The Appetizing Allure Of Alaska: 7 Must-Try Restaurants
If you've never considered Alaska to be a culinary destination, you are missing a gem hidden in the valleys of the mountains, near the glaciers of Southern Alaska.
Alaska is home to some of the finest, freshest seafood in the world with breweries and distilleries that provide a full culinary experience.
Here are 7 must-try places to eat and drink:
Sacks Cafe, Anchorage
Sacks Cafe in Anchorage is a hip and trendy bistro that sits quietly on G street. The vibe here is young, vibrant, and fun. Bright, airy, and colorful, it opens to a long bar and table seating. Their full menu covers starters, soups, salads, and entrees.
Be sure to try their fresh tomato soup, which comes topped with crumbled gorgonzola cheese, which gives it rich flavor and depth. [pullquote:right]
One dish that was very tempting, but I didn't get a chance to try was their fried egg sandwich, which sounded divine. One egg cooked over-medium is served with a chipotle aïoli, black forest ham, roasted tomato, melted Jack and Cheddar cheeses, an Rnglish muffin and served with a side of fries. If I ever get a chance to go back, this will definitely be on my table!
Halsingland Hotel, Haines
If you find yourself in Haines, don't miss a tasting at the Commander's Room Restaurant at Hotel Halsingland. This charming restaurant has a comfortable atmosphere, great service, and incredible food.
This restaurant offers creative and unique entrees that are lovingly prepared using the freshest ingredients. Nearly everything on their menu is made from scratch, and they have unique, special desserts such as homemade ice cream, sorbets, and a warm rhubarb apple crisp with a mascarpone semifreddo.
Owned by Jeff and Shannon Butcher for the last 14 years, here you'll find fine food; friendly service; and a relaxed, casual atmosphere that sets this restaurant apart.
Here are two incredible dishes from their menu that I highly recommend:
Grilled halibut filet with Alaska spot prawns
This phenomenal layered dish starts with a perfectly grilled halibut filet that sits atop a parmesan, leek, rice noodle flan, then is topped with local Alaska spot prawns tossed in a spicy, smoky seasoning and garnished frizzled leeks with an orange sauce piquillo peppered coulis.
House-made rabbit sausage
Also incredible was their delicate rabbit sausage, served with black beluga lentils cooked with red wine, surrounded by a green peppercorn brandy and mustard sauce and artfully decorate with purple chive flowers straight from their garden.
La Baleine Café, Homer
La Baleine Café sits on Homer Spit Road in downtown Homer, Alaska.
Owned by Kirsten and Mandy Dixon, their menu offers fresh organic and local ingredients.
La Baleine offers generous portions and beautifully plated food. A must-have on the menu is the Alaska crab melt, a local favorite and featured recipe from their cookbook. Served on a garlic hoagie roll, the bun is filled with meaty crab meat then covered in cheddar, caramelized onions, and braised leeks, then heated until warm and melted. An absolutely fantastic sandwich that you don't want to miss!
Also on the menu, along with their hot sandwiches, is a selection of deli sandwiches that are as stuffed as their ever-popular Alaska crab melt. Specifically, the seasalt sandwich, served on marbled rye bread has copious amounts of fresh vegetables (coleslaw, avocado, tomato, cucumber, and red onion), and is lavished with a white bean spread and topped with Havarti cheese.
There is one thing for sure with a visit to La Baliene, you will leave full and completely satisfied.
Coppa, Juneau
Coppa was our last stop on our incredible, world-wind Juneau Food Tour.
Although Coppa has a brick-and-mortar location in Juneau, our food tour stopped us at a kiosk situated on a narrow street corner and where we sampled their incredible rhubarb sorbet and a lavender sorbet. Both were so incredibly fresh, clean, and light, and had a refreshing pop of flavor!
Once you've had their rhubarb sorbet, you won't want to try anything else and will be hooked for life!
Gonzo Café, Juneau
Gonzo Café is a newly opened gourmet waffle and coffee shop, owned by Aims and Alex Alf.
The first thing you notice when you enter Gonzo Café is the exhilarating, overwhelming smell of freshly baked waffles.
Here you will find some of the finest and best waffles you've ever had. Fluffy and light, they are crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. For toppings, you have your choice of sweet and savory flavors from a creative and unique menu.
To start, be sure to try the Hunter S. Swampson: a waffle topped with sweet triple berry compote, candied bacon brittle and whipped cream. You'll find the compote to be rich, juicy, and full of that fruity, berry-filled flavor we all know and love.
If your mouth isn't watering yet, it soon will be.
By far, you simply can't miss the Scout's Honor S'mores waffle. It is simply heaven on a plate. Decadent, rich, creamy chocolate with bourbon marshmallows, a house-made chocolate bourbon custard, house-made graham cracker crumb, and topped with smoked alder salt. If you visit Gonzo, you'll be overwhelmed by the selection of waffles, and it will be hard to choose. But, be sure to save room, because this Scouts Honor waffle is not to be missed.
They also serve savory waffles, so give the Son Of A Beets a try. It's topped with root vegetables, goat cheese, and balsamic sabayon with a touch of lemon and dill, and it is a fantastic surprise.
Gonzo's dishes are creative, fun and playful with a very serious culinary twist that brings big, bold, audacious flavors that won't disappoint.
The Rookery Café, Juneau
The Rookery Café is a quaint restaurant that sits in the heart of downtown Juneau, conveniently located only two blocks from the ocean and three blocks from the state capitol.
Voted the #1 restaurant in Juneau in the 2014 Empire Reader's Choice Poll, The Rookery Café is a food lover's dream that brings unique dishes and big city flavors.
The open floor plan with a community table in the center encourages conversation and the ability for locals and visitors alike to share in their love of food.
Don't miss ordering these two amazing dishes:
- Coconut poached Alaskan scallops with squid ink adobo and herbs
- Crispy king salmon collar with salmon chorizo in a chile lime vinaigrette
And you simply can't leave without trying their S'more Mousse Cake with toasted meringue, chocolate sauce and a graham cracker crumble. Read our review of The Rookery Café to find out more.
Tracy's King Crab Shack, Juneau
Situated right on the dock in downtown Juneau sits Tracy's King Crab Shack, which offers some of freshest seafood in town. Here you'll find a casual, outdoor dining experience with colorful wooden benches, rustic seating, and King crab legs galore.
You absolutely do not want to miss Tracy's famous bisque, which is a cream-based, award-winning bisque that is made with all natural ingredients and generous chunks of fresh crab in each bowl. If you don't get your fill while you're there, the great news is that you can order it from their online store year-round!
Another culinary favorite is their delectable King crab cakes, rolled in a seasoned breading that is spiced just right and full of succulent crab in the middle. Served with a spicy cake sauce and a lime wedge, you won't want to miss them!
They also have a great, cheerful staff and fast service. Grab yourself a brew, some King crab legs, and settle down to enjoy your crab cakes and her famous King crab bisque.