Roundelay

There's Ted's in Meriden and Rosco's Big Dog in Hartford. Emily

We're fans of Dayton Street Apizza in the Westville section of New Haven. As good as The Big Three, in our opinion, but it's pretty much a delivery/takeout place (just a few chairs near the window if you want to eat in). Broadway Pizza (formerly on Broadway in downtown New Haven, now on Derby Ave.) and Ernie's Pizzeria on Whalley come recommended from friends who like slightly thicker crust pizzas. Also, Bimonte's Pizza Castle in Hamden used to have terrific pizzas, but we haven't been in a couple of years. The last time we drove by it looked like they were remodeling. Has anyone been there recently? ~Emily

Well! We're back. We took many of your recommendations to heart, and for the most part, we enjoyed our meals very much. Here's the rundown. In Anchorage, we found, just a short walk from our B&B, the recently expanded Snow City Cafe. We each had a cup of soup and a sandwich for lunch, and vowed to try to get back for their breakfast (alas, this did not happen). Had dinner that night at Sacks Cafe. This was probably my favorite meal of the trip: salads, salmon, dessert, followed by port - the works. The food was delicious, the service attentive - a really nice meal. The next morning, we picked up some sandwiches at The New Sagaya Market before heading out for a drive to the Kenai peninsula. Along the way, I was flipping through the Milepost and came across the description for Indian Valley Meats. We *had* to stop. We sampled ptarmigan, buffalo, pheasant and reindeer, and bought a few things to take home. If you're in the area and are, uh, wondering how to get your caribou home, they'll process it for you (their side door has "FULL CARCASS DROP-OFF" in red paint; I wish I'd gotten a photo.) Our only disappointment in Anchorage was our dinner that night, at Club Paris. The meal wasn't bad, exactly, just not great, after all the other good food we'd had. We took in the atmosphere, though (dim lighting, ancient banquettes, crusty waitresses) and decided to chalk it up to experience. One last dinner in Anchorage, at Simon & Seafort's. The food was good, the view was better. At Denali, we had a nice, but expensive, dinner at the Grande Denali. Dave liked the breakfasts at our hotel, the Denali Princess Lodge. "Try the crab eggs Benedict!" he says. In Fairbanks, we enjoyed the Alaska Salmon Bake (though it's no bargain, really, unless you're pretty hungry, or a big eater) and the Pump House. The Pump House let us in, even though they were closing in 30 minutes (thanks, guys!). Try the musk ox meatloaf - it's quite tasty. Dave says this was his favorite meal of the trip. Oh yes, the drive from Anchorage to Fairbanks. We stopped for lunch at the Talkeetna Roadhouse. I had the BLT, Dave had the R (for reindeer) LT. Finally, it's not a restaurant, but I feel I should mention the food on our cruise, because I'd been worrying that we'd be stuck with four days' worth of wretched buffets ... but everything was delicious, from soup to nuts. A pleasant surprise. So, thanks for the recommendations everyone. Much appreciated. Emily

Thank you both. We now have a copy of the Milepost. The New Sagaya Market/picnic is a wonderful idea, if the weather cooperates. Otherwise, it sounds like Talkeetna is our best bet. The Pumphouse and The Salmon Bake have been added to our list, too. We'll report back ... Emily (& Dave)

My husband and I are driving from Anchorage to Fairbanks a little over a week from now. Can anyone recommend places to stop for lunch along the way? Emily