History:

The Black Dog opened its doors in early 1998, didn't really get its name from the Indian chief, the Led Zeppelin song or the Jazz standard or maybe (and more likely) from the three at the same time.

Originally, a little coffee bar and quickly--under good vibrations--a meeting place for ideas and good food.

The Black Dog is St Paul's central hub for food and drinks featuring the finest locally-roasted espresso and gourmet coffees, a select and creative wine list, favorite domestic and imported beers, French limonade, as well as creative pizzas to name few selections.

The Black Dog features exhibits by a wide diversity of artists, locals and internationals such as cartoonist Andy Singer, Magnum photographer Guy Le Querrec, English portraitist Caroline Forbes, Ojibway painter Joe Geshick and many others such as Takumba Aitken or recently Jorge Louis Silva Santana from Brazil.

And yeah! At a time where not everything is audible and so many mouths are shut, the Black Dog has welcome poets, philosophers and have encouraged people who have something to say to do so, sometimes after a movie for debate. The St Paul Almanac lowertown reading jams presenting poets of various origins and generations takes place once a month and Rich Broderick invites every once in a while those who still believe in the idea of a Commune.