CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) - Many eateries accommodate pets at outdoor tables. Taking pooch appreciation a lick further, Carmichael’s Lido Café offers a la carte for canines. Owner Shawna Rivera long ago noted that many customers were empty-nesters who’d replaced their kids with pets. “They brought them to the café and I saw so many puppy-dog eyes looking up longingly at the food.” she recalls. “I got the idea of a doggie menu.”

A two-decade success, menu items are priced between $1 and $2.50. Beef patties, chicken, scrambled eggs and a beef bone have been the extent of Lido Fido fare for years but furry guests don’t demand greater variety. Indeed, a thumping tail equals four doggie Michelin stars.

“Many Saturdays, we have a whole row of customers and dogs enjoying breakfast outside,” says Rivera. “Sometimes they have to wait for a table. They’re all well-behaved. I don’t mind a little barking if a dog sees a good buddy – that’s just being friendly.”

Canine meals are served at ground level on a frisbee and good dogs get to take platters home. Big bowls of slurpable water are included; server gratuities include toothy grins. On weekly visits with airline pilot Cathy Cook, golden-doodle Tory rejoices in scrambled eggs. “She cleans her plate and then drinks her water like a good little person,” approves her mom. Leisurely dining makes no sense to mom’s best friend. Tory’s serving is woofed down before Cook can sniff her veggie omelet.

Canine trainer Carol Kracht runs “Because of Dogs” coaching academy in Carmichael and suggests prep before owner-pet dinner dates. “Visit the restaurant at a quiet time,” she advises. “Get your dog used to lying at your feet for short periods at first. When you go for your meal together, take something to occupy him once he’s eaten. Otherwise he’ll get bored. A chewable bully stick soothes a dog like a child’s pacifier.”

“It might seem like I’m spoiling Tory,” considers Cathy Cook. “But we do everything together, so why not eat out, too? The servers treat her like a regular customer. She gets her water bowl when I get my glass. Her eggs come at the same time as my omelet. When I park outside the restaurant, I see Tory’s big smile. She knows I’ve brought her to the place where we both get to eat.”

Host Shawna Rivera welcomes well-behaved doggie friends to the Lido Café patio at 7907 Fair Oaks Blvd.