New Shepard Park vendor takes hot dog cart concept to a gourmet level

When the Village of Lake George advertised it was looking for a hot dog vendor for Shepard Park, the Lake George Examiner envisioned lukewarm boiled franks streaked with overly bright yellow mustard on a soggy roll. Nothing fancy, but it would do in a pinch when the kiddies are famished and gathering up beach paraphernalia and hiking up to Canada Street in search of nourishment would take too much time and effort. The new vendor set up shop yesterday and his offerings far exceed the Examiner’s expectations.

Kent Daniels of Kent’s Crazy Horse Catering lifted the lids off his chafing pans to reveal not only hot dogs, but two types of bratwurst, Fritz (seasoned home-fried potatoes with onions), magic cabbage (a sweet, homemade sauerkraut), collard greens with sundried tomatoes, roasted onions and an assortment of uniquely seasoned cold salads. The creamy pineapple coleslaw had a pleasant undertone, which salad make Jamie Daniels revealed came from blueberries. Beverage selections are limited to products distributed by Fitzgerald Brothers, the same Pepsi products available in the vending machine next to the park stage.

Kent’s Crazy Horse is not new to Lake George. They sold at Americade and dished up food at the Shake the Lake Festival last June. They will set up a tent this weekend at the Queen of the Lakes Fest at Charles R. Wood Festival Commons. “You have to come to the Mayor’s Festival,” says Kent Daniels, obviously excited about his planned menu for the two-day event. “I’ll have pork loin, ribs, pickled pork — it’s delicious!” While reeling off a list of his products, he mentioned his “magic beans,” baked beans with a touch of ginger.

The cart itself is an interesting contraption, with separate sections for hot and cold products all piggybacked on a golf cart outfitted with LED headlights. The Daniels will be setting up by the Shepard Park Beach everyday between now and Labor Day at 11 a.m. and will serve until 7 p.m. They will move their cart up to the park for evening events. The hours are long, but Daniels says it is only for another few weeks, and “it’s fun.”