Anchorage Foodies's topics - tribe.net

New restaurants

Tierial — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:12:43 GMT

So has anyone tried the Turnagain Arm Pit or Johnny Chicago's yet?

On a side note: Anyone else having any problems here? My account was apparently not recognized when I tried to post and I had to completely re-register and I notice there hasn't been any activity on the board in ages.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 15 replies

Midnight Sun Brewery's "Loft" restaurant

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:15:37 GMT

Anyone try this yet? I met a friend for lunch today and had a grilled, whole wheat peanut butter and honey sandwich, served with potato chips. The peanut butter tasted like Adam's organic, and the honey had a nice minty flavor to it. Oh, and? There's an option to put bananas and pancetta on the sandwich! I went for it. In retrospect, the pancetta was good, but I wouldn't choose bananas again. My friend had a grilled three-cheese sandwich, quartered and also with chips. He got it with sun-dried tomatoes, pancetta, and onions. I liked the onions and pancetta but the tomatoes were a little much for me. The extra ingredients did incur a small charge. There was also an interesting coleslaw, a little spicy and sweet, not very creamy, with pickled cabbage as a garnish. The slaw was interesting and good, although the pickled cabbage was a bit tart for my tastes.

I didn't try any of the beer because I don't like alcohol.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 5 replies

Off the shelf

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:10:01 GMT

As much fun as it is to create something from scratch, or to be served a favorite dish at a favorite restaurant, sometimes time and money make it necessary to punt.

i started this thread so we can share our gustatorial adventures using off-the-shelf, pre-prepared items, combined to make a savory, wonderful or otherwise tasty meal. As guidance: Mac-and-cheese from a box does not count. Mac-and-cheese from a box mixed with leftover chunks of salmon and a little dill weed gets our attention, as will mac-and-cheese from a box with some chunks of leftover Brie and/or Limburger.

My offering...

This weekend was my bi-weekly mass shopping expedition. While at Costco, I grabbed a container of their cooked, tailless shrimp marinated in lime and cilantro. This stuff is pretty good as an appetizer, snack or ingredient in something bigger. On Saturday night, I really wanted to go out and get something to eat, but nothing sounded right. Considering that I had spent the day shopping and had a house full of new food made going out seem like kind of a dumb idea.

I then remembered that I had a bunch of varieties of Zatarain's flavored rice mixes, so I made the low-sodium jambalaya. After the rice was cooked, I added a bunch of the Costco shrimp and let it sit for a few minutes to warm the seafood. A little Tabasco, and the plate was a little bit of fishy heaven, even though the ingredients came from a small box and a Big Box store.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 3 replies

Valentines Day dinners

Kate — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:10:05 GMT

Who went out for Valentines Day, where and how was it? We went to Orso's and it was great. Only bad thing I could say is our lava cake was too cold and didn't have the lava. Other than that a great experience.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 5 replies

Best Place for Barbecue Ribs?

Sheri — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:08:10 GMT

Where in the city is the best place to get barbecue ribs? We've been to Soughdough Mining Co and my daughter didn't really like it. We have also been to Lone Star and tried their rib appetizer. Any other places?

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 14 replies

Wings

Kate — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:14:20 GMT

Looking for good wings with other flavors than the usual buffalo and bbq.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 5 replies

Cheese

akgeek — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 09:42:02 GMT

Where's a good place in town to get cheeses from off-the-beaten-path? The only place I know of is New Sagaya. They were able to track one down for me before, but they can't get mimolette.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 31 replies

Main dish

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 01:33:53 GMT

We have a luncheon event coming up at work that will probably be attended by 125 people. A committee here will pay for a main entree and then the employees will bring potluck side dishes to round out the feast.

The committee budget is about $200 for the main dish.

In the past, we did Subway sandwiches for one meeting, and oven-roasted chicken for another meeting. The chicken was a big hit, but we WAY overestimated the amount needed to feed this horde and we had a ton of leftovers that went home with a lot of people.

The next event is in April and we are wondering about the next main dish.

I was thinking generic Italian, perhaps a bunch of plain pasta and a variety of sauces (or "gravy" for the traditionalists) and/or perhaps something baked, such as lasagna, rigatoni or ziti.

Another good general class of main dish food would be texican (what others call Mexican). Something simple like cheese enchiladas, chicken enchiladas, frijoles or some massive baked texican casseroles.

