Hidden Gems Of Connecticut

CONNECTICUT — The latest Hidden Gem will unhide itself for just about any occasion at any location in Connecticut — and it once served 10,000 hot dogs in an hour at a state military base.

Welcome to the truck for Frankies, which bills itself as "The Gourmet of Fast Foods."

The Frankies catering truck is based on the Waterbury-based family restaurant chain that has multiple locations in that town, plus eateries in Brookfield, Plainville, Naugatuck and West Haven. The chain was founded in 1937 and is still family owned and operated.

"We bring the food that everybody loves from our restaurant directly to your house or catering facility," is one of the mottos.

Let's get two things out of the way — the onion rings and ribeye steaks stand out.

Other grill items include sausage and chicken.

Traditional catering items include burgers (even veggie) and the aforementioned hot dogs.

All come with a variety of traditional sides.

Oh and there's fried dough.

See more about Frankies here.

____

The Hidden Gems series features out-of-the-way mom and pop restaurants, small specialty stores you may have never heard of, little-known historical markers or beautiful nature spots that may be a bit off the beaten path, all located within Connecticut.

Columns in this series in 2022 include:

• The Willington Common Bell
• Chez Ben Canadian Diner
• Farmington Canal Aquaduct
• Grave of Civil War Casualty William Goodell
• Riverfront Park Boathouse
• The Connecticut Freedom Trail
• The David Smith Bridge
• Wadsworth Atheneum
• Southwest Cemetery
• The Polish Plate
• Ferry Grill & Chill

• Osborne Homestead Museum
• Lacrosse Unlimited
• The Holy Land Cross
• Jefferson Fry Co.
• Hartford History Center Suffragist Sculpture
• Windsor Locks Canal Irish Workers Monument
• Utsav Indian Cuisine
• The Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route
• The Rein's Reuben
• Frontier Airlines at Bradley
• Munson's Chocolates
• Connecticut River Valley Wildlife Museum
• LobsterCraft
• Center Springs Park
• MLK Monuments
• The Connecticut Historical Society

Columns in this series from 2021 include:

• The First Decorated Christmas Tree
• Bolton Notch Trail Bridge
• Civil War Drum
• Civil War Powder Keg
• Mile 4, Manchester Road Race
• The West Hartford Armory
• The Capitol's Nooks and Crannies
• Wickham Park Aviary
• 55 West Main, New Britain
• Fox Hopyard Golf Course
• The Dodd Center For Human Rights at UConn
• Manchester Ropes Challenge Course
• 4-H Education Center at Auerfarm
• Fuego Picante Food Truck
• The Amistad
• 9/11 memorials
• Club Champion Golf Fitters
• New England Civil War Museum and Research Center
• Avery's Soda
• Salt 2.0 Restaurant
• The Grave of Jonathan, The Original Husky
• Golden Gavel Auction House
• Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut
• The Cogswell Temperance Fountain
• The Old State House
• BouNom Bakery
• Union Pond Park/Jay Howroyd Fitness Trail
• The Submarine Force Museum/USS Nautilus
• The UConn Dairy Bar
• Grove Hill Cemetery, Vernon
• Backwoods Smokin' BBQ
• The Ranch House
• Connecticut State Police Museum
• Berlin Historic District
• Connecticut Parachutists Skydiving Club
• Tail Winds Ice Cream Shop
• The MLK Mural
• The Hilltop Restaurant and Bar
• Fork & Fire
• Lena's Italian Kitchen
• The Benedict Arnold Trail
• Swank Pearce
• Vernon Depot Historic Park
• Farr's Sporting Goods
• Robs Drivin Diner