The t-shirt designs are coming in....

Here are some of the designs submitted for the InnCredible T-shirt Contest (in no particular order....just how I grabbed and uploaded them). Hard copy submissions aren't included here yet. I'm hoping I have time to scan them and add them this week (lol!). If you emailed me a design and it is not below....I didn't receive it. If you dropped one off at the Inn or mailed it to me via snail mail and want to be sure I received it, feel free to ask me at wendy@franklininn.net. I'll confirm your entry via email. You still have time to submit your own design. Details are on the website.

Which is your favorite design so far? Let me know.

Matt Lorenz 1 of 2

Matt Lorenz 2 of 2

Keith J. Schmiedlin

Michael Ross

Jamie McCullough

Christian Ghirardi

Jacqueline R. Dully


Lauren Kachinko

Lucinda Weibe

Amy Peters

Pam & Dominick Toth

Tap your creativity now!

Time is running out to participate in the InnCredible T-Shirt Design Contest. Get those entries into me now. Here's something fun to spark your creativity. Go to http://www.photofunia.com. You can put your own face on Mona Lisa, the cover of Glamour Magazine or a piece of Warhol art and more. Be warned that this is very addicting. I spent way too much time doing this today.

Family Meals To Go

We know you are busy so we've created a way for you to have a fresh home made Mexican Meal on the go. Click here for details.

Cinco de Mayo Celebrations

Join us at the Franklin Inn for the festivities Friday May 1st thru Tuesday May 5th (don't forget we will be closed on Sunday). We have great food and drink features planned, door prizes and other festive surprises. Send your friends a Cinco de Mayo e-card and ask them to meet you at the Inn.

For more info on Cinco de Mayo History, check out these websites:
www.vivacincodemayo.org
www.mexonline.com

Administrative Assistant's Day at the Inn

Do you have Super Employees? Be a Super Boss!
Recognize your staff with a fun, festive, casual lunch
at the Franklin Inn Mexican Restaurant!

Our fresh-made food is delicious and our lunch prices are great (see lunch menu online). We've even added on an extra server to make sure you get back to work in a timely manner if you want too...just take it easy on the margaritas!

Are you a Secretary, Virtual Assistant, or Administrative Assistant? Dine at the Inn any time on April 22 and give us your business card. We'll give you a Ben Buck gift certificate good towards a future visit. If you don't have an assistant and you do your own administrative work...give us your card too. You need a break!

Bring the party back to the office! Win Chips & Salsa. We will be holding a drawing with all the business cards for a bag of our homemade chips and Salsa for your office . After the drawing we will be sending an email with special certificates to all who enter, so make sure your email is on your card. Every office is a winner.

Franklin Inn Gift Cards make great gifts of appreciation too. A $10 or $15 gift card can accomodate lunch for two. A $20 or $30 gift card can cover dinner for two.

30 Years of Memories Contest

Thank you for the memories and for sending the great stories. I've only been a member of the Cibula family for around a decade [Editor: Wendy]. So, many of you have memories that go back farther than mine at the Inn. All entries were put into a drawing to win a Franklin Inn Gift Certificate. Congrats to the winners: Shirley and Lois. If you missed the contest, feel free to add your favorite Franklin Inn Memory to this blog. Maybe you'll win a consolation prize. You can find more stories on our website by clicking here. They aren't all there yet, but I'm working on it.

The Franklin Inn has become our newest favorite local restaurant! I don't think we ever ate there until we moved to the north hills. We had a blast celebrating John's 40th birthday in December with 15 of our friends. What a nice casual and comfortable atmosphere with great food and affordable prices! - John & Martha Walton

On the recommendation of a friend, I had lunch with a co-worker at the Franklin Inn. We loved it! When our boss (who takes us all (6) out to lunch fairly regularly) asked for suggestions for lunch we both said “The Franklin Inn”. Everyone loved it and when our boss picked up the check – he said “I really like this place.” Not only does the Franklin Inn have delicious food, the prices are great too. It has quickly become our company’s favorite lunch spot. Thank you. - Kathleen Conlogue

Lois and I moved to the North Hills in 1983. I learned of the Franklin Inn in 1984. We have been loyal patrons ever since. We knew the first owner. And, of course, Dougie the waiter. We used to be at the Inn so often that Doug would “slip” us a free quesadilla or sangria once in a while. [Editor's note: All patrons of the Inn will get a free dinner on their b-day. Just join the Inn Crowd so we know when to send your gift certificate!] We took Doug out for a goodbye party his last day at the Inn. We befriended Dolly, who knows just how we like our sangria. And, Mary Kay is the best. I had my resignation party at the Inn. Needless to say, I ended the evening with the sombrero on my head. Thanks for such great memories!- Sheree Girty and Lois Zebrouvis

I had my first date with Lori at the Franklin Inn on March 16, 2007. We have been together ever since. When asking her out for the first time, she expressed an interest in Mexican food. At that moment, we both mentioned the Franklin Inn simultaneously, and the date was set to meet at the Franklin Inn. The first date was very enjoyable, and the food was great as always. In addition, a late winter storm dumped about 4-5 inches of snow that day and evening on Pittsburgh. It made for perfect setting while enjoying my first date with Lori. - John Odzga