Anyone have some more food class ideas and, BETTER YET, a few bona fide suggestions of cheap sources for some trays of fresh, hot, oven-baked, savory goodness at a moderate cost?

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 2 replies

Spenard Roadhouse...

Paul — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 08:47:15 GMT

...is now open.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 23 replies

Bacon Vodka

alaskaroy — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 06:27:17 GMT

O.K. Lisa Bunny, this one's for you!
http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2009/04/publics_demand_for_bacon_vodka.html

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 2 replies

Help

Tierial — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:07:27 GMT

So I'm looking to you guys for a little help on a couple of things.

1. Does Anchorage have a specialty cheese shop? I've been to New Sagaya, Costco, Sam's and the new Fred Meyer cheese shop thingie.

2. Does anyone know where to buy CHEAP beef bones to make stock? *sigh* I remember the good old days when I could get these for free at my local butcher's.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 11 replies

Kabob and Curry.

Leese — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 02:59:54 GMT

How can an Indian themed restaurant not have a working tandoor and expect to HAVE business?
Very disappointing ;(

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 5 replies

Chicken Caesar Salad

Lisa — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:51:12 GMT

Any recommendations for a great caesar salad in town?

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 4 replies

Hard Rock Cafe

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 00:08:37 GMT

I was down in Atlanta a couple weeks back, ate at the Hard Rock Cafe, and one of the gals that worked there told me they were going to be opening one up here in like 2010. Anyone hear about this?

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 7 replies

Kinley's

Tim(my) — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 10:27:35 GMT

Kinley's next to the Moose's Tooth Pizza in the "old" Sunrise Grill building. Food was good, prices were high, it was clean, service was good, atmosphere was freezing cold. Anybody else been there yet? Comments?

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 33 replies

Haru Sushi

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:59:12 GMT

DW and I went there a couple of days ago, on what I believe is the second day they were open. They're in the old Pizza Hut on Dimond, across from Dimond Center and in front of Bed Bath & Beyond.

The decor is nice, clean-looking and warm but not really homey. We sat at the bar, which has an array of different comfortable bar stools. A lack of music was a little unsettling to me, especially since the sushi chefs worked in relative silence. Three chefs were working, and they all greeted us when we came in, then went back to what they were doing.

We ordered agedashi tofu and two rolls. Soup and salad come complimentary with rolls, which is always a plus. The miso had its own interesting flavor, slightly different from what I'm used to but good. The salad had a light,, creamy dressing that tasted like maybe it had ginger and something... maybe egg yolk? Hard to tell, and sushi chefs don't usually tell about their dressing ingredients. The rolls we ordered were the Hawaiian roll and one with the word "yellow" in it, the name of which I have since forgotten. I'll have to pick up a menu and fill in the blanks later.

The sushi was good, if a little bland. I generally don't use soy sauce, but I needed it with this. The soy sauce was very good, with a sort of toasty flavor. That and some ginger elevated the rolls to very tasty. Our tofu appetizer didn't come out till after we ate the rolls; they explained that there was a problem with the kitchen. I allowed for some such thing so early in the life of the restaurant, so it didn't really bother me. The tofu was HUGE. I've had better, but this was good.

As we ate, the chefs warmed up and talked to us a little. I found out that one of them is from Okinawa, and the other two came from San Diego and Los Angeles in the past two weeks. The one from Okinawa, Peter, has been around town for a while; the two places mentioned were I Luv Sushi and Yamatoya. Peter (NOT of the eponymous restaurant that burned down last year) made chirashi for another diner, and his presentation was very, very nice. He is definitely an artist. We were given a small plate of complimentary sashimi, salmon and tuna, which was nice of them. It seems that most of the local places don't spoil their bar patrons anymore, so I appreciated it. Peter had a couple of fans that came in and said, "we FOUND you!" so apparently he has a following.

Haru does not yet have a liquor license, so don't go expecting sake just yet. DW and I are perfectly happy with hot tea so it was fine with us.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 4 replies

Visiting Anchorage Must-Do's

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:40:43 GMT

What's the one new place (opened in the last 2 years) that I MUST eat at when I visit Anchorage in November? Your opinions, please!

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 4 replies

State fair food!

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 01:12:05 GMT

It's that time of year again! Your favorites?

