Where to get great food?
 

Hello,
I plan to be in the Alaska area (Anchorage, Denali, Seward and Homer) in August 2007. So far I haven't read any recommendations on where to find great food. Specifically I am interested in finding Alaskan King Crab and King Salmon. Is there anything else that is a "must" try? I am also looking to purchase some King Crab to bring home to Boston from Anchorage. Where is the best place to get some? Also, what prices am I looking at? Any issues with the airline? Thanks!

Welcome to Fodors, <b>tybuddy</b>.

A couple of hints. You probably thought when you posted that your question would go into an &quot;Alaska&quot; forum, because you selected &quot;Alaska&quot; from the pull-down menu at the top of the screen. Fact is, there is no Alaska forum, just the US forum where all questions go - the pull-down is used to search for posts about a given state, not to segregate the posts in the first place. Thus your title - &quot;Where to get great food?&quot; - doesn't give the reader any idea that it's about Alaska or Arkansas or... So in the future put &quot;Alaska&quot; or some other clue in the title as to where you're referring.

Second, King Crab is harvested in the winter, and the product you'd get in Anchorage in August will be identical to the product you'd get in Boston in August (maybe packaged differently but caught at the same time and frozen in the same freezer.)

King Salmon in most rivers is generally caught earlier in the year than August; however there will be other species available - Silver (Coho) being the best eating in my opinion. Should be pretty much everywhere.

If you're stopping in Girdwood (Alyeska) going to or from the Kenai, try dinner at the Double Musky - a long-time and excellent place in the valley.

The salmon in Alaska is awesome. I couldn't get enough of it. It was very good no matter where I had it. I think the folks there just know how to cook it well.

You will find smoked salmon in a variety of places. Different &quot;cooks&quot; have different recipes. Some places have samples to taste before you buy. Our preference is for a sweet/teriyaki flavor. Halibut is very popular. A lot of what you will find is deep fried. Great as a sandwich or as a &quot;basket&quot; with fries. At the Saturday/Sunday market in downtown Anchorage you will find people who sell jams and jellies. Try some made from rosehips. If you like to cook, bring home a handmade ulu knife and cutting board. Great for chopping herbs, onions, mincing garlic, etc. When you drive to Homer you will go through Soldotna. There's a great bakery - Moose's Loose. In Anchorage I like to have lunch at the Moose's Tooth. Great pizza and brew. You can eat outside.

Here is one of my favorite Anchorage restaurants - Southside Bistro &lt;http://www.southsidebistro.com&gt;. It's located in a small, strip mall south of town. So, you'll need a car to get there.

In Seward, I like Ray's Waterfront Restaurant (at the small boat harbor.

I'm going in July for the 1st time too and have this list so far from my research. Maybe some others might be able to comment if these are worth noting.

Girdwood: Double Musky, near Girdwood is Bird Creek Cafe

Anchorage: Orso's, Simon &amp; Seaforts, Glacier Brewhouse,

Talkeetna: Roadhouse, Latitude

Seward: Ray's, Chinook's,

Denali area: Perch, Lazy J in Cantwell, Black Diamond

Can anyone respond to these suggestions? Thanks:)

I'll second gardy's post. My only difference is I prefer reds (sockeye) to silvers (coho). I love 'em both, however.

As for dining spots, the Double Musky remains a longtime favorite since my first meal there 23 years ago. If they have blackened sockeye on the menu, do not pass it up.

Ray's in Seward can be very good and the view -- most days -- is incredible. But the food can also be inconsistent if they're slammed with cruisers.

Simon and Seafort's and Orso are both very reliable. S&amp;S has also been around for a long time. Glacier Brewhouse is packed with visitors but also good.

If you're up for an &quot;old school&quot; Anchorage experience, there's Gwennies, which is basically dinner-style food. Go for breakfast and get get the crab omelet or reindeer sausage.

It's been a while but Gwinn's in Cooper Landing used to have a great burger -- or maybe it just seemed that way because it always came after a long day of fishing.

If you're in the Anchorage Museum of History and Art, the cafe there is run by the talented folks from Marx Bros. Cafe.

Thank you everyone for all your tips about posting and places to eat! I'll make sure to make my title more specific next time.

