After a day of little league baseball games, romping around the park, or just playing tag, hunger always set in. Lucky for me, my Dad's favorite spot was Little Louie's Vienna joint across from the park in Northbrook, IL. For me, that was the BEST treat ever! It even beat out ice cream from next door. The special of the day was usually the same: Chicago style hot dog, double cheese burger, brown lunch bag of greasy fries, and a Green River. Ahhh... I miss those days.

I'm a downstate boy who lived in the Chicago area for about six years when I was newly married. That's when I acquired a taste for Vienna Beef products. Last summer, my son and I cut across Illinois to go to the first day of Chicago Bears Training Camp. On the way, we passed Mr. Mike's in Lacon. The Vienna Beef signage was a radiant beacon. We were like, "Ohhhh my!!! We have to stop there for dinner on the way back." So, after enduring Jay Cutler mania with my eight-year-old, we trekked back toward Lacon. We couldn't remember the town the place was in, the name of the establishment or how far it was from Bourbonnais. We kept driving and driving. We got hungrier and hungrier. Finally, there it was. On the left side of the road before the bridge over the Illinois River. An oasis in rural Illinois. Mr. Mike's Place ... complete with the Vienna Beef signage beckoning us to enter. Oh happy day! We enjoyed a Vienna Beef feast. My son got a Chicago dog, complete with the sport peppers ... and loved it. After dining, we took several pictures to capture the moment of our good fortune. Good times. Memories made.

My dad started working for Vienna after I had moved to go live with my mom. Before that, we lived on Burling St. in Chicago and once a week we'd go to Uncle Franks where we'd pig out on the best polish sausages I'd ever eaten. My mouth waters at the thought of the onions,relish and mustard nestled on top of that sausage. After I moved and dad moved to Texas, he'd always have Vienna products in the fridge when I'd come to visit...corned beef, hot dogs...polish, MMmmmmmm. Now that he's retired, he has given us kids all of his tshirts, hats and aprons left over from his Vienna days. This past December I turned 50, my own kids had a memory quilt made for me....it was easy to find my dads square...it's the front from his favorite Vienna tshirt....talk about a memory!

When I was 5 years old, my Grandmother would send me with my older brother and older sister to a place called Zing's. It was on the 4700 block of Madison on the West Side of the city. A Vienna hot dog with a load of fries wrapped in wax paper was 25¢. Zing's was a narrow diner with about eight stools lined up along the counter. A blind man could find Zing's in a blizzard. The smell of fries and onions hit you as you approached. Four hot dogs were a buck and eight dogs were two bucks. Even. He never took out tax. I loved Mr. Zingerman!

Growing up in Waukegan, my Grandma (a tough and very loving probation officer, and yes, I said GRANDMOTHER), would only eat Vienna hot dogs. If we went to a stand that did not have them, we would pile back into the car and hit the next stand. When we would complain, she would say, “Eat the best-Your body will thank you.” To this day my body is getting the BEST, thanks, Grandma!