My favorite memory of the Franklin Inn occurred on a snowy cold night in March of 2008. My husband invited four of our closest friends to join us for dinner to celebrate my birthday. As the evening progressed my husband presented me with a gift bag. As I opened up the bag I first took out two Margarita glasses, then I found sunglasses, a hat, sun tan lotion, a shovel and a bucket to dig in the sand. Finally, I opened a card to find a picture of a beautiful resort located in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. My husband had booked a trip to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. Not only did the Franklin Inn contribute to the Mexican theme, but it is also my favorite restaurant. I will always remember this special evening at the Franklin Inn. - Lee Ann

Probably my best Franklin Inn story is when Ziggy and I would move Lou's van in the parking lot daily, whichever one of us came in after Lou we would move the van, turn it around, move it from one side of the lot to the other, etc. It was so funny to see the look on his face when he would go out to get in the van and would not know where to find it or how it got there. There was one day when he and Zig had been sitting there for quit a while and I moved the van, he went out and came back in and accused Zig of moving it and Zig had never moved off the stool. The last straw was one day when Zig and I were both there and neither of us could go out and move it and Mary Kay was just coming into work and I went to the men's room and asked her to move it and she moved it to the bottom of the lot, after that Lou did not leave his keys in the van any longer. I hope you enjoyed this one, I know that we all did as it was going on." - Timothy H. Kimbel

Congratulations to the Franklin Inn! We (my husband, daughter and I) were just at the Inn tonight and saw your announcement. Have you really only been in business for thirty years? It seems like just yesterday that we discovered the Franklin Inn. (Well.... actually.... it about 28 years ago! In fact we enjoyed our discovery so much that 26 years ago-today(January 15)-we celebrated our wedding dinner at the Inn with friends! Over the years we have returned to the Inn reminiscent with fond memories. Tonight was our daughter's first visit to the Inn so of course we had to share our stories with her and now with you in celebration of the Inn's 30th anniversary. Congratulations and Best Wishes for many years to be!- Rod and Glenda Yount

Read the rest of the stories here.

Famished for Fajitas?

Visit the Franklin Inn this week for our Fajita Fest. Enjoy chargrilled chicken or steak, sauteed Spanish onions, and colorful bell peppers served on a sizzling platter with warm flour tortillas, sour cream and our homemade salsa and guacamole.

Valentine's Day in Mexico Celebrates Friendship & Love

"La amistad es lluvia de flores preciosas"
"Friendship is like a shower of precious flowers"
Aztec Poem (Source: Inside Mexico)

Bring your lover or your friend to the Franklin Inn and celebrate Valentines Day Mexican-Style. February 14th is celebrated in Mexico as the Día de San Valentin, or more commonly: El Día del Amor y la Amistad, the "day of love and friendship." People commonly give flowers, candies and balloons to their romantic interest, but it's also a day to show appreciation for friends. It's a time for people to show appreciation to the people they care about.

Bring your sweetie or your pal to the Franklin Inn for great food and some good conversation, because according to a Mexican Proverb, "Conversation is food for the soul."

For more about the origins of Saint Valentine's Day check out www.history.com.

What is a Relleno?

Relleno means to stuff. Chile Relleno is a Mexican dish that originated in the city of Puebla, consisting of a roasted fresh pepper (the poblano pepper is named after the city of Puebla).

At the Franklin Inn our Chiles Rellenos are popular. Mild chile peppers are stuffed with Jack and Colby cheeses, batter dipped and deep fried, and topped with a sweet tomato and onion sauce.

This weekend our cooks will kick it up a notch with our Special Feature: Diablo Relleno. Fresh poblano peppers stuffed with spicy chorizo and potato and topped with melted Monterrey Jack Cheese and salsa.

If you are a vegetarian or can't make it to the Inn this weekend, you can order our Chile Rellenos any night of the week, but if you like spicy chorizo, join us this weekend for the Diablo Relleno.

If you have your own twist on a relleno, let us know how you make your version.

What are Tomatillos?

Tomatillo - pronounced [toh-MAH-tee-YO] is a relative of the tomato and member of the nightshade (Solanaceae) family. Although they are often called green tomatoes, they are not the same thing as tomatoes. They are related to tomatoes but a different genus. Tomatillos were first cultivated by the Aztecs. The name "tomatillo" comes from the Aztec "miltomatl," which means "round and plump with paper." (The Aztecs called tomatoes "xitomatl.") Tomatillos are also called husk tomatoes and Mexican tomatoes. In Mexico the fruit is called tomates verdes, tomates de cascara as well as fresadillas. The tomatillo is used when it is still green and is an essential ingredient in salsa verde.It provides that tart flavor in many of the Mexican green sauces you enjoy.

If you'd like to give tomatillos a try, let me know how your recipe turns out. You can also enjoy tomatillos at the Franklin Inn. You'll find them in our green salsa which is great for dipping with chips and atop our chimichangas. The Colorado Green Chile Enchiladas and Grilled Chicken & Green Chile Quesadilla also include this great little Mexican fruit. Ask your server for a side of the green salsa to enjoy with any of your Franklin Inn Favorites.

For a limited time this weekend the Franklin Inn is featuring our Chicken Enchiladas with Green Tomatillo Sauce. A creamy sauce blending green tomatillos, a little onion, diced green chiles, and cilantro over our fabulous chicken enchiladas. A classic favorite among Inn patrons.