Franks n' Dawgs

Franks n' Dawgs

The Wife and I stopped by for a bunch of exceptional sausages. One of my favorites: the Mystery Corn Dog.



Owner Alexander Brunacci explained that he called it Mystery Corn Dog because people always think a corn dog is a way to peddle second-rate wieners ("mystery meat"), but he uses one of his excellent, and many times house-made, sausages. Tonight it was bratwurst, within an airy Anson Mills polenta, and on the side a few types of mustard (soon to be house-made but currently commercially made) and some sauerkraut.

Brunacci said he could make us a flight of three sandwiches; I said, How about four? (in this pic, all sandwiches are cut in half):



Clockwise from top: Lamb Keema, FU (vegetarian), Tur-doggen and Foss Hog (Phillip Foss' creation, held over for another month). For detailed descriptions of these items: http://www.franksndawgs.com/

Brunacci impressed me with his passion, his ambition and his vision for the place. Eating here is fun...and BYOB.

Franks n’ Dawgs
1843 N. Clybourn
312.281.5187

gotta say, I've been fairly skeptical as I've read the write-ups of this place, but everything looks and sounds good. Those buns look great and I don't think I've ever seen anything like them. How were they?

Also, what are the prices like? And did you try the fries?

I think I need to head down there and check this place out.

elakin wrote:Those buns look great and I don't think I've ever seen anything like them. How were they?

Buns look like, what I think of as, East Coast hot dog/lobster roll type buns. And I agree they look good, I plan on checking the place out soon myself.

Thanks for the heads up Hammond.

Enjoy,
Gary

elakin wrote:
Also, what are the prices like? And did you try the fries?

Prices from $4-8.50, with the regular dog being cheapest (and pointless, I think, given the more intriguing options) and the most expensive being Lamb Keema and Tur-Doggin.

Fries, hand-cut Idaho, were excellent -- though not "old."

G Wiv wrote:

elakin wrote:Those buns look great and I don't think I've ever seen anything like them. How were they?

Buns look like, what I think of as, East Coast hot dog/lobster roll type buns. And I agree they look good, I plan on checking the place out soon myself.

Thanks for the heads up Hammond.

Enjoy,
Gary

Rolls are quite good, pan de mie, buttered all around and griddled. A traditional complaint I've had with hot dog buns is that they're not big enough; these top-loaders can take a lot of dressing, and they present well.

Mr. MamaCupcake and I took our two girls here today for our weekly Saturday lunch adventure. Alexander was super-friendly and helpful, and we thoroughly enjoyed our whole visit. We shared the Tur-Dawgen, the Foss Hog and the Veal Percik, all three of which were fantastic. The Veal Percik, in particular, was excellent - subtle flavors with a delicious and unusual curry sauce and lovely date chutney. The fries are also outstanding - I stand firmly in the crispy-fry camp, and these were spot on. We will most certainly be back!

Went to Franks n Dawgs yesterday and loved it. I was intrigued by the way in which they identify dine-in orders — by giving you a celebrity magnet (mine was Tina Fey). On to the food...

I got the Veal Percik and the Mystery Corn Dawg, after the gentleman taking my order talked me into it by raving about the "unique presentation." Firstly, I must state my pleasure with the thick, buttery buns. Raised in Boston, these buns brought back memories of a spot-on sturdy lobster roll bun. Whereas at most places (Hot Doug's included), the bun is small-ish and a kinda throw-away ingredient; having no real character to it. These buns, however, really bring flavor and body to the party.

Loved the veal sausage, especially the juicy date chutney slathered across the top, along with carrot-ginger aioli, cilantro and slivered almonds. Wowser.

The mystery corn dawg was less successful, but not bad by any means. I enjoyed the sausage, but the batter was lukewarm and got mushy real quick, nearly falling off entirely. The "unique presentation" mentioned above was rather confusing. Didn't really see anything especially unique about two dollops of mustard and some pickled carrots (which were, by the way, rather difficult to incorporate into/onto my corn dawg experience).

