Cleveland sports fans are dedicated, but none quite like Eric Barr, who moved 500 miles from Connecticut to Berea with nothing but his car and a dream to watch the Browns. “The hospitality, offering stuff to strangers, that was the beginning of it all,” says Barr. Attending Browns tailgates since 2001, he co-piloted his own alongside Dan Brezovec under the bridge at West Third Street and Summit. Top Dawg is known its City Dogs charity events, restaurant-grade meals and lots of flip cup. “I do it for the love of it,” Barr says. “If you’re not in it for the fun, then what’s the point?”

Barr and Brezovec run a tight ship — or, rather, ambulance. “Dan turned an ambulance into a food truck,” Barr says. “It's a commercial-grade kitchen.” Here, Brezovec crafts a menu of homemade meals for every tailgate, the most popular being pierogies and chicken paprikash. “We’ll do almost 1,500 pierogies by hand,” Barr estimates. “Dan’s got a team of volunteers that make the mixture. With the paprikash, it’s very European-flavored.” Barr and Brezovec share these special recipes that take the dawgs by storm.

Top Dawg’s Potato

and Cheese Pierogies

(Makes 30)

Filling:
- 1 pound of russet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of pepper

Dough:
- 2 1/2 cups of bread flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup of sour cream
- 1 egg and 1 egg yolk

Toppings:

- 1 onion, minced
- 4 tablespoons of butter
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt

Instructions:

1. Peel russet potatoes and slice into 1-inch pieces. Boil in salted water for 15 minutes.

2. Mash the potatoes with butter, cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Chill the filling.

3. Mix bread flour, baking powder, salt, sour cream and eggs until an elastic dough forms.

4. Roll out the dough until it’s 1/8-inch thick.

5. Cut out 3-inch circles. Fill each circle with 1 tablespoon of filling. Fold and pinch the edges to create a pierogi.

6. Place the pierogies on a tray with floured parchment paper and freeze. 

7. In a pan, combine minced onion with 4 tablespoons of butter and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Let it simmer for 20 minutes. Use water to loosen the mixture.

8. Boil the pierogies in salted water for 5 minutes. Combine with the onions and serve.

Top Dawg’s Slovak Chicken Paprikash

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

- 1-2 Vidalia onions
- Olive oil
- Butter
- 2 pounds of chicken
- Flour
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- Paprika to taste
- 1 box of chicken stock
- 2-4 cups of sour cream

Instructions:

1. Dice Vidalia onions. Simmer in a pan with olive oil and butter for 20-30 minutes until caramelized.

2. Cut boneless chicken into small pieces, and coat with flour. Add to the onions, and season with salt, pepper and paprika. Cook for 5-7 minutes before flipping. Season and cook for another 5-7 minutes.

3. Prepare chicken stock in a pan over low heat. Transfer the cooked chicken to the stock. Loosen the onion mixture with water before adding to the stock.

4. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Add sour cream before serving. 

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