One Great Dish: Mr. Spanky's Root Beer Baked Beans

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Jan 14, 2013 5:20PM

Chicagoist/Chuck Sudo

With the success of Nana Organic and Pleasant House Bakery, the farm-to-table is slowly developing permanent roots in Bridgeport. John Schultz is hoping to add to that with his recently opened sandwich shop, Mr. Spanky’s Farm Fresh Artisan Foods.

We have a review of Mr. Spanky’s—Schultz says it’s a reference to his childhood resemblance to George “Spanky” McFarland of Little Rascals fame—in the works. For now, we wanted to one of the reasons Schultz stands a chance for success on a street lacking in destination spots.

Schultz calls Mr. Spanky’s root beer baked beans “a barbecue must have.” They’re also pretty tasty during the cold months and it’s easy to see why. Schultz sautés his pinto beans in a blend of house made ketchup, onions and Filbert’s root beer. You can taste the syrupy goodness of the rootbeer and the tangy texture of the ketchup in each bite and they make an amazing side for one of Mr. Spanky’s sandwiches, which he calls “stuffed buns,” or eat them all by their lonesome. Schultz sells his baked beans ready to eat, hot or cold.

Mr. Spanky’s Farm Fresh Artisan Foods is located at 355 W. 31st Street and is open 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.