I look forward to going back very soon. The menu is mouthwatering.

-M@

My Bride and I also stopped by last week...


The Reuben Dog




The Foss Hog

This was my dog of the day. The sausage was pork and a coarse grind and loaded with flavor and juice. Bacon, fried egg and drizzled with a maple mayo. Enjoyed it a lot!


3 Cheese Fries

Everything was very good! Tender and juicy sausages and well done fries. The buttery buns were a refreshing change from the usual.

nice pictures John, that Foss Hog looks like it would be right up my alley.

Panther in the Den wrote:My Bride and I also stopped by last week...


The Reuben Dog




The Foss Hog

This was my dog of the day. The sausage was pork and a coarse grind and loaded with flavor and juice. Bacon, fried egg and drizzled with a maple mayo. Enjoyed it a lot!

Repeated this same order today (sans cheese for the fries, though). Damn tasty. Foss Hog a reconstructed high end brunch on a bun, brimming with intensely porky flavor. Very smoky bacon and eggy egg rounding out the cholesterol bomb on a bun. Rueben was stellar as well, amazing brat (one of the best I've had). Super crisp potato pancake lending textural delight. Classic sweet and sour interplay from kraut and 1000 island. I should note that those buns really elevate these dogs, pillowy inside and griddled for a bit of crisp on the outside, top notch. As mentioned, amazing fries. The owner (and the entire staff for that matter) was really outgoing, taking the time to ask our impressions of the food and sharing his enthusiasm for the sausage on a bun format. They are doing great things and I foresee and wish for them tremendous success.

David Hammond wrote:Rolls are quite good, pan de mie, buttered all around and griddled. A traditional complaint I've had with hot dog buns is that they're not big enough; these top-loaders can take a lot of dressing, and they present well.

Mattkrc wrote:Firstly, I must state my pleasure with the thick, buttery buns. Raised in Boston, these buns brought back memories of a spot-on sturdy lobster roll bun. Whereas at most places (Hot Doug's included), the bun is small-ish and a kinda throw-away ingredient; having no real character to it. These buns, however, really bring flavor and body to the party.

Jefe wrote:I should note that those buns really elevate these dogs, pillowy inside and griddled for a bit of crisp on the outside, top notch.

Turns out, those awesome New England style buns at Franks n' Dawgs are provided by the Nicole's Cracker's ladies. Lots of love for the buns, and d(aw)gs from Chuck Sudo.

Late lunch here today. Foss Hog, cheese fries. Everything said above I agree with. Foss Hog would be perfect after a long night out. Added a little siracha and it became phenomenal. Not sure if I"ll be able to eat a dog/sausage without a runny egg on it ever again. And yes those buns are amazingly light but hold up to all the toppings and weight (much like the Highland Baking buns at Edzo's, some real thought went into picking out the bun). Prices are reasonable, space nice, and the employees all very nice.

Only minor complaint is the cheese used on the fries. Personally I would like something with a little more bite/flavor, found the cheese sort of bland. The fries though were pretty good.

I'll be back, especially since parking on Clybourn there during the day was very easy. Not sure how it will be on a Saturday though.

I went by and grabbed dinner from this place tonight and was VERY impressed.

I had the special dog of the day; the "dirty dog". andouille sausage with dirty rice, hush puppies, and cherry pepper relish, plus the dog of the day includes fries.

The buns are fantastic. I'm serious when I say that these buns have changed the way I will forever approach eating a sausage on bread. They're fabulous. Light, rich, buttery, delicate, yet sturdy enough to support twice as many toppings as a standard hot dog bun is able to....they are just outstanding.

I'm also impressed by the level at which these guys are operating. The menu is very ambitious, with probably 10-14 different sausage offerings, many of which are made in house, each creatively topped with gourmet ingredients. They're doing lots of different sauces, house-made mustards and ketchups, and some interesting stuff like pickled veggies, black garlic, fried okra, etc....

