Friday morning I met Mike Anderson, owner of M.A’s Gourmet Dogs, at his regular spot on 4th ave. It was his first day of business for the year, and it was 7 degrees outside– I was cold. The reason I bring up the temperature is because M.A.’s is kind of a sign of spring here in Anchorage. Every year people lineup to get a hot dog, then sit on the old federal court house steps and eat lunch in the sunshine. This is the earliest Mikes opened and the coldest. He started his business in 1992, which means this is his 20th anniversary.
“Its the greatest thing I’ve ever done work-wise.” Anderson said, “Its like this was created for my personality. There are many people who believe I’m such a hardass but I do what I have to do to keep the line moving.”
Mike sautes his onions in Coke and has a big selection of toppings including cream cheese, pesto, artichoke hearts, etc. He’s famous for his Topping Tuesdays. You can buy 7 different types of hot dogs including reindeer, kosher and bratwurst.
By 9:30 people were already trying to order hot dogs, and all day there was a steady line.
As I sat there shivering, I couldn’t help but dream about the spring.
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