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For pastry chef Leigh Omilinsky, her most recent creation has a personality. It’s particular, stubborn and judgmental. In other words, it’s quintessential Chicago.
Daisies, a Midwestern pasta restaurant in Logan Square, debuted its newest pastry Tuesday morning — the Chicago-style croissant. The dish, which features a charred Vienna beef hot dog wrapped in a croissant, is a collaboration with The Wieners Circle, a hot dog stand in Lincoln Park known for its viral insults and profanities.
The $8.50 croissant is also stuffed with yellow mustard, diced onions, celery salt and bright green relish. On top, there’s poppy seeds and a garnish of a cherry tomato, pickle and sport pepper. Omilinsky’s nicknamed the creation a “glamour weenie” or a “grown-up pigs in a blanket.”
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The promotional videos for the pastry, which racked up thousands of likes on Instagram, showcase the foul-mouthed charm of Wieners Circle. At one point Poochie Jackson, the “chief insult artist,” contemplates whether she wants to sample Omilinsky’s “little dried up roll” or “big ass croissant.” What the restuarant really needs though, she says, is a hot dog — it’s definitely not vegan. And don’t ask if you can put ketchup on it.
“Wieners Circle is Chicago. People come and visit and it’s like you gotta go there,” Omilinsky said, adding that the attention has been “overwhelming.” “It’s been cool to see how excited people get for a hot dog.”
The partnership seemed perfect for social media virality at its inception. It all started with an Instagram direct message, Omilinsky said. She asked Wieners Circle if they’d want to be part of Daisies’ monthly crossover croissant series, where they feature recipes inspired by other eateries, and they agreed right away. They settled on a Chicago dog for inspiration.
Past partnerships included pizzeria Paulie Gee’s, Filipino restaurant and bakery Kasama and GGs Chicken Shop.
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Ragen Eggert, social media manager at the hot dog stand, said she was skeptical about the recipe when Omilinsky reached out about the collaboration. “I didn’t see the vision. I was like what the hell is she talking about, a Chicago-style croissant,” she joked. But when she tasted it, Eggert said it came to life.
Eat. Watch. Do.
“It was really good. The croissant is perfect. The dog is perfect,” she said. “Everything goes so well together. I didn’t expect it to be as good as it was.”
Everything the Weiners Circle does is iconic, Eggert said, so she isn’t surprised by the support. But they aren’t serving subpar food, Eggert noted. She said they also worked hard so the promotional videos would come out well.
“We could literally do the bare minimum and people, literally, they love it,” she said.
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The Chicago-style croissant is available for the rest of January during breakfast and lunch cafe service at Daisies, 2375 N. Milwaukee Ave., which starts at 7 a.m. Omilinsky said they’ve ordered lots of cases of hot dogs and butter to prepare.
Daisies is also the first restaurant in Chicago to receive a Michelin Green Star, recognizing its sustainable practices. Chef and owner Joe Frillman’s menu includes fresh produce from his brother’s 30-acre farm, highlighting his goal to source locally and minimize its carbon footprint.
“Everybody who hasn’t gotten a Chicago-style croissant needs to get their a-- down to Daisies and get them one,” Eggert said.