Fries were quite good, although I did get a few that weren't quite done enough. I'm sure they will work out the kinks. Comes with the territory when doing fresh-cut.

I chatted for a while with one of the owners, who introduced himself as Nile(?) He seemed quite chatty and friendly, offered me a few extra sauces to taste, and was happy to talk about the process of opening the restaurant.

I'm strongly recommending this place, and I hope they can make a go of it. It's an ambitious endeavor and whoever's running the show behind the scenes appears to have the chops to back up the menu they've written.

The website talks about gourmet sausages... has anyone gotten any more info on how the meat is produced (before it arrives at the restaurant)?

elakin wrote:The buns are fantastic.

Buns are fantastic, dogs are tasty, F & D's operation runs smooth as silk, impressive given its recent opening, including thoughtful touches such as a split for two Foss Hog with an egg on each half so both diners get the full effect.

Foss Hog



Corn dogs are made with polenta, not simply polenta ground corn meal, but cooked polenta which results in crisp exterior, light creamy interior leading to "Mystery Meat" in this case bratwurst. Loved the hint of caraway in the coarse ground mustard.

Corn Dog



Tangy house made pickles, slaw, aloli, chutney, relish along with thoughtful gourmet touches add to enjoyment. While we did not order the Dirty Dog, andouille, dirty rice, hush puppies and cherry tomato relish, I was intrigued by the diry rice which they kindly gave us, without asking, a delicious sample. Izze soda, bottled water and, best of all, fountain Barq's root beer.

Attention to detail is high, in keeping with the 5-Star theme, no trash baskets, they don't want people to clear their own tables, spotless and the nicest bathroom I've ever seen in a hot dog stand, or most restaurants for that matter.

I had the pleasure of Kevin Pang's company for dinner, Pang, recently nominated for a James Beard award, was humble about the honor though I couldn't help notice he was wearing a picture of Steve Dolinsky, the patron saint of Chicago restaurants, and winner of 12, count em, 12, James Beard awards, for luck.

5-Star first impression, I have a new hot dog joint in my rotation.

Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv wrote:While we did not order the Dirty Dog, andouille, dirty rice, hush puppies and cherry tomato relish, I was intrigued by the diry rice which they kindly gave us, without asking, a delicious sample.
Gary

nice write up,

Dirty Dog is on my short list of items to try tomorrow, happy to hear the dirty rice was a good version.

jimswside wrote:Dirty Dog is on my short list of items to try tomorrow, happy to hear the dirty rice was a good version.

N'Awlings Dawg is right in your wheelhouse as well, andouille, gumbo sauce, fried shrimp and okra with chives. Didn't try it, saw it being served and crisp shrimp and okra made me wish I had.

G Wiv wrote:

jimswside wrote:Dirty Dog is on my short list of items to try tomorrow, happy to hear the dirty rice was a good version.

N'Awlings Dawg is right in your wheelhouse as well, andouille, gumbo sauce, fried shrimp and okra with chives. Didn't try it, saw it being served and crisp shrimp and okra made me wish I had.

That Dirty Dog does sound great, I saw that and the Tur-Dawgn' on their menu, its gonna be a tough choice thats for sure.

David Hammond wrote: Eating here is fun...and BYOB.

just saw the byob part, any confirmation on that? I wouldnt mind a few barley pops with my lunch.

Just had lunch at F & D. I really wanted to get something other than the Foss Hog just for variety's sake, but the pull was too strong. My sentiments basically echo what has been said above.

I think the fries haven't gotten enough mention though. Fries can definitely be a polarizing thing, but these might be some of the best I've ever had. Super-crispy on the outside, but thick enough such that the interior is nice and fluffy. A bit heavily salted for my taste, but nothing a little tapping didn't fix. My only wish was that they have some kind of homemade ketchup to dip in - I mentioned this to the chef on the way out and he said they would love to work on that once they get in their groove.

