR Restaurant Weekend was largely very enjoyable. Here’s what transpired when my dog Pickles and I attended the pop-up together in Chicago.

A Ruff Trek

Have you ever ridden in a rideshare with your dog? It is not ideal for nervous Nellys, which Pickles tends to be. The ride to City Winery, the host location for CESAR Restaurant Weekend, was exactly 30 minutes, and Pickles managed to be fretful the entire time. I think her biggest qualm was that our driver was not giving her attention because she was working, but Pickles has never had to work a day in her life, so of course she wouldn’t view that as a valid excuse. Thankfully, she was pretty quiet—she just wouldn’t sit still.

Getting the Lay of the Land

Pickles and I were both ready to rock and roll by the time we arrived at City Winery, located in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood. Even though I am an avid wine connoisseur, this was my first time at City Winery, so I was excited to check it out with my puppy in tow. Shortly after we arrived, I was delighted to find out City Winery is dog-friendly year-round, not just for this event. I will definitely keep it in mind for future dining endeavors that I want Pickles to partake in.

All tables were equipped with leash hooks for pet parents to attach their pooches, a food bowl, and a water bowl. Once seated, I was handed multiple menus by my server to peruse, two of which were for Pickles. Unfortunately, she can’t read, so I was tasked with choosing for her. I was initially worried Pickles would leave hungry because she has a grain allergy, but we were promptly informed that most of the options were grain-free. Hooray! Not only that, but Pickles was a cheap date—the CESAR samples were free of charge in celebration of the event,

Dinner for Two

Pickles got busy cleaning her bowl of a CESAR Simply Crafted chicken and vegetables blend while I perused the City Winery menu. I was a little bummed to see there wasn’t a human menu tailored to the event to be presented in tandem with the dog food menus, but the regular City Winery menu had lots of yummy options to choose from. I settled on a margherita flatbread pizza and a glass of cabernet, which were both delicious.

Anyways, I’ll stop talking about myself—it wasn’t Restaurant Weekend for Humans, after all. While in attendance, Pickles was treated to many pets and compliments, which made her a very excitable dog. She also got to meet a toy poodle puppy and a tricolor corgi, who were dining at neighboring tables.

Overwhelmed, But Well-Fed

Pickles doesn’t usually accompany me to public places, so CESAR Restaurant Weekend was a little overstimulating for her. She never really settled down despite my best efforts, and since I was single dog-parenting for the afternoon, much of my time was devoted to soothing her. It was in the best interest of all involved for us to make like a tree and leave as soon as possible. I quickly finished my flatbread and wine and gathered our belongings to go—but not without getting a photo together in front of the event backdrop. Despite being stressed, Pickles posed her tail off.

Before the rideshare arrived, Pickles was a very efficient lady and went number one and number two. And for most of the trek home, she curled up in the backseat, undoubtedly worn out by her busy afternoon out on the town.

Would We Do It Again?

To protect my sanity, I won’t be taking Pickles out to eat just the two of us again anytime soon, but I think it’s safe to say we both enjoyed our time at CESAR Restaurant Weekend. We hope it makes a return to the Windy City next year!