OK... so I don't always follow a strict diet...but in honor of my wife I made a stop by MICHAEL'S CHICAGO STYLE RED HOTS in Fort Lauderdale...

why in her honor?

My wife is from Highland Park, Illinois - a Northern Suburb of Chicago.

There is a restaurant there called Michael's Chicago Style Red Hots... named for Michael Hoffman, the owner and proprietor. My wife grew up there with her brothers and sisters. Her little sister Liz is actually on the wall of the original Michael's... the picture is when she was 5 years old, covered in Ketchup and holding up two little paper cups full of the stuff.

Michaels is a REAL Chicago Hot Dog joint - Suburbanized... In Highland Park they have a huge salad bar where the employees add whatever you want to your own Salad Creation.

They've got all the features that make it a Chicago Dog - like the poppy seed bun and such. They also have great Polish Sausages. My wife's favorite growing up was the Char-Cheddar-Polish. Yes - they GRILL over FIRE there and the Hot Dogs and Polish Sausages get Charred and Crispy on the outside... it is very good.

So a few years back, Michael decided to open a location in South Florida to appease all his snowbird customers who miss him in the long, warm winters down in South Florida. Now they don't have the salad bar... or baked potatoes... but they still are one of the few places in South Florida to get a REAL Hot Dog.

So...at 1100 Broward Boulevard on the way to Downtown Fort Lauderdale you can spot a sign with a giant Hot Dog on it.... right off an entrance to Sailboat Bend Neighborhood... (click on link for a map!)

So... if you are a Chicagoan rooting for your Cubbies or White Sox... or hoping Da Bulls or Da Bears pull one out... you can run by Michael's and get a real Vienna Beef Hot Dog or four and enjoy your game.

If you are a Chicagoan thinking of moving down here... don't you worry - Michael's has your hook up! We all know that Chicagoans and Sausages - the relationship runs deep.