Uncle Franky Takes Over Dinkytown!

Gio & Larry enjoy their new digs

We are so happy that Uncle Franky’s moved into our old space in Dinkytown. Today they had their soft opening and the place was so packed the windows were steaming! Families and college students alike lined the hall known as Dinkydale Mall. Proud owner Larry donned a Cubs jersey. Vienna Beef signs adorned the walls. And Giovanni the cook hollered out orders as they came off the grill. A genuine Chicago hot dog dive in Dinkytown!

A bonafide Chicago dog

Uncle Franky’s was started by some Chi-town ex-pats who had a hard time finding a proper Chicago Dog in the Twin Cities. Our crazy friend Jay opened the first one in Northeast Minneapolis in 2003, using a light-hearted, brilliant logo created by my husband Chank. Later Jay partnered with Larry to set up a couple of Home Depot hot dog carts. Jay recently opened another Uncle Franky’s in a strip mall in Plymouth and Larry fired up the Dinkytown spot today.

Amy first found the Dinkytown location for Chowgirls in a Star Tribune ad in 2006. It was too good to be true. We fell in love with the church pews that lined the shabby-chic three-season porch. We put in an offer to buy the equipment from Burrito Loco and kept it a secret from Uncle Franky because it was so perfect for his hot dog joint. We needed a place to grow our catering business and we didn’t want him to steal our deal. So we painted the place our signature colors, put up some bandana curtains, and threw some cowgirl art on the walls. We tried a lunch counter, but our food was too fancy for the college kids. Plus we needed a place geared more toward catering. We grew out of the Dinkytown space in two years. When we decided to build a new catering kitchen, we thought we’d see if Uncle Franky was interested in buying our equipment. After a quick visit from Jay and Larry, we sealed a deal.

Larry was won over by the location. Tucked away, off the beaten path at the end of a brick hall, our old Dinkytown spot reminds him of a Chicago gem that’s hidden under street level down a brick stairwell, Billy Goat Tavern – the inspiration for John Belushi’s Cheezborger! Cheezborger! skit on Saturday Night Live. With cheap food, video games, and marketing campaigns like “Relish your wiener! Use a condiment,” Uncle Franky’s will surely prosper with the late-night college crowd in Dinkytown.

Congrats Uncle Franky! And thanks for buying that hood!

My baby Mack wearing an age-inappropriate hat at Uncle Franky's

Chowgirl Amy Brown and her girls Frances and Louise visit Uncle Franky

My husband Chank and son Mack at Uncle Franky's grand opening

Vote for Your Local Food Heroes

Edible Twin Cities, a lush quarterly magazine that covers the local food community, has announced its readers’ choice Local Hero Awards to honor people who have made a significant contribution to the Twin Cities local food movement in 2008.

I encourage you and every Chowgirls fan you know to vote for Chowgirls for Best Food Artisan. I did!

I also voted for Alex Roberts at Brasa for Best Restaurant. With his dedication to the local food market and his generous spirit, Alex is an inspiration. We use his slow-cooked Heritage Berkshire pork with Amy’s West Kentucky BBQ Sauce for our Pulled Pork Sandwiches. Brasa pork is simple and perfect. Alex lets the quality of the meat speak for itself – no smoking or injections of any sort. It’s a great way to showcase our sauce and support our favorite local restaurant.

Best Farmer was a tough category for me. I was torn between Dragsmith Farms (who provides us with amazing greens and tomatoes), Shepherd’s Way (who makes our favorite cheeses and has endured many hardships), and Larry Schultz Eggs (who was the first local farmer to work with us directly). I cast my vote for Larry for his dedication to the family farm in so many ways. His farm has been in the family for generations. His kids stamp the expiration dates on the egg cartons. And Larry himself makes deliveries every week.

For Best Beverage Artisan, my vote went to our Northeast neighbor Mrs. Kelly’s Tea. We use her English Breakfast and Herbal High C hibiscus for our iced teas.

Who’s going to get your vote? Visit Edible Twin Cities, click on VOTE NOW.