1) blue corn, anaheim pepper, and jack cheese tamale (only some years)
2) funnel cake
3) fried zucchini at the red-ans-white-striped place

I'm certain there are more, but I'll have to get back to you after I go. I know the cream puffs are popular as well.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 16 replies

"Crush" -- New Wine Bistro Downtown

Paul — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 06:10:43 GMT

Z and I had dinner tonight at "Crush", a place I had never heard of until a few hours ago. It's located at 6th and D, where Sassafras coffeehouse used to be, right at the 6th Ave. entrance to the 5th Ave mall across from Nordies. Anyway, it's a wine bar/bistro, aspiring to be hip/trendy/upscale in terms of decor and food. The menu is mostly small plates. We shared 3 appetizer-sized plates plus a salad, and the food was definitely yummy and imaginative. We had mushrooms sauteed in wine, mozzarella/tomato/basil skewers, asparagus wrapped in some sort of dough, and a goat cheese salad. Very tasty. We also had some red wine -- they also have a nice selection of wines by the glass, mostly European and South American.

The place was pretty full by the time we left, and I chatted very briefly with the owner and gave him my compliments. Crush seems like a nice addition to the downtown scene and is a place we'll want to check out again.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 43 replies

Alaska Grown Eat Local

Jessica — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 21:09:16 GMT

Eat local this week! Check out the snazzy AK Grown/Solstice commerial spot: http://tinyurl.com/nku69j.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 1 reply

Firetap

Christy — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 07:34:07 GMT

Has anyone tried this new joint in the souped up strip mall recently developed at Old Seward and O'Malley? I've heard the beer is good, but no reviews of the food yet.

Amber, we may have to go try it for lunch!

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 4 replies

Reuben

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 21:30:43 GMT

Right out of the blue, yesterday, I got a craving for a good Reuben sandwich.

For those who aren't familiar with this type of sandwich, it's usually standard item at most full-service delis. It's a grilled sandwich made with corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing (some use Thousand Island).

The best one I ever had was in San Antonio. TX, of all places, and had piles of thin corned beef, fresh, soft Swiss cheese and what could only have been homemade sauerkraut. I've had versions made with pastrami, also, but it just isn't the same.

I don't recall ever being anywhere in Anchorage where I would have seen that on a menu and thought "Mmmm, oh YEAHHHH!"

Anyone know of a good deli in Anchorage that makes a good Reuben?

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 12 replies

Query: Asian Buffet

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:43:32 GMT

There used to be a Royal Fork near Northway Mall and one out on the south side of town. They closed a while back and have been re-opened as Asian buffets.

Has anyone tried either of them?

Opinion?

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 14 replies

Brew Pubs

John — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 22:25:23 GMT

A friend will be visting next week who is interested in checking out local brew pubs. I'm thinking:
Moose's Tooth, Snow Goose, and the Orso's Brewhouse. Am I missing any?

John

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 7 replies

New seafood joint coming...

Paul — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:50:07 GMT

Today's ADN mentions that a place called Wild Fin Seafood Grill and Moose Bar is in the works for Anchorage. Apparently it will be near the new convention center downtown and will be run by the same group that owns Orso and Glacier Brewhouse.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 2 replies

No longer in ANC but hope joining is ok

MJ — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 06:44:05 GMT

Hey folks.

Alaskan boy here, Mat-Su to be exact but dont hold it against me. Just saw the Tribe on here and felt compelled to join. Pastry chef here and always glad to talk to other foodies.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 2 replies

New Greek Restaurant on Northern Lights

Funky — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 23:38:50 GMT

It useed to be a Mexican restuarant, i did not get the name as i
was driving by, but am looking forward to giving it a try. It is about a black before c street......

Let me know if anyone has heard or tried anything.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 5 replies

Fire and Slice Open again... sorta.

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 07:59:14 GMT

http://community.adn.com/play/node/142394

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 2 replies

Pepe's Turnagain House

John — Thu, 14 May 2009 21:33:25 GMT

I see in the Turnagain Times, that Pepe Cebrian has bought the old Turnagain House in Indian. He used to own the Alaska Bistro in
Valdez, which was Maahvelous. Have any of you checked out his new place? How was the Paella?

John

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 13 replies

Cheesesteaks Redux

Tierial — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:36:53 GMT

So I had a chance to try another place that was recommended by a co-worker.

