Hot dogs Chicago style

In downtown Raleigh, there's an unusual opening that will be of particular interest to Windy City transplants.

Penalty Box Dogs is opening a hot dog stand serving an authentic Chicago Dog on the corner of Hargett and Fayetteville streets.

For those unfamiliar, a Chicago Dog comes with mustard, onions, relish, a pickle, tomato and small hot peppers called sport peppers.

The proprietors, Darren and Lori West, were both laid off by construction companies in April. After spotting a hot dog cart on the Food Network, they began researching a hot dog cart business. Seven months and one trip to Chicago's "Hot Dog University" business boot camp later, they are ready with everything from the Vienna Beef hot dogs to the poppy seed buns. The cost: $2.50, or $3.50 for the jumbo version or a Polish sausage.

You should find them every weekday at lunchtime starting Monday, weather permitting.

In North Raleigh's Falls River Town Center off Durant Road: Phone and Internet company Clear is open; wine store Uncorked will open late this month; Nantucket Grill & Bar will open in the old Chop House space toward the end of the year; and a kid's cooking studio called Lil' Chef will open in January.

In Durham, the Pennies for Change thrift store reopens today at 2715 Chapel Hill Blvd. The store on Chapel Hill Road closed near the end of October. Profits from items sold at Pennies for Change benefit the Durham Crisis Response Center.

Restaurateur Jason Smith completed the expansion of his 18 Seaboard restaurant in Raleigh's Seaboard Station. The former Flanders Art Gallery spot has been turned into a special events venue. And Flanders Art Gallery reopens this weekend in its new location at 302 S. West St.

Other items: In Cary, Hangar 18 Hobbies opens this weekend at 1207-D Kildaire Farm Road, selling and servicing remote control vehicles such as cars, trucks and airplanes. ... Mr. Mike's Used Books is moving from Harrison Pointe to the Shoppes of Kildaire at Kildaire Farm Road and Cary Parkway. It reopens Saturday. ... A consignment store focusing on baby items and cloth diapers called Babiology is open at 2012A Fairview Road in Raleigh. ... At Crabtree Valley Mall, Key Harbor, which makes replacement keys and key remotes, will open Saturday on the lower level. ... In Morrisville, Tax Center moved from 10235 Chapel Hill Road to 1103 Grace Park Drive. ... In Apex's Haddon Hall Commons on West Williams Street, the shipping and eBay auction shop ShipOnSite is open. ... In Durham, the Erwin Road Port City Java closed. ... In Chapel Hill, Kerr Drug is moving its University Mall store to 1106 Environ Way in the new 54 East complex. The new store is already open. The University Mall store will remain open through the end of the year without a pharmacy.

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