Miah Smith and his wife, Alicia Porter Smith, bought the City Dogs vegetarian street vending cart in September from the original owners, Dee Kelsch and Tasha Donovan, who'd first opened the cart in May. City Dogs is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the corner of 300 South and 200 East. The cart is also open for occasional Saturdays and special events; on Sat. Oct. 24 it will be in the parking lot of Area 51 (451 S. 400 West) for the club's monthly fetish night.

What made you decide to buy City Dogs? Miah: I thought about starting a vegetarian street cart for a while. When Dee and Tasha opened up, I was a little jealous they did it first. When they decided to sell it, we couldn't pass up the opportunity. Alicia: All the hard work was already done; it was kismet. My father died from ALS back in June. That experience taught me to grab life by the balls while you still can. Roll the dice, take a chance to do what matters to you now. You never know what the future holds.

What roles do the two of you each play in running the cart? Miah: I take care of the day-to-day operations -- running the cart and inventory, cooking, cleaning. Alicia: I still have my day job as a User Interface Designer for a software company, so I handle the behind-the-scenes stuff: accounting, Web site, business admin. I work at the cart when there are events.

When and why did you become vegetarians? Miah: It's been a little over ten years for me. Alicia: I went vegetarian soon after we got married five years ago. Mostly I started thinking about the entire process of animal to dinner. It grossed me out --especially what happens in factory farms. Add a dash of concern for the environment, health and compassion. Modern society is largely disconnected from the source of its food. If I had to kill, skin, clean, and cook an animal myself, I wouldn't want to eat it anymore. Miah showed me how easy it was to be vegetarian with all the fake meat and dairy substitutes.

Why do you think it's important that Salt Lake have a vegetarian hot dog cart? Miah: There are lots of reasons, but the biggest for me is that we provide a completely meat-free fast food option to vegetarians and vegans in a convenient location. We are one of a handful of places in town that a vegan or vegetarian can order anything on the menu and not have to worry about what's in it or how it's prepared. It also provides an easy avenue for meat-eaters to see that we all don't just survive on salad and pasta. Plus it's affordable and offers a sense of normalcy to vegetarians who want to eat street food or even fast food. Alicia: Finding places to eat away from home can be a challenge for vegans. Eating lunch downtown for under $10 can be difficult too. Cheap, tasty, fast vegetarian food is something I want personally. I know I'm not alone, and I'm glad we can help provide it for others.

How is it rewarding to run City Dogs? Miah: I have people thanking me every day that we are there. That's the reward for me. I love doing my job because I know it matters to people in a real way. I feel like I am not just serving the public, I am serving my friends and like-minded individuals. I love that we are taking steps to show the world that just because you choose to eat healthy and compassionately, doesn't mean you eat boring food. Alicia: I appreciate the support from the friendly, vegan community and our fantastic friends. It's exciting to be part of fun events like the Gallery Stroll and Fashion Stroll, to have a local business right in the heart of a vibrant downtown. I love when carnivores enjoy a dog, taco, or BBQ sandwich, surprised that it's all vegan.

How is it challenging? Miah: It's a lot of work and time-consuming. You have to think of ways to make things more efficient without compromising the quality. Alicia: We still have much to learn, but that's what keeps things interesting. Utah's unpredictable weather is one of our biggest challenges. Fingers crossed for warm temps through November. We're closed in the winter, from December through February.

What are some of your favorite items that you serve? Miah: I love everything on the menu, especially the Italian Sausage Dee Dog. It's our Friday special. Alicia: The Dee Dog is also my favorite -- cream cheese, avocado, cheese, and jalapeños, yum! The Chili Cheese Dog and Beer Brat are tied for second place.

What changes do you have planned for the menu? Miah: I intend to add some new things slowly as we get the process down better. Vegan gyros will be the first one to make an appearance. Alicia: We'll keep the menu the same for the rest of the year. I want to experiment with new recipes over the winter. Maybe add a veggie burger or vegan treats. We'd love to hear suggestions!

Miah is also the singer for a goth rock band, Redemption. What have been the highlights so far? Miah: That we have been able to successfully draw a crowd for 10+ years. I really enjoy playing here in Salt Lake more than other cities we've played because these people are family to me. I appreciate their continued support. We've also had the opportunity to play with some great national and international acts. We are opening up for goth/punk legends The Damned on Oct. 29 at Club Vegas.

What are your future plans? Miah: Expansion and world domination. Escaping alive if the zombies come. Alicia: Everyone needs a solid zombie survival plan. Pre-zombie-apocalypse, Miah has mentioned opening a restaurant someday or franchising. He's also enthusiastic about visiting the island where the Vervet monkeys get drunk, so we'll see what happens. Next year, we want to do more events like Pride Parade, Farmer's Market, concerts or club nights. Maybe hire an employee so we can be open later, make it more convenient for folks that can't get downtown for lunch. One step at a time.

More info: www.saltcitydogs.com, www.redemptiononline.com