There’s a new kid in town, and we should all flock to meet them. Franky & Dom’s is the new coffee bistro that has just opened. It is located right at the base of S.E. 24th Street.
Owned by the Alishio family, the cafe is named after Paul and Stacy’s two sons. The family has the restaurant food industry in their blood. Stacy Alishio is from Eastern Washington and has tight Italian genes in the restaurant food industry. Her heritage longs for her to feed people and to be in the kitchen. Stacy was yearning to do more. She has been packaging her own granola for years with recipes that she developed. There are three different varieties, which generally sell out. Have you ever been to a food establishment where the health inspectors are actually purchasing your product? I was able to witness this. They were purchasing the famous Franky & Dom’s granola.
Besides coffee (Lamaze from Italy), croissants, apple turnovers (imported from France), and chocolate for beverages (imported from Switzerland), there is a case of nostalgic candy from the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. Luikse wafels (Belgium street waffles) are coming soon.
The retirement community of Mercer Island has caught the buzz. Once they get their hair done at Hair It Is, they walk next door for a panini for $3.99. Where can anyone get a panini for under $4? Wednesday through Friday, things are pretty busy around this street corner. Parents can pre-order a lunch to go for your child, for moms on the go, consisting of pepperoni pizza panini, cheese pizza panini (for Lent) or two mini croissants, apple juice, an apple turnover and a small bag of carrots for $5. There is no age limit on this lunch to go, but you must call ahead to order.
There are two four-top tables for the dine-in experience. Stacy knows how busy our lives are and understands that you want excellent quality, fresh, good beverages and food without the high cost. I have been to this coffee house on a few occasions and nothing is greater than walking into a place where everybody knows your name.
A friend of Stacy’s wrote a poem about her and her cooking, and one of the lines that resonated with me is: “Dishes piled high from souls satisfied so deep.” I ask you to take a break from your normal coffee house of choice and try Franky & Dom’s.
Below, the Alishio family, Paul, Stacy, Francisco and Domenico. The cafe is named for the two boys. Francisco, 17, is a junior at O’Dea High School, and Domenico, 13, is a seventh-grader at St. Monica School.