Winky's Wings
9191 Old Seward Highway, Unit #4
Anchorage AK 99515

This place is an absolute hole in the wall that you cannot see from the highway. Basically it's in the strip mall that runs sideways to the bank at the end of parking lot by Sam's Club/ Sports Authority.

The guys were great. Absolutely some of the friendliest folks I've met in Anchorage so far. Don't let their rough and tumble appearance fool you.

So...I got a cheesesteak and 20 wings for $25.90. BTW they gave me 2 containers of bleu cheese.

The cheesesteak is HUGE. No joke. HUGE. And they actually know what a real cheesesteak is supposed to be. Meat, onion, mushrooms and cheese on a big, soft hoagie roll. You can add peppers and jalapenos too. I would say it still doesn't stack up to the best I've ever had, but it's certainly the best I've had in Anchorage so far.

And the best part? Their hours.

Mon-Thurs 11AM-10PM
Fri 11AM-3AM
Sat 2PM-3AM
Sun 2PM-8PM

That's right, kids. You can now get your cheesesteak and wing swerve on at 3 am on the weekends.

If I had two pseudo-complaints, the first would be that the cheesesteak was a bit salty for my taste. When I go in next time, I'll be sure to ask them if they add salt and pepper to the meat while it's cooking, and if they do, I'll tell them to leave the salt off. The reason? Well...they use the traditional Cheese Whiz on the sandwich, which is salty in and of itself. Keep in mind that I actually don't care for the taste of salt, never add salt to anything after it's cooked and when I cook, I only add enough salt to accent the taste of the food. Only when I bake do I follow an exact recipe for the amount of salt added. With that being said, the sandwich probably would be fine for most people.

And this leads me to the second 'complaint'. The only cheese option is Cheese Whiz. I know it's the traditional choice for a true cheesesteak but I prefer provolone, and unfortunately, it wasn't an option.

On to the wings. The wings were fine. I, however, managed to screw up my own order. I asked for 20 mild wings and I made the assumption they would know I wanted buffalo-style wings. It wasn't until I got home that I realized they had made me Winky's Original wings (i.e. Anchorage-style wings, which use cumin as their main seasoning). The wings were nice and crispy and I liked them regardless, but if I just wanted Anchorage-style wings, I think I would go back to Big Al's Wings and Wings. Next time I go, I'll make sure they know I want the buffalo-style and I'll give an update when I try them.

So...my ratings so far would be:

Cheesesteak:

1. Winky's Wings
2. Fire and Slice
3. Straight Out of Philly

Milano's is still on my hit list, but I've gotteninto the swing of cooking again and haven't been eating out much.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 5 replies

Farmed Fish: Bad

alaskaroy — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 22:08:22 GMT

Even more reasons to avoid buying and eating farmed fish:

Antibiotics and disease-resistant bacteria: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/06/060621083410.htm
Mad cow disease: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616080143.htm
Poorer food source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080226164105.htm
Destruction of wild salmon stocks: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080212085841.htm

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 4 replies

5/28 National Hamburger Day

Christy — Wed, 27 May 2009 19:59:15 GMT

You know what to do.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 1 reply

Bangkok Cafe

Paul — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:48:36 GMT

Has anyone else tried the new(ish) Bangkok Cafe on 5th across from the Captain Cook? It's where Winter Thyme Cafe used to be and before that it was Japanese and I have a vague recollection it was something else before that. It's one of those doomed-to-failure spots.

Anyway, we ate there for dinner last Friday and we were the only ones there. Not a good sign. A couple had just walked out the door as we were coming in and they said they had enjoyed their meal but that things tended toward the spicy side.

They remodeled, it was very clean and neat, but kind of generic.

Service was very friendly and efficient.

Food: Fresh rolls were tasty, and indeed freshly made-to-order. I had some sort of cabbage-based dish that was top-notch. Zaubie had Pad Thai which we thought was so-so.

We'll try it again -- it's nice to have a Thai place downtown and hopefully it will succeed.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 0 replies

Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop

Paul — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 05:08:31 GMT

New place opened up near my house in a residential neighborhood, but I only learned about it from a little article in the ADN. Called Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop. I haven't been yet, but apparently they have homemade breads and baked good, interesting sandwiches, etc.

http://www.fireislandbread.com/

Located at 1343 G, but the entrance is on 14th between G and F.

