great food and exotic places have always been my passion. street food conveyed the country's history and amplified the culture. the best street food were hidden gems and ironically, the poorer the country, the more incredible the street food that i devoured, and hence my inspiration. what if i hired fine dining refugee cooks; purchased the highest quality ingredients; made everything in-house daily and created flavor balances that were more akin to a finer dining establishment? the answer lies in the multi award winning franks 'n' dawgs.  with my second restaurant, the peasantry elevates street food even further by offering table service and a menu that redefines more than just sausages.

so how do we elevate street food?

• we grind only prime cuts of meat for our burger patties allowing you to taste the cut of meat being used
• all our accoutrements are made in-house delivering unique flavors 
• our pasta is made in house, as are our sauces
• the flat breads for our gyros and our flatbreads are made in-house
• we use only seasonal ingredients and source locally when possible

led by award winning chef de cuisine, JOE DOREN, (winner of zagat's hottest 30 chefs under 30 and Timeout's 20 chefs to watch), joe's resume includes stints at  HIGH COTTON, BLACKBIRD, SIXTEEN and FRANKS N’ DAWGS. the northern michigan native graduated from the new england culinary institute and in a very short period of time has made his mark on the chicago food scene. some raised eyebrows when joe left fine dining to sling hot dogs at franks 'n' dawgs. joe's rationale was simple, he wanted to make fine dining more accessible and within a short period of time, the accolades started flowing in.

joe leads a culinary team that boasts kitchen experience from some leading kitchens which include:  GIRL AND THE GOAT, TABLE 52, TREBOL, AMICAL, TRIBUNE & HOOSIER MAMA.

while we specialize in DECONSTRUCTING STREET FOOD, we don't compromise on the quality of the ingredients that go into each and every dish. just as with fine dining, we're WORKING WITH LOCAL PURVEYORS FOR OUR SEASONAL PRODUCE to recreate a street food experience that is beyond compare. our street cuisine incorporates street food elements from asia and latin america, just with a FINE DINING TWIST.

• supreme lobster
• JDY gourmet
• Nichols Farms
• Mint Creek Farm
• Chicago Game & Gourmet

Elise S. is a local graffiti artist from Chicago, IL. She uses her original street art form, often a combination of distinctive stenciling technique mixed with free hand graffiti to create paintings and murals. Through a nomadic childhood living in South Korea, Germany, Guam, and more, she picked up a love for art in raw urban settings. Elise believes graffiti and stenciling are a forms of art that harmonize with their surroundings, adding emotion to walls, windows, and alley ways.

At The Peasantry, her 60ft long mural takes diners through a cheeky interpretation of some of the options on the menu: beef, octopus, snails, lamb, pork, and kangaroo. Taking inspiration from the incredible food and beautifully urban interior design, Elise helps set the scene through her artwork for elevated street dining.

As a self taught stencil artist, her art originally focused on stenciling salvaged window frames from various Chicago neighborhoods. These can be viewed in her store, "Woogm's Alley": etsy.com/shop/woogmsalley. Her artistic talents in the street mural world are new and fresh and can be followed on Facebook: facebook.com/circleeart.

blending a rough-hewn style with a slick, modern aesthetic, the Peasantry comes to life through texture. repurposed wood paired with shiny copper make up the bar, while at the "fire place", stone is used as a backdrop to reflective jars holding candles. graffitti style art adorns the long wall, while opposite it are grade school style blackboards with rustic crates holding wine underneath.

with the opening of the cellar, a new cozy space addition that accommodates an additional 40 seats. with exposed wooden rafters, mechanical systems and a wondeful deteriorating original brick wall, the cellar's vibe is equally rustic. large rustic communal tables set the tone while the old candle lanterns set a wonderful ambiance. 

we hope you find our minimal rustic/modern design both comfortable and enjoyable regardless of whether you dine in the main restaurant or the cellar.