ORLANDO, Fla. — It’s not uncommon to see dog-friendly patios. But now, there’s a new “haven” for dogs to safely play and get primped while your whole family dines.

BarkHaven Dog Bar is a brand-new family destination in the Ivanhoe area, just north of downtown Orlando.

“There has never been a place like this that incorporates food,” beamed Christopher Hernandez, who is the chef/partner. “Drinks, yes. But we’re doing everything.”

Meaning, having a food trailer kitchen just far enough to satisfy health codes.

Chef Hernandez is also the founder of Papi Smash downtown. While that’s a different concept, he also wanted a space for the tail-wagging community of like-minded people to play, and nosh.

He’s fond of the pups, and could see a need in the community for something like BarkHaven, equipped with an outdoor dog pressed up against the Orlando Urban Trail.

“Yea, I have the little white dog,” he laughed. “I might be the 6’5” guy, but I have a little white dog!”

He prides himself on reinventing the Cubano. Watch the video or read ahead for the recipe.

Let’s eat!

RECIPE: Texas midnight “Cubano”

*Note: These recipes are provided to us by the restaurant. They’ve chosen to keep some ingredients “secret.”

Ingredients:

  • Pizza dough; 48-hr rested imported 00 flour 
  • 2 oz Mojo mustard, which is a blend of BarkHaven’s secret mojo recipe and yellow mustard, to stay close to the original Cubano 
  • 8 oz Texas style smoked brisket smoked 12hrs 
  • 4 oz Honey ham
  • 3 oz Shredded Jack cheese 
  • 1 oz Sweet pickles 
  • 1 oz Pickled onions and Fresno chilis cooked in oak wood-fired pizza oven 

Instructions:

  • Roll out the pizza dough by hand and fill with jack cheese and put in a wood-fired oven (or your home oven, on rack, at 500-degrees)
  • Pull pizza out par cooked with cheese and fill with all the ingredients and meats 
  • Finish with putting back in the oven to get that perfect wood-fired pizza crust and warm all ingredients 

RECIPE: Honey Crunch Wings

  • 2 oz In-house fermented hot honey mustard with whipped egg yolk with beef tallow 
  • Sous vide wings in secret house spices (at home, use your favorite spices) for 2 1/2 hrs at 156 degrees 
  • 4 oz dusted (lightly) with BarkHaven’s proprietary gluten-free coating for extra crunch 
  • Flash deep fry in 100% beef tallow, 350-degrees
  • 2 oz Served with in-house ranch and crispy Brussels sprouts leaves fried in beef tallow for bitterness (to balance the sweetness from the hot honey)

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