F & D is BYOB. I will be back to try the other sausages now that I have a baseline.

Edited to add: their fries are soaked overnight to extract starch and then twice-fried, just how I think they should be done Also, the location is great because I parked in the Trader Joe's underground parking, had a quick lunch, did my groceries and got my ticket validated = free and easy parking.

Went to Franks n' Dawgs yesterday when they opened for a solo lunch. BYOB is nice, enjoyed some High life, and equila with my lunch. Chatted with the owner, and the chef, and had a pretty good lunch.

As others have stated the buns are top notch, and able to handle what they are doing. I was tempted by alot on the menu, but didnt want to spend alot of $$$. i opted for the Dawg of the day(comes with fries, and I wanted to try thei fries). Dog of the day was the Dirty Dog, also got a jumbo dog.

Dirty Dog, good, nice dirty rice, nice andoullie, gotta say after about 1/2 way through I had had enought andoullie(typically I enjoy a few pieces in gumbo, etc.) hushpuppies were nice, and the cherry tomato relish was good. Overall a good sausage.

Jumbo dog, when I go to a hot dog place I enjoy getting a "Chicago style dog" to accompany my other meat choice. Not available here yet, my jumbo dog came with beer braised red cabbage, and a nice mustard. Good meaty dog, the Boars Head dog was good, just wish it would have been a Vienna. Still all good.

Fries, just ok, I dont get too excited about fries as they are filler in my diet, and I rarely order them, these had good flavor, & were perfectly cooked.

The menu is ineresting, and that alone will get me back in to try some different things, owner/staff were friendly, and really seem to care about what they are doing.

byob:




dogs and fries:

The wife and I had a very enjoyable 'sampler' lunch at Franks N Dawgs this weekend. I loved just about everything about the place. The decor was cool-looking, comfortable and functional. Service was remarkably efficient and super-friendly. The food was stellar.


Franks N Dawgs - 1863 N. Clybourn, Chicago



My wife making time with George C. Looney
These celebrity pics are used as table markers, so the servers know to which table to bring the food. It's fun choosing your celeb.



Tur-Doggin
Turkey & Date sausage topped with crispy duck confit, herb-garlic aioli, house-made onion-cucumber relish and house-pickled carrots



Mystery Corn Dawg
Gourmet sausage coated in Anson Mills polenta batter, served with house-pickled carrots and a duo of mustards.



N'Awlins Dawg
Andouille sausage topped with gumbo sauce, fried okra & shrimp and chives, served with hand-cut fries.



Foss Hog
Pork loin sausage with Cobb smoked bacon, fried egg and maple mayo.



Reuben Dawg
Bratwurst with sauerkraut, 1000 island, potato pancake and chives, served with cole slaw.

Overall, I was very impressed, especially given the relatively short length of time they've been open. The little touches and attention to detail indicate that they really get it. The fries, the buns, the slaw and the toppings were all excellent and finely-tuned, and the sausages -- many of which are made in-house -- were well-made (great definition), juicy and tasty. Even the house-made mustard-like special sauce added a restrained note of flavorful acidity to several of the dawgs on which we tried it. I'm really excited to see how Franks N Dawgs progresses from here. I have a feeling it won't be too long before there are lines out the door a la -- dare I say it? -- Hot Doug's.

=R=

that tur-doggin looks/sounds great, ronnie.

Stephen wrote:that tur-doggin looks/sounds great, ronnie.

It was, by an oh-so-narrow margin, my favorite of the bunch.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:These celebrity pics are used as table markers, so the servers know which table to bring the food. It's fun choosing your celeb.

