Every year I see more taco and hot dog carts rolling into downtown Salt Lake and a few weeks ago, I decided that this would be the year that I would be bold enough to visit one.

What has prevented me from visiting these four-wheeled wonders in the past is my meatless diet. While restaurants are usually accommodating to my diet, I've been nervous about finding that cart that doesn't let meat touch my meatless meal.

When I learned that Salt Lake's first vegetarian and vegan cart opened a few weeks ago, I was overjoyed with the news.

I found City Dog's menu on their MySpace page and drooled over the meatless junk food; BBQ Rib Sandwich, Italian Sausage Dog, Beer Brat Dog and Tacos. They even have Uncle Eddie's Vegan cookies for dessert.

Here's a look at what the IN staff noshed on while walking back to our office: (AS)

Veggie Tacos, $5.50

Everything on the menu was appealing, but I was lured by the sound of two tacos served with seasoned vegan ground beef. I walked away with two foil wrappers and two almost-filling, flour tortillas topped with sour cream, cheese, avocado, onions, jalapeños, tomatoes, lettuce, salsa and lime. Although these tacos are nothing more than basic comfort food, for someone who doesn't eat meat, it's nice to have City Dogs as another option. (AS)

City Dog, $4.50

I was the only staffer to get the cart's namesake offering, but after seeing Amy's tacos and Ryan's chili dog, I kinda wished I hadn't. Not that there was anything wrong with mine -- it came topped with fresh tomatoes, pickled asparagus and spicy mustard, which made it a tangy little snack that quite suited the palate -- but it didn't look as flavor-packed or filling as the other options. Next time, I'll be savvier with my $4.50. (AC)

Chili Cheese Dog, $4.50

I love hot dogs but never wanted to know what they were made from (in some cases it should be OK to waste the odds and ends). So when years ago while visiting Seattle a friend took me down to the fish market to a tiny booth that sold veggie corn dogs I was thrilled to find that they taste exactly like the real deal. This chili cheese dog, which I loaded up with some jalapeño peppers while skipping the onions was everything I had hoped for with heaps of chili smothering the soft (not rubbery) veggie dog. But I couldn't help but be a little envious of Amy's veggie taco, which looked delicious. You can bet that I'll be wandering across the street after movie screenings at the Broadway Theater to try out the tacos and their variety of veggie dogs. (RMP)

Dee Dog, $3.50

I am a total sucker for avocados and cream cheese, so when I saw that they were available on a hot dog, I jumped at the chance to try it. The addition of real cheese (I could have had vegan cheese upon request) was welcome, but the jalapeños were a bit overwhelming for me. I loved the way the hot dog tasted, though; the textured vegetable protein from which it was made was excellently tasty and slightly spongy, making it seem lighter and healthier than a beef frank. It may have been just a little too light, though; I was still hungry when I finished it. (KA)