By Rebekah TsadikThe Daily Northwestern
Seven health-conscious customers sat in a local restaurant Monday afternoon, dining on buffalo wings and french fries.
Following a national trend in the fast food businesses and food distributor industries, Wild Dogz, 1625 Chicago Ave., is offering healthier dishes cooked with trans-fat-free soybean and extra-virgin olive oil.
The restaurant takes its name from a combination of the Wildcats, Northwestern’s mascot, and hot dogs, one of the restaurant’s main dishes.
Chicago-born, Skokie-raised brothers Matt and Billy Douvikas opened the restaurant last October to bring a healthier dining alternative to Evanston residents. Starting in mid-February they’re expanding their menu and hours to include breakfast.
“It’s something we would want for ourselves,” said Matt Douvikas, 32.
The Douvikas brothers are not alone in their high standards for dining.
In December 2006, the New York City Board of Health passed a law requiring all restaurants to rid their kitchens of cooking oils and condiments containing trans fats by July 2008. This includes products such as lard, butter and mayonnaise. Chicago is considering a similar ban.
“We might as well take the lead,” said Billy Douvikas, 27.
Residents have responded well.
“It’s pretty good,” Kerem Coskunoglu, a McCormick senior, said.
He comes to Wild Dogz three to four times a week and typically orders a gyro. “It’s better than Clarke’s,” he said.
Other customer favorites include the Souvlaki Sandwich and the grilled chicken breast sandwich, which is cooked in extra-virgin olive oil.
Deep-fried, grilled and skillet items are cooked in trans-fat-free Butcher Boy soybean oil. The soybean oil raises expenses because it has to be replaced in frying machines more often than fats such as lard.
“It’s more expensive, but at the same time, it’s better for you and tastes a lot better,” Matt said.
Wild Dogz’s 199.29-gram chicken breast sandwich – with lettuce, tomatoes and mayonnaise on a bun – totals 610 calories with 8 grams of fat and 3 grams of saturated fat, the Douvikases said.
A 258-gram Tendergrill sandwich at Burger King, 1740 Orrington Ave., contains 510 calories, 19 grams of fat and 3.5 grams of saturated fat.
“I try not to eat fried foods, but if I do, I might as well make sure it’s healthier,” Chicago resident Gianne James said as she dined on buffalo wings.
Besides cooking materials, the Douvikas brothers have added to the health value of their dishes in other ways. They make their own Italian beef at the restaurant, and burgers are imported fresh from a local butcher.
Although the restaurant delivers, there are perks for dining in such as free Wi-Fi access and a flat-screen television.
They plan to expand to offer more salads, wraps and low-fat salad dressings, Billy said.
By mid-February, Wild Dogz will open at 8 a.m. to serve the breakfast crowd every day except Sunday, when they will open at 11 a.m. From egg sandwiches to french toast, all food will be cooked trans-fat-free.
“My brother and I are really happy with this career right now,” Matt said. “We’re our own business, plus it’s something that we love.”
Reach Rebekah Tsadik at [email protected].
