It has become a sign of spring as with the budding of leaves and chirping of birds when Sparky's Hotdog Stand reopens for business. It seems each year, Sparky celebrates its presence and the coming of the season with something a little more summery festive. A couple of years ago, there was the addition of decorative garden chairs and tables. This year, we have fun carribean steel drum music raining over us like radiant smiles of sunbeams tickling us from heaven. It certainly makes for an other worldly atmosphere when you head for a hot dog in downtown Sheboygan for lunch.
Gaelle and I had been in an unusual anticipatory mood since the weather hit 70 by end of June. We just wanted to be out, somewhere with a deck or patio, somewhere with a lot of sun, and somewhere very American-summery. It was time to introduce Gaelle to Sparky's Hotdog Stand. This is a place you can bring your pocket book and your spicey cravings to. For $5, you can get a loaded up chili cheese dog with extra jalepeno peppers and fresh diced onions, a side of spicey bbq kettle chips, an an iced cold can of soda. If you're a bit old school, load it up with mustard, relish, onions and kraut. But if you're a true mid-western dog fanatic, then a full on lip smacking Chicago dog please. Find a spot under a shaded tree, find a seat by the carribean steel drum music, or seclude yourself in your air conditioned car by the south pier and watch young men fish and old men kite. Sparky's means mid-day mid-work picnic and a happy dancing tongue. And oh yes, their dogs are plump and juicy and their bread is always fresh, in case you like it just plain.
It is important to note that Sparky's is a traditional hot dog stand as you would find in Chicago or New York, but with a few more options like ice cream cones and warm nachos. No brats served, particularly unfortunate if you've developed a penchant for the Sheboygan brat. Still, let's not cry for the undead. There is no shortage of brat frys in Sheboygan County but nothing else like Sparky's in this little town. I'm glad that even though we are in the brat-epicenter of the brat universe, the idea of a hot dog stand remains possible. Thank God for Sparky's.
After our $5 lunch, we headed a block north to the Victorian Chocolate shop for hand crafted artisan chocolates. I've learned several years ago that European style chocolates are very different from American style chocolates. European dark chocolate is nearly bittersweet compared to our more milked down version and their milk chocolates are more mild and buttery compared to our instensely sweet versions. You will either have a preference for one style or the other as a picky chocolate eater. Which is why I really love the Victorian Chocolate shop because I think they sort of hit the spot with their chocolates being less sweet than the store bought brands, a higher quality chocolate flavor and aroma, rich creaminess in both dark and milk chocolates and with quality ingredients going into their fillings. Particularly real fresh fruits and real candied fruit rinds. For the same quality of hand-made goodness elsewhere as in Chicago or Philadelphia, you could easily pay up to $50 for a box of dozen hand-made truffels. Here, it is less than half that cost. Which is what makes this place so accessible to anyone willing to give it a try.
Dutiful wives and mothers that we are, we bought one giant sized chocolate covered strawberry and a fresh chocolate covered rasberry for each family member and gobbled ours up on the carway back home. A considerable treat to a hardy lunch with great atmosphere, great conversation and a healthy pocket book. Sheboygan summer dining offers many promising options.
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