68 replies to this topic

[Lori in PA]

My husband and his work partner are very excited to be spending several days in Anchorage for business. They are compatible dining partners as well -- loving to seek out local gems, the hole-in-the-wall-ier the better, though they also appreciate more up-scale meals. I promised to find them some good recommendations from the good folks on the 'gullet. They will have rental car. Where would you send them?

[Lori in PA]

So, is it that there is no cheap food in Anchorage?

(I gotta believe it is NOT that there is no good food there!)

[GourmetLight$]

I really liked the Glacier Brewhouse during my last business trip to Anchorage: http://www.glacierbrewhouse.com/

[rlibkind]

Hardly inexpensive, but Jens Restaurant does a fine job and offers good value for the money. You can't go wrong favoring the Scandinavian-influenced fare, particularly at lunch.

And be sure they try a reindeer hotdog from the vendor downtown.

Edited by rlibkind, 28 November 2006 - 07:03 PM.

[BaconFat]

My husband and his work partner are very excited to be spending several days in Anchorage for business. They are compatible dining partners as well -- loving to seek out local gems, the hole-in-the-wall-ier the better, though they also appreciate more up-scale meals. I promised to find them some good recommendations from the good folks on the 'gullet. They will have rental car. Where would you send them?

My wife and I had fun killing time in Anchorage before our return flight at both Club Paris for the cocktails (big, strong, cheap) and Humpy's for the Alaskan pub grub and beer.

We found Club Paris just walking around downtown. They close early so the bartender recommended Humpy's as we had more time to kill. Humpy's is kind of divey, and has a great vibe. The place was packed with both locals and touristas.

[LikestoEatout]

We only stayed in Anchorage one night before boarding the Alaska Railroad train to Denali and Fairbanks. We stayed at the Hilton and ate dinner in their restaurant with a stunning view. Very good local seafood.

[Marya]

It's been some time since I moved out of Anchorage, but I still remember the wonderful food at Sacks restaurant and the prices are moderate plus. On the lower end--Arctic Roadrunner for unusual burgers and really good homestyle onion rings. The Lucky Wishbone had some pretty good fried chicken. I can list many others still in operation, but you did say good, reasonably priced food and the ones I liked are pretty spendy.

[adanzig]

Visited Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula last weekend. Had a few completely unremarkable meals and a few worth noting.

We had a great lunch at Snow City Cafe in Anchorage. After eating my weight in king crab legs and halibut over the previous couple of days on the Peninsula, I was thrilled at the promise of eating fresh vegetables at long last...which begs the question of why I ordered a tuna melt and tomato soup. The sandwich was served open face and was done perfectly, with a thick slab of sharp cheddar atop well-seasoned tuna salad. The tomato soup was extremely flavorful, especially for a dish that had to have been made with canned tomatoes considering its April. My dining companion had a ciabatta roll stuffed generously with roast beef and blue cheese that he dipped into au jus, accompanied by the soup of the day, a corn chowder with bacon. Service was attentive for the most part. One server seemed to be working the majority of the floor but that was fine with us -- we were enjoying our leisurely meal and would definitely return the next time we have occasion to travel to Anchorage.

We also enjoyed late night happy hour dinner at Simon & Seafort's that same day. It felt a little chain-y (like McCormick & Schmicks here in the Pac NW) but their bar menu appetizers were half-off starting at 9pm, the portions were generous and the view not to be beat. Service was fabulous -- when my boyfriend was told that they were out of oysters, the last two were delivered on the house. We actually went back to the same restaurant for a quick pre-airport snack the next day (after calling, of course, to see if their oyster delivery had come in) and the staff remembered us. They were so remorseful about denying my boyfriend his full plate of oysters the night before that they delivered an entire order to him on the house!

On the Kenai Peninsula, the one meal that surprised us was breakfast at the Smoke Shack in Seward. We got the last of the six tables as soon as we walked in and promptly ordered a breakfast burrito and corned beef hash. The coffee could have been stronger (then again, we're from Portland, OR) but both dishes were surprisingly good. We'll admit that our expectations were fairly low as we were dining in a converted train car in a parking lot, but considering it was literally the only place serving breakfast on Sunday morning in April, we had no complaints!

Other meals and quick stops:
- Ray's in Seward (crab legs and view: good, cioppino not)
- Bowman's Bear Creek Lodge & Cafe in Hope (beef burgundy and shrimp tempura at a place run by two tremendously nice folks)
- Middle Way Cafe in Anchorage (great coffee and free wi-fi; great place to continue trip planning while waiting for REI to open!)
- Glacier Brewhouse in Anchorage (more good crab legs but an heavily overdressed salad)

All in all, a really enjoyable trip filled with breathtaking scenery and some surprisingly good eats. Thanks, Alaska, for a great visit!

[bigkoiguy]

I figured as someone living outside of Fairbanks, this thread needed an update.

When visiting Fairbanks, some great places are:
- Most any of the Thai restaurants. Fairbanks, oddly enough, has a huge Thai population that was located here after the Vietnam War by a Catholic non-profit. We have more Thai restaurants than Chinese -- and virtually all are great. Lemon Grass, in particular, tries hard to serve locally-grown and organic food. Thai House, downtown near the Marriott, has a great catfish dish and other chef's specials.
- Chena Pump House -- a historic landmark (old dredge site) with well-prepared and often local food, on the river.
- Seoul Gate Restaurant -- cheap but very good Korean food in the basement of a bowling alley!
- The Bakery -- old-fashioned simple American diner, great homemade donuts and breakfasts
- SourDough Sams - another inexpensive and simple local diner
- Pike's Landing - unpretentious but good American food, on the river as well
- Wolf's Run -- I haven't been here in many years, but it used to be (and I assume still is) a cozy little bistro with an interesting menu.
- Lavelle's -- downtown in the Marriot SpringHill Suites, local produce when available, high quality ingredients, varied menu. Lavelle's took a while to hammer their menu down, but has turned into one of the more reliable spots in town.
- Drive-through coffee stands. Alaska has a LOT of these, and Fairbanks is no exception. Many have bagels, paninis, and sandwiches for something quick. Rising Sun is one of the better ones.


Two other notable mentions while in the Interior, out-of-town:
-- Taste of Europe, in Delta Junction, is owned by a Russian family and serves Eastern European and Italian fare. Their food is excellent. The sampler plate is a good choice.
-- Fast Eddy's in Tok. It has been in business for years for a reason.