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Anchorage's dining scene has, to the relief of repeat visitors and, even more so, locals, been on the rise for the past several years. Established (and still highly recommended) restaurants like Jens’ and Marx Bros. Café have been joined by the likes of the small-plate and wine-focused Crush Wine Bistro and Cellar and the Pacific Rim cuisine–focused Ginger. No matter the restaurant, the local catch is a frequent star. Beware: eating salmon or halibut in-state may ruin you for fish served in the Lower 48. Anchorage also offers up plenty of worldly flavors thanks to the city's ethnic diversity. And nobody should leave Anchorage without trying the local fast-food specialty: a reindeer sausage from the cart in front of the courthouse on 4th Avenue.
Order at the counter at this old-time, family-owned Girdwood favorite. Skiers and snowboarders drop by for a quick lunch or garden-fresh pizzas in winter, while summertime early birds enjoy cups of coffee and fluffy omelets on the flower-filled patio.
Just blocks from Downtown hotels, this family-run bakery makes a perfect destination for a leisurely morning muffin run. The bustling Downtown location anchors K Street Market, a sunny emporium shared with a plant store, produce stand, and bottle shop.
Stop at either the Downtown or Midtown New Sagaya grocery stores for quick lunches, healthy to-go food (perfect for hiking or camping), and Kaladi Brothers coffee. The in-house bakery and deli, L'Aroma, makes specialty breads, sandwiches, California-style pizzas, and a wide range of snack-worthy pastries.
On sunny summer nights, the line at this popular microcreamy snakes down the block. The walk-up window serves Alaska-inspired ice cream flavors like almond birch brittle and rhubarb crumble, but the options rotate constantly. There's a second seasonal location in the 49th State Brewing Company biergarten off 3rd Avenue and a year-round scoop shop in Midtown at 530 East Benson Boulevard.
Savor the flavors of India, Nepal, and Tibet in this quick, cozy restaurant owned by Lobsang Dorjee, a Tibetan who grew up in India, and his wife, lifelong Alaskan Suzanne Hull. The trim menu spotlights rice bowls and soups, balancing the familiar—pork vindaloo, palak paneer, samosas—with the unexpected, such as lhasa momos, a type of Tibetan dumpling.
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