Looks good! I'll try to get there in the next few days. If anyone else wants to go, let me know.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 22 replies

Battle of the Cheesesteaks

Tierial — Sun, 03 May 2009 03:17:16 GMT

So since I've been here I have yet to find a good philly cheesesteak. This weekend I embarked on a mission to try out a couple of places and see how they stacked up.

-----

Straight Out of Philly vs. Fire and Slice -- FIGHT!

-----

Shut up and cut to the chase:

Cheesesteak Winner: Fire and Slice
Fries Winner: Straight Out of Philly
Wings Winner: Straight Out of Philly
Best Bargain Winner: Straight Out of Philly

-----

The review:

So neither of these places is in the league of a lot of the places I've eaten cheesesteaks, but both of them are at lease making attempts at an authentic cheesesteak, which to me is ribeye steak, cheese (I prefer provolone), onions and mushrooms on a white sandwich roll.

Straight Out of Philly cost me $19.95. For my money I got a cheesesteak, two HUGE order of fries, 10 wings and 2 cans of soda.

Fire and Slice cost me $19.90. For my money I got a cheesesteak, a rather puny order of fries and 10 wings.

The cheese steaks at both places were OK but they both could have used some sort of seasoning...even if it were only salt and pepper. The sandwich at Fire and Slice had a lot more filling, but again, it was a puny sandwich compared to what I've eaten at other places across the country. Tastewise, both of the sandwiches were pretty close to one another and in a blind taste test, I doubt I could really tell the difference. Fire and Slice wins based on the quantity of the fillings.

The fries at Straight Out of Philly were much better than the ones at Fire and Slice. Frankly, I could care less about the fries, but since they come with the order I feel obligated to mention them. The SOoP fries were crispy (despite a car ride to the house) and were just standard french fries cooked in a deep fryer. The fries from Fire and Slice were heavily breaded and soggy by the time I got home. I don't think fries should be breaded in the first place and these were a prime example of why you don't bread them. I didn't see them fixed, but my guess is they were prepacked fried out of a bag. NOTE: I tried these places on two different days and the drive home was about the same for both of them.

The wings from SOoP were much better than the ones at F&S. They were just what I would expect to see from a hot wing. Plain wings thrown into a deep fryer, then coated in a hot sauce. They came with a small container of ranch dressing, which to me is a travesty--hot wings should be eaten with blue cheese dip...but to each his won. Again, the wings were not as good as what I've eaten at other places but they were passable. The wings at F&S were soggy; probably because they were breaded and my guess is they were frozen and prepackaged. There was also no sauce on the wings, with the seasoning in the breading. They weren't very good at all and it's a good thing they came with two small containers of blue cheese dip to cover the taste. The girl at the counter told me they actually do sell non-breaded hot wings in sauce...but they were out.

-----

So that's my short review. Comments?

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 10 replies

Bear Tooth Grill now open for lunch!

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 23:13:14 GMT

I went with a couple of friends today. It's an abbreviated menu, mostly sandwiches, tacos, etc., and a few entrees. Prices are maybe a couple of dollars less.

The service today, and we got there around 1pm just before the place emptied out, was painfully slow. The girl got our order pretty quickly, but the salads took 20-25 minutes... and the rest of the food came out right on top of the salads, which makes me think it was probably the server and no thte kitchen that was negligent.

The food was good, not a surprise since I generally like Bear Tooth Grill. I had a turkey sub and onion rings, with a side oso salad (greens, goat cheeses, candied pecans, dried cranberries, and a surprisingly smoky, light dress that had a slight bite to it).

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 7 replies

New to Anchorage - Restaurant recommendations

Tierial — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 22:35:30 GMT

So I just moved to Anchorage in January and while surfing the net I came across this forum. I'm a major foodie and I've lived and traveled all over the country. This is my first venture in Anchorage and Im looking for some restaurant recommendations. I've tried a few places, but so far I've been pretty disappointed in the restaurants here. Any recommendations would be welcome.

Places I've tried (that I can think of atm)
:
1. Wings'n Things - Highly disappointed; especially after I had heard all of the hype. Apparently both the quality and quantity went with the original owner. I thought the food was terrible. Greasy wings and calling something a cheesesteak and then putting mayo, tomato and lettuce on it should be a hanging offense.

