The Lead Dog, A Bite Ahead

The Lead Dog, A Bite Ahead

Contributed by Randi Perlman

Alaskans are out & about enjoying the summer season with all the accompanying sights, scents, and sounds.  Birds have made their way back to our great state and are busy nesting and rearing their young, flowers and shrubs are showing off their perennial beauty, RVs and ATVs are spitting up dust alongside roadways, and our beloved roadside food carts, trucks and vendors are everywhere!

Mushers say the scenery never changes unless you’re the lead dog, but for food cart vendor The Lead Dog, one of the earliest to set up for business in its temporary location along the Parks Highway near the Mug Shot Saloon in Wasilla this spring, the scenery is a constantly changing blur of vehicles passing by.  Jana Griffin, owner of The Lead Dog hot dog cart, counts on many of those vehicles stopping to indulge in one of America’s, and Alaska’s, favorite foods.

The Lead Dog cart holds four varieties of delicious hotdogs, grilled and piping hot.  Choose from reindeer sausage, bratwurst, spicy reindeer sausage, and all-beef jumbo dogs.  Each one is served on a hearty toasted bun that does not fall apart before your dog is halfway down.  Jana will smother your choice of dog with deliciously seasoned cooked onions if desired, at no additional cost.

The reindeer sausage is a meaty bite, providing good jaw exercise and hearty flavor.  The bratwurst is a chubby, wonderfully mild bite for your buck.  The spicy reindeer sausage has a delightfully zesty flavor and goes well with a cold beverage in your other hand.  And the all-beef jumbo dog is your classic all-American eats.  All dogs are quite substantial and will leave you tastefully satisfied.  A complete selection of condiments is at your fingertips, including ketchup, several types of mustard, sliced jalapenos, chopped fresh onions, sweet and dill relish, shredded cheese, and sauerkraut.

The price is reasonable these days at $9 per dog, and because they are large, one is probably enough (for most).  Cold soda cans are $2, water & juice $1, and bags of chips $1.  As a built-in bonus, particularly for fanatical recyclers like me, your delectable dog is wrapped only in aluminum foil, meaning you can take home the wrapper, rinse it off, recycle it, and there are no excess throw-aways.  Help support Alaska’s food entrepreneurs who keep things local, exciting, and sustainable!  The Lead Dog can be found at the Wednesday Market in Wasilla, Friday Flings in Palmer, and various other spots and events around the Valley.  Follow Jana on Facebook to find her most current location.  On your next jaunt about town, whether on your lunch break, headed home, or to points unknown, stop by and grab a quick bite of a thick dog, unleash the delicious potential, and watch the scenery change…