Royal Tavern chef Nic Macri is also a butcher, and his menu goes to the (hot) dogs during July

Nic Macri is now executive chef at Royal Tavern in Bella Vista. For five years, he left restaurants to become a butcher, making his chops at Reading Terminal Market with the meat stands Border Springs Farm and La Divisa.

Macri’s meat mark is all over Royal’s menu: the charcuterie, the porchetta, the bologna on a sandwich.

For July, Macri is turning over the menu specials to hot dogs. He will offer four or five dogs each week for what’s billed as Dog Days of Summer. The first grouping, starting Monday, will be a Ripper, Texas Tommy, Steamy, and Chicago-style.

The house dog is a natural-casing pork and beef dog smoked over apple wood.

Royal also will feature beers from Chicago’s Half Acre Beer, distributed locally by 31st & Wharton. Artist Hawk Krall was commissioned to design promotional pieces.

On the final day, July 31, guest chefs, including Justin Bacharach (Royal Izakaya) and Joey Baldino (Palizzi Social Club, Zeppoli), will devise their own dogs for a send-off party.

The dogs will priced at $7, though the Philly Surf and Turf (served in Week 4) most likely will be $9, Macri said.

Here is the schedule, along with beers; a (v) means that the dogs can be made vegan:

July 1-7: Rippers (v), Texas Tommy, Steamy (v), and Chicago-style (v). Beer: Bodem can, Daisy Cutter draft

July 8-14: Streets of Toronto (v), Detroit, Kosher, NYC (v), BBQ Ranch (v). Beer: Waybird can, Daisy Cutter draft

July 15-21: Greek (v), Argentine, Okonomiyaki, Seoul Dog, Bahn Mi (v). Beer: Reef Knot can, Daisy Cutter draft

July 22-28: Seattle (v), Mop Dog (v), Hawaiian (V), Nacho, Philly Surf and Turf. Beer: Green Torch can, Daisy Cutter draft

July 29-31′s dogs are a secret. Beer: Vallejo and Daisy Cutter on draft