Designated Eater: Sloppy Joes and Spot Dogs in Harrisburg
The Harrisburg Senators were the third stop on my May 2018 northeast ballpark trip. To see all posts from the trip, click HERE. To see all “On the Road” posts, click HERE.
As you are probably aware, I recruit a Designated Eater at (nearly) every Minor League ballpark I visit. This individual is tasked with eating the ballpark cuisine that my gluten-free diet prohibits.
Chris Fickes was my Designated Eater at May 10’s Harrisburg Senators game. It was a role that he was born to play.
Chris, originally from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, now lives in suburban Nashville. He runs his own business, CKF Consulting, and in this capacity is heavily involved in the world of Major League Baseball. He is responsible for staffing 10 east coast MLB ballparks with ballpark camera technicians, on behalf of MLB Advanced Media and the MLB Network.
Chris loves ballpark food. The final segment in his weekly company newsletter is entitled “Let’s Eat,” and often features Minor League concession items. And that’s not all — in his Designated Eater application, Chris wrote that “since 1989 I have been the senior judge and master of ceremonies for the Great Chocolate Cake and Cookie Contest at the Pennsylvania Farm Show, held each January at the Farm Show Arena in Harrisburg.”
Here’s a shot of Chris in action, from 2011. He estimates that, over the course of a day of dessert judging, he consumes 12,000 calories.
Clearly, Chris has credentials.
Chris and I began our (well, his) culinary journey at Sloppy Joe’s.
From this unassuming first base-side kiosk, we procured the following three items:
From left to right, that’s a “Big Smokey” sausage, a Sloppy Joe and a brisket sandwich (slathered in cheese sauce and topped with peppers and onions).
Have at it Chris:
As you can tell from the above video, Chris was all business. He went about his Designated Eater duties with the consummate professionalism of a veteran cake and cookie judge.
“It’s nice and moist,” said Chris, of the brisket. “The cheese and onion and peppers work together well and a different type of bun holds it together well.”
Chris disposed of the sandwich in less than two minutes, and was immediately ready to move on to the Sloppy Joe.
Chris had no reservations about diving right into this sandwich, which is, of course, sloppy.
“It’s the Designated Eater, not the designated beauty queen,” he said.
“We’re back in elementary school for that lunchroom favorite,” said Chris. “And this is certainly sloppy, but it’s very good. It’s nice and beefy, with some onions, and has a good flavor to it. Like I said, it takes you right back to the cafeteria.”
Onward, to the Big Smokey.
“The only question here is how spicy this will be, and how smoky,” said Chris.
“It’s not too spicy and not too smoky,” Chris concluded. “We have a winner.”
Most Designated Eaters do not eat an entire sandwich before moving on to their next one. But Chris was not most Designated Eaters. He made quick work of everything in his path.
But we weren’t done yet.
The Spot was a Harrisburg institution. It opened in 1939 and existed in two downtown Harrisburg locations before closing in 2007. Its specialty was the Spot Dog, a hot dog topped with chili and onions.
The Spot lives on, however, via a standalone location located in the right field area of the Senators’ FNB Park. There, Spot Dogs are served by members of the same family that opened the original restaurant in 1939.
Chris, who lived in Harrisburg from 1984 through 1993, was very familiar with The Spot.
“There’s only one Spot Dog,” he said. “A man and his Spot Dog. What more could you ask for?
“The combination of chili, the dog itself, onions and the mustard — it seems odd, but it works,” said Chris. “It’s like an old girlfriend, Ben. Some memories just last forever.”
Here’s hoping that Chris’s memories of being a Designated Eater will last forever.
“Victory goes to those who don’t wear it,” said Chris, proudly noticing that his clothing was stain-free despite his supremely messy meal. “I’m declaring victory, and I can’t say that’s always been the case, either.”
Congratulations, Chris.
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
twitter.com/bensbiz
instagram.com/thebensbiz
