Inside the $75 Tasting Menu for Dogs Serving Steak Tartare to Charcoal Flan

When we're looking to treat our pets, most of us reach for an extra little something from the packet or let them up on the couch for a snuggle, but one San Fransisco business promises to give your pup a treat to be remembered.

Redefining the famous phrase "a dog's dinner," Dogue aims to offer dogs fresh, whole food in the form of artisan meals just for pets, and the unique catering project has captured some serious attention.

Rahmi Massarweh is a professional chef, trained in classical French cuisine who spent his youth mastering his craft in artisan kitchens.

When he met his wife Alejandra, they knew they wanted a dog. They both grew up around animals and before long brought home a 30-pound Old English Mastiff puppy called Grizzly. Wanting their pup to be the happiest and healthiest dog possible, the couple fed him what was recommended by the breeder and local pet stores, but it quickly became clear that Grizzly wasn't keen.

"There were many things that I deemed as necessary for a proper diet for Grizzly," Massarweh told Newsweek: "But we could just never find it. So it kind of dawned on us—I make food for a living, I'm professionally trained, why don't I just make food for Grizzly?"

Using his knowledge as a chef, Massarweh began creating seasonal, fresh food for his dog, and the concept grew from there.

"It's a point of pride that that we don't offer anything that we don't feed our own animals," said Massarweh.

The couple officially started offering a service for at-home artisan pet food in 2015, but it wasn't until two weeks ago the Dogue team opened their "pawtisserie" and started Sunday events in the "Bone Appétit Cafe," where dogs can visit and try Massarweh one-of-a-kind creations.

'Going a Bit Too Far'

At $15 for a pup pastry and $75 to try the cafe's doggy-tasting menu, only served on Sundays, some aren't keen on the idea, with critics taking to the internet to share their disapproval. One commenter said: "This is ridiculous," while another wrote: "I love dogs and I love to see them spoiled this is going a bit too far."

"It's a polarizing topic," said Massarweh: "But the idea of wanting to care for your animals is nothing new. I've grown up around animals and I've always wanted to give them the best life that I could. I think that's part of the many responsiblities of being a pet owner—caring for another soul."

With a background of rising inflation and fears of a global recession, some critics have slammed Dogue for its high-price-point offering for animals while people across the U.S. are struggling.

"People are starving, this is weird," said Xeni on Twitter. Another upset Twitter user wrote: "This chef thought 'let's make a place for the rich doggos' instead of, I don't know, providing said meals for dogs in kennels, pounds, and shelters across the nation."

"The idea of social, financial and economic inequalities is very real," said Massarweh. "This is something that is not lost on me. But the idea of criticism saying that we're corporate funded, have no idea what hard work is, that we don't understand the value of a dollar—that hurts."

"It's a mom and pop business," explained Massarweh: "It's myself and my wife. We are trying to make a living as best we can. The whole point of what we do is to bring light to the idea of fresh food for our animals who we love so much."

Despite the criticism, the doggy eatery has its fans too. April Villacampa from the Bay Area of San Francisco first saw the dog restaurant on Instagram and has since visited with her two Corgi dogs, Captain and Tony.

"We were blown away by the artistic plating of the meals and had to double check this was for dogs, not humans," Villacampa told Newsweek: "Dogue's reels also showcased the cooking process to make these beautiful meals as well as their pawtisserie dog-friendly pastries."

On a recent visit to the cafe, Captain and Tony chowed down on Dogue's three-course tasting menu. The lucky pups enjoyed a chicken and Chaga mushroom soup to start, a second course of chicken skin waffle and charcoal flan, and a main of grass-fed steak tartare.

"It's not a restaurant," said Massarweh: "There is no set menu. It's an event, to come in and meet other pet parents and try something. It is my form of artistic expression as a cook."

The pawtisserie section of Dogue offers treats made with wild antelope heart, beef trachea rings, guinea hen breast, green lipped mussels.

Before getting the bill, the dogs enjoyed an after-dinner treat in the form of the "Dogguccino," Dogue's version of the puppuccino or pup cup often found in coffee shops.

"Although the 3 Course Tasting menu is a higher price point than a typical dog meal," said Villacampa: "The pawtisserie pastries, raw food blends, and treats price points are on par with high quality treats that you would find at most pet stores."

Massarweh, who works with local farms, butchers, distributors and veterinary experts, explained that the tasting menu events are really just for fun: "It's about giving back to your dog the way they've given to us. We just want to shine a light on fresh food for dogs."