Oops, meant DINER, not dinner, for Gwennies.

Hi folks,

I am a vegetarian. What are my chances of finding decent food outside Anchorage in South Central and Denali areas?

Thanks

If you google Alaska + vegetarian there some interesting results. Maybe your visit will coincide with the monthly potluck supper in Palmer. We are not vegetarian but didn't think there was a lot to rave about outside of Anchorage. Talkeetna has a nice natural foods store with a limited menu of sandwiches etc. I recall great sweet potato fries and a few tables on the deck. Wasilla has a large grocery store and there are several to choose from in the Soldotna/Kenai area. I would suggest you bring a small meal kit/utensils in case you have to resort to making your own salads. OTH Alaska has some great bakers so visit bakeries and farmers markets. Homer has a great although small market on Fridays.

Also for halibut- the Showcase in Seward is excellent. Their salmon bake is also very very good. :)

Again - you all are a great source - copied ALL places to eat..can't wait!

Roadhouse in Talkeetna for a WHOPPER of a breakfast!! (Huge portions, and Good!)

The Homestead outside of Homer was the BEST meal we had in Alaska.

These are my favorites in the following areas, for what it's worth:

Girdwood: Maxine's, Jack Sprat - upscale/creative/not horribly expensive; Chair 5 - more standard fare, good variety, reasonable prices. I'm *gasp* not a Double Musky fan - it is a neat place, but I think I figured out I don't actually care for Cajun. It's not cheap either. Lots of people do love it, though, including my best friend at work. Seven Glaciers (top of the tram) is good, but overpriced.

Anchorage: Winter Thyme (new gem across from Captain Cook - creative food, reasonably priced - &amp; they cut open their King Crab Legs for you!); Simon &amp; Seafort's, Southside Bistro, Glacier Brewhouse - all mentioned by other posters, very good; I think Marx Bros. is overpriced, and Orso is maybe too overseasoned? for my taste (which won't prevent me from using a $50 gift certificate I won for them!) Moose's Tooth (pizza) is great - but, it's almost always crowded; I've resorted to carry-out.

Homer - Love, love, love Cafe Cups. Not excited by Homestead - it was too traditional (but they do traditional very well).

Seward - Love Ray's. You better love seafood, though - they put maybe one or 2 non-seafood items on the menu.

Denali area - Haven't eaten there much. Not impressed by The Perch's fine dining restaurant (it wasn't bad, it just wasn't anything special). In Healy, if you're just looking for a basic meal, I was very surprised by the extensive menu at The Totem Inn and the good service - this is nothing fancy - burgers, pizza, etc. - but they did a good job.

Talkeetna - Eaten many times at Lattitude 62 - nothing fancy, but it's decent food with a good variety and good service.

The month for fresh King Salmon is late May through June. The Red Salmon run next (mid summer) and the Silver Salmon round out the late summer. All of those fish are tasty! If you want fresh (never frozen) fish make sure you ask when you order. Not all restaurants serve fresh fish. Anytime I order I make sure to ask if the fish is fresh, not frozen. Sullivan's in Anchorage is good. They have primarily steak but also good seafood selections. Jen's is a small but excellent gourmet restaurant. The Marx Brother's downtown Anchorage is another gourmet choice. All of those places are expensive but delicious. Double Musky between Girdwood and Anchorage is fun. The new Girdwood restaurant, Maxine's is also very good. Land's End in Homer is good if you're going to be there. Enjoy and bon appetit! In Anchorage, 10th &amp; M Seafoods, sells seafood. I am not certain they sell to individuals (versus businesses) but it's worth a try.

I finally looked up what a ulu knife is. Would there be a problem bringing it home with me packed into the checked luggage or would I need to ship it? It seems that you can't bring home much these days.

You should have no trouble if it is in your checked luggage!

I found this old thread doing an Alaska thread search. Topping to see if there are any changes or new recommendations -- we are leaving for Anchorage, Seward, Homer & Denali on Aug. 12.

Anyone?

Kristinesonja mentioned the <b>Black Diamond</b> in Healy. I can certainly agree. It exceeded my expectations for an out of the way place.