Our Story

Traveling in California, north of San Francisco, I instantly felt a kindred connection to the wine, food, and rustic feel of wine country living. On the same foothills, at a small winery in Napa Valley, I also encountered the inspiration for our restaurant's name – the Rhodesian Ridgeback, a red dog as unique and noble as I'd ever seen. Legend has it that these dogs were bred to hunt lions in packs – a skill that seemed entirely possible given this dog's imposing stature. He sat upright on his hind legs and appeared as stoic as possible despite the crowd. His name was Little Red Dog. 

I loved the region's easy, slowed-down way of life – a feeling I hadn't experienced outside of a Caribbean island. Years later, together with Terri Savioe, my business partner and the Executive Chef, we opened Red Dog Diner. The idea was simple- focus on honest craveable comfort food, original crowd pleasing cocktails and gulp-able wines, in a rustic yet comfortable lived-in space with a soulful blend of southern rock & gritty guitar riffing blues filling the air. Man that's living! 

Many things come and go, and there are times both good and bad. No matter your lot in life, a good plate, a full cup, and a loyal dog will always bring comfort and a smile.

–Michael Buchert, Co-Owner

These days I have my own little red dog, and his name is Roux.

If you ask executive chef/owner Terri Savoie about her culinary background, the native New Orleanian will (somewhat reluctantly) rattle off a list of the great restaurant kitchens she has worked in and the legendary chefs she has worked with. She'll might tell you she graduated from Johnson & Wales University's College of Culinary Arts, but only if you ask . She can pinpoint what, exactly, she learned from every kitchen or chef in her career, starting with family meals that instilled the virtue and value of feeding people good food.

 Ask about her food, and she'll describe her cooking as "classic" and say she's "a pretty good cook," then she'll redirect the conversation to give credit to her devoted kitchen crew. Savoie is a back-of-the-house, head-down, hard-working chef who thrives on the mechanics of running a smart kitchen and who has a knack for making good, honest food from scratch … because she loves feeding people. Lots of people.