Excellent food in Palmer, Alaska

[RandyB]

By sheer luck I found a relatively new restaurant in Palmer, Alaska that was excellent. Palmer is about 25 miles north of Anchorage, on the way to Denali National Park and Hatcher Pass areas.

The place is called Turkey Red, named after a winter wheat first farmed by the Mennonites in the 19th century. The breads are excellent and vary every day. They use mostly organic products and local produce where possible.

The owners are a Greek and Tuscan couple. It showed in the dinner. The grilled polenta appetizer was crisp. Its marinara sauce was very tasty and chunky. The mozzerella was house made.

One main course could have been a Greek cliché - moussaka - but they really improved it. The saucing and seasoning (nutmeg included, of course) were perfect. I was a bit skeptical when I saw they used zucchini instead of eggplant. But the zucchini was very crisp. This made a perfect contrast inside a dish that`s normally all the same soft texture.

Our other main was a dinner sized CBLT. Chicken (hot grilled) and bacon over mixed greens with a perfect, light vinaigrette. Simple but perfectly prepared. The side salad we ordered with the moussaka also had a vinaigrette, but it was a different one and also excellent.

We had no room for dessert, but took cookies for our hike the next day that were also delicious.

I wish we could have tried some of the other menu items, including pizza from the stone hearth oven.

You can stay in Palmer at the Colony Inn, a historic building with restored guest rooms that are very comfortable. Then have lunch or dinner at Turkey Red

Edited July 4, 2009 by RandyB (log)

[Jaymes]

By sheer luck I found a relatively new restaurant in Palmer, Alaska that was excellent. Palmer is about 25 miles north of Anchorage, on the way to Denali National Park and Hatcher Pass areas.

The place is called Turkey Red, named after a winter wheat first farmed by the Mennonites in the 19th century. The breads are excellent and vary every day. They use mostly organic products and local produce where possible.

The owners are a Greek and Tuscan couple. It showed in the dinner. The grilled polenta appetizer was crisp. Its marinara sauce was very tasty and chunky. The mozzerella was house made.

One main course could have been a Greek cliché - moussaka - but they really improved it. The saucing and seasoning (nutmeg included, of course) were perfect. I was a bit skeptical when I saw they used zucchini instead of eggplant. But the zucchini was very crisp. This made a perfect contrast inside a dish that`s normally all the same soft texture.

Our other main was a dinner sized CBLT. Chicken (hot grilled) and bacon over mixed greens with a perfect, light vinaigrette. Simple but perfectly prepared. The side salad we ordered with the moussaka also had a vinaigrette, but it was a different one and also excellent.

We had no room for dessert, but took cookies for our hike the next day that were also delicious.

I wish we could have tried some of the other menu items, including pizza from the stone hearth oven.

You can stay in Palmer at the Colony Inn, a historic building with restored guest rooms that are very comfortable. Then have lunch or dinner at Turkey Red

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Thanks, Randy. I've made a note of this recommendation. It sounds excellent!

[rlibkind]

Colony Kitchen does a nice breakfast.

[RandyB]

Colony Kitchen does a nice breakfast.

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If you are talking about the restaurant in the Colony Inn, they only do breakfast on Sundays and it's a brunch buffet. Considering Alaska prices, it's a good deal at $11. Standard stuff, but reasonably well made and lots of choices.

The Colony Inn Cafe does lunches on weekdays. It's a different ownership completely from the Colony Inn hotel management, which is handled by the Valley Inn Hotel.

By the way, a general recommendation to Alaska travelers: Ask about cash discounts and AAA/AARP discounts wherever you stay. We got 10% off for cash on a cabin and 5-10% off for AARP on lodging and some exhibit centers.

[rlibkind]

Colony Kitchen does a nice breakfast.

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If you are talking about the restaurant in the Colony Inn, they only do breakfast on Sundays and it's a brunch buffet. Considering Alaska prices, it's a good deal at $11. Standard stuff, but reasonably well made and lots of choices.

The Colony Inn Cafe does lunches on weekdays. It's a different ownership completely from the Colony Inn hotel management, which is handled by the Valley Inn Hotel.

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Well, unless things have changed since I was there five years ago (certainly possible), the place I'm talking about is the Colony Kitchen. It's basically a large diner. We ate breakfast there on a weekday, and it wasn't a buffet. Some Googling indicates it's also known as the Noisy Goose.

The Colony Inn brunch buffet sounds like a Sunday breakfast option, especially since Colony Kitchen can have a bit of a wait.