Charles Koh
Photo Credit to: Summer Dog
LAKE UNION– Yes, summer has finally arrived in Seattle and everyone is hitting the water to stay cool. The best way to take advantage of the fleeting but sizzling season is to head to Lake Washington or Lake Union and grab a Summer Dog.
Open all sunny days through the end of September (come on Indian Summer!); Summer Dog is a floating hotdog cart featuring Seattle “street meat” style hotdogs, which include classic beef, pork hot link, bratwurst, and veggie dogs served with classic condiments. All dogs are $6 and sodas are available for $2. Summer Dog accepts cash and credit cards. Boaters with large orders are asked to call in advance for pick up by calling Summer Dog at 206.607.7181.
Photo credit to: Summer Dog
Summer Dog owners, Chris Rice and Emma Schwartzman can be found on any given sunny day on the boat dolling out delicious dogs to canoes, rescue tugs kayaks, pleasure crafts, and lake cruisers of all shapes and sizes. With Rice manning the grill and Schwartzman acting as condiment queen, Summer Dog dogs are prepared with care and consistency. As an added bonus, Patric Gabre-Kidan, who assisted with the design of Summer Dog, plays guest chef on occasion.
“We currently live in a condo on Lake Union,” says Schwartzman. “And with the barrage of traffic on the lake we were inspired to bring the turf to the surf and launch Summer Dog in July.”
The Summer Dog boat can often be found tied up to one of the buoys near the UW Waterfront Rec Center or the Arboretum. To find them on the fly, check out Facebook www.facebook.com/pages/Summer-Dog/436601933027078 or follow them on Twitter @summerdogboat. Summer Dog’s website is coming soon at www.summerdogseattle.com.
Friends for years, Rice and Schwartzman began dating while working for Ethan Stowell. When not at Summer Dog, Rice can be found behind the bar at Stowell’s new restaurant, Rione Xlll. Schwartzman currently runs a design and styling consulting business. The plan is for Summer Dog to return the beginning of June and run through the end of September each year.