Agreed, it's a nice touch. That said, our waitress was clearly lacking in requisite hip-hop knowledge, as she had to inquire as to the name of one Lil Wayne. (Glad she did though, otherwise we wouldn't have gotten our food. )

ronnie_suburban wrote:Overall, I was very impressed, especially given the relatively short length of time they've been open. The little touches and attention to detail indicate that they really get it. The fries, the buns, the slaw and the toppings were all excellent and finely-tuned, and the sausages -- many of which are made in-house -- were well-made (great definition), juicy and tasty. Even the house-made mustard-like special sauce added a restrained note of flavorful acidity to several of the dawgs on which we tried it. I'm really excited to see how Franks N Dawgs progresses from here. I have a feeling it won't be too long before there are lines out the door a la -- dare I say it? -- Hot Doug's.

=R=

Completely agree with Ronnie. We had about a 10-minute wait over lunchtime on Saturday. We tried the Foss Hog, Mystery Corn Dog, and N'Awlins Dawg. I couldn't pick a favorite. Additionally, the buns are incredible: thick, buttery yet light, I was able to easily polish off a larger portion than I expected.

We both worried about the state of affairs once this place inevitably hits it big. Will be interesting to see how the owner controls the line dynamic, as this place is set up quite differently than Doug's. Our line nearly stretched out the back door, not much room for it out there. The obvious choice is to have it go out the front door, which will then cause it to cut straight through the line of tables on either side. If the owner is as thoughtful about this as he is about the food, though, I can't imagine it'll be anything to worry about.

For a line out the door the owner mentioned to me that they built a cover over the space in between the two buildings to keep folks out of the elements if they are waiting.

The place was empty(3 or 4 other customers) from 11:30 til about 11:40 when I left Saturday.

I'll have to reiterate the praise posted above. The bf and I stopped in mid-errand trip on Saturday at about 4:45pm. I ordered the Cheesehead (sheboygan brat, smoked gouda, caramelized onions, portabello mushroom) and the Mr. got the Spoiled Brat (I think this was a veal brat, red cabbage, red pepper sauce.) The cheesehead was delicious; the smokey gouda and perfectly carmelized onions were spot on, and as one who usually eshews buns, I ate every bit of this one. The only negative for me was the brat casing, which didn't bite as cleanly as I would have liked, and made me use my fingers more. Then again, maybe I should bite more agressively.

The fries were right up my alley- very crispy and salty with a pronounced potato flavor. We sat on the back porch at one of the 4 large picnic tables. The owner said I was one of only several who could properly identify Yo-Yo Ma, one of their table guides. However, we went with Frank Sinatra.

I used to work around North and Clybourn, and if this opened 2 years ago, I would be in trouble.

jimswside wrote: BYOB is nice, enjoyed some High life, and [t]equila with my lunch. . . . . .

The place was empty(3 or 4 other customers) from 11:30 til about 11:40 when I left Saturday.

Jim, that's some quick drinking. . . and eating. Shot and a beer, 2 sandwiches and fries in 10 min. You are a man who knows how to indulge, and I appreciate it!

MelT wrote:

jimswside wrote:

Jim, that's some quick drinking. . . and eating. Shot and a beer, 2 sandwiches and fries in 10 min. You are a man who knows how to indulge, and I appreciate it!

my bad, a typo

I got there just after 11:00, and left around 11:40, service was quick, I ate quick, but enjoyed some conversatio with the folks manning the shop.

jimswside wrote:Jumbo dog, when I go to a hot dog place I enjoy getting a "Chicago style dog" to accompany my other meat choice. Not available here yet, my jumbo dog came with beer braised red cabbage, and a nice mustard.

Are you saying they couldn't put chopped onions, relish, mustard and peppers on your jumbo dog?

Cogito wrote:

jimswside wrote:Jumbo dog, when I go to a hot dog place I enjoy getting a "Chicago style dog" to accompany my other meat choice. Not available here yet, my jumbo dog came with beer braised red cabbage, and a nice mustard.

Are you saying they couldn't put chopped onions, relish, mustard and peppers on your jumbo dog?

thats is correct, those items other than yellow mustard from the pump were not available. I asked for them to toss anything they could on the jumbo dog, and it was served with beer braised red cabbage, and that other mustard thats it.

I was told a version of a "chicago style dog" was in the planning stages.