Thank you for 33 years!

Thank you to all of our patrons, vendors, and staff through these years that have made these last 33 years possible.
We love you!

Day After Thanksgiving Tradition: Steak Burrito

After 32 years of business, there are some things that patrons come to expect from the Franklin Inn. One of them is that we serve our popular Steak Burrito with stir-fried green beans the weekend after Thanksgiving. Once we switched it up and offered carrots instead of the green beans. Boy did I receive grief for that one.

Join as at the Inn tonite for these or your menu favs:

Karen made Chicken Dumpling Soup 

Hand-Crafted Spicy Pork Tamales

Steak Burrito: Char-grilled Steak and a creamy pimiento cheese sauce made with Monterey Jack in a flour tortilla. Served with stir-fried green beans.

Taquitos Dinner: Spiced chicken and cheese rolled in a corn tortilla, deep-fried until crispy with a chipolte ranch dipping sauce. Served with two sides.

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad: If you are looking for something, lighter give this a try.  Yes. It is Mexican. Well....Italian-Mexican (but that's a great combo if you ask me!). It was invented in 1924 by Caesar Cardini, an Italian restaurateur and chef in Tijuana, Mexico, living in San Diego but working in Tijuana to avoid Prohibition. Our version is created in-house with a homemade dressing and croutons over romaine lettuce and char-grilled chicken.

You can get your Christmas Shopping done
while you enjoying a margarita.

Give Your Loved Ones a Mini Mexican Vacation!

Franklin Inn Gift Cards Come in any amount.
No long lines. No returns. No Hassles.

Impress Your Guests With Tamales!

A Peek at the Making of Our Tamales
It's a Labor of Love : )

John was playing with the camera on his new iphone 4s while Chef Dale was making a batch of tamales a few days ago. The photos turned out great (making me and my iphone 3 envious!), so I thought I'd share them with you.  Nothing says special fiesta to me like a tamale. We don't have them on the menu all the time, but when we do, I am a happy happy person.  

Tamales aren't necessarily difficult to make--just time intensive. Give it a shot or we could do it for you. Our team will be happy to make you a fresh batch of tamales from scratch just like this. 

Here's that peek at how we hand roll tamales at the Inn....

The First Step is to prepare the corn husks. A warm water soak ensures that they are soft and pliable. A couple of hours do the trick. Next, the dough is prepared from Corn Masa Flour and a few other ingredients. In this case Chef Dale also added some pureed acorn squash to the dough. Nice touch.

Then, it is time to fill the tamales. The excess water is cleared from the corn husks and the dough is smeared on the husk.  Here's where experience and technique pay off.  Maybe Karen (our tamale-making pro) will share her secrets. She's been making tamales at the Inn for close to two decades. You could ask her for advice next time you visit the restaurant. The filling is placed in the middle so when folded it is completely encased with the delicious dough.

In this example we are using steamed cubed acorn squash and black beans. This one is great for our vegetarian friends. Our most popular fillings at the Inn are the spicy pork or the shredded chicken. My personal favorite is chorizo and potato followed closely by this black bean and squash version. Btw, the filling is prepared and cooked before we stuff our tamales. Don't over fill or you'll have a difficult time rolling them.

Now it is ready for steaming. It takes about two hours. Keep checking the water level and add water as needed to keep it up. Why no cute little bow? I asked the same question. The purpose of the bow is to keep the tamales together but because we nestle ours close together in a flat steam pan, they stay closed. Also, it is kinda awkward for customers to try to untie those little bows. They are more of a nuisance than a help. It is much easier to unfold and enjoy. : )

Here's one on the plate ready to eat. Complete with a Spicy Coconut Rum dipping sauce Chef Dale created. We typically serve chicken and chorizo tamales with a chipotle ranch and the pork tamales with green salsa made from tomatillos.Yum! 

When you unfold the tamale it will look something like this. Opps! Sorry....I took a few bites (or more) before the photograph was taken.  I couldn't resist. Making tamales from scratch like this is well worth it. Won't the other guests be impressed with this at the potluck? They make a great appetizer or dinner.  If you attempt it yourself, please let me know how it went and what filling you used. I can't wait to hear about it. 

If this is just too much time for you, or you are intimated by the thought, come visit us at the Inn to enjoy a tamale. We'll also be happy to cook you up a batch. Call John or Chef Dale at 412-366-4140 to order tamales for your next gathering. Check out our Catering-to-Go Menu here: http://www.franklininn.net/Franklincatering2011.html

Need Help With Your Thanksgiving Preparations?

Add a unique and yummy touch to your Thanksgiving Feast with something homemade for you by the Franklin Inn. 

There are only a few days left until Thanksgiving. Whether you're the host wanting to supplement your turkey dinner with a few side dishes or a guest who's supposed to bring the dessert...we'd  love to take some of your holiday cooking off the "To Do" list.  Just order ahead and pick up on Wednesday. 

Here are a few ideas.
Check our menus online for additional information:
www.franklininn.net/Franklincatering2011.html
or contact John Cibula or Chef Dale at 412-366-4140.

Appetizers or Side Dishes

Taquitos, Mini Empanadas, Hot Wings, Tortilla Chips &Salsa
Black Bean Dip, Guacamole, Tamales, Mini Burritos
Mini Chimichangas, Mini Enchiladas, Mexican Rice, Quinoa
Black Bean & Corn Salad, Soup & Chili
Taco Salad, Caesar Salad

Desserts

Tres Leches Cake, Sopaipillas
Peanut Butter Pie, Banana Blast, Margarita Pie