2. Big Al's Wings and Wings - I liked the wings. The meatball sandwich was mediocre.

3. Red Robin - Big box. Meh.

4. Moose's Tooth - I liked it.

5. Diamond Bar-B-Que - Terrible. I'm from the south and this is not real BBQ. The ribs were the most fat-laden meat I've ever seen. I didn't know pork and beef could get so dry...I guess it's good the sauce was tasty. And I will give them this: for $19 that plate would have fed a family of four.

6. Romano's - I thought the food was really good.

7. Louie's Place, Dimond Center food court - I went b/c I heard they had good gyros. The gyro was fine but was possibly the smallest I've ever seen.

8. Sourdough Mining Company - The beef brisket sandwich and corn fritters were excellent. That was a sad, pitiful little ice cream bar though.

9. The Smokehouse - I tried the special: pork sandwich and 2 sides ( potato salad and baked beans). It was decent. Not great, but decent and there was a ton of food for $6.

10. Mexico in Alaska. I'm not sure how I feel about this place. The food isn't Tex-Mex for sure. But it also isn't authentic Mexican food, unless it's from a very particular region in Mexico. The food was tasty, but the whole experience was sort of surreal. Also, the chips and salsa were not good and to me, that is one of the great joys of eating in a Mexican joint. We walked in and every table had premade, cold chips sitting on all the tables and that was a definate turn off. Also, this place was really, REALLY expensive. I went with a buddy from work and I think lunch cost us about $30.

11. Geno & Sal's New York Grill & Pizza - This place was terrible. I stopped in and grabbed 2 slices of pizza and some garlic knots. The garlic knots were good but the sauce was thin and watery and the pizza was definately old, old, old, dry and tasteless. Maybe a whole pie would have been better but I doubt I go back. Also, the wait was unbelievable. I think I waited about 25 mins. and the food was not fresh--apparently they were just reheating it.

12. Henry's Great Alaskan Restaurant - Decent burger and the fries were good. The waiter was extremely confused. We had a party of about 10 and he screwed up about 4 of the orders. Was pretty pricey for lunch.

On my 'to eat' list:

1. Ichiban Japanese Restaurant
2. Kumagoro
3. Chopsticks Cafe
4. Charlie's Bakery

Again, any recommendations would be welcome.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 23 replies

Lucky Wishbone

Streder — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 16:51:05 GMT

Ya know? I was born and raised in Alaska. Born off K street where the Regional Hospital used to be and then raised in Eagle River. I've NEVER been to Lucky Wishbone.

Well no more. I'm going there today before work around 4ish. I'm going to try their famous fried chicken so I can say I've tried another true Alaskan restaurant. Be back tomorrow or the next day to review.

Streder

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 12 replies

New Cauldron

Paul — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 05:19:41 GMT

I've lived in Anchorage about 17 years and I never ate at The New Cauldron restaurant until yesterday. Damn good food with a healthy twist. Excellent minestrone soup. Everything is homemade.

They have burgers so maybe we should do a cheeseburger squad there.

To quote a fine actor and politician: "I'll be back."

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 9 replies

Kumagoro Redux

Paul — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 16:24:45 GMT

Kumagoro has coupons in the ADN for 2-for-1 dinners April 1 - 30 in celebration of its 30th anniversary. Valid Monday - Friday after 5 p.m., with some limitations (I think it is only for complete dinners, not sushi and other a la carte stuff).

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 4 replies

Shed/Wood Shed

Paul — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 01:49:12 GMT

I've never been. Any good? Opinions?

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 3 replies

Humpy's For Breakfast?

Joe — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 02:00:57 GMT

Has anyone been to Humpy's for breakfast? I love Snow City, but need some alternatives as I want to try someplace new. Now that everything is smoke free, I would like to take the wife and kids...is Humpy's as tasty for breakfast as it is for later dining?

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 4 replies

Kumagoro outing on Saturday the 28th

Streder — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 23:33:52 GMT

I'm planning on going to Kumagoro for a semi-late lunch after a work meeting on Saturday. Ambird has said she's going to go as well and we'll be there around 1:30ish. Everyone is invited to come along if you have time and would like to eat some delicious Japanese food. The prices aren't horrific and if you don't know me, it's my favorite restaurant in the world.
Here's the location if you're not familiar:

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=533+W+4th+Ave+Anchorage,+AK+99501&fb=1&geocode=1644622326088423476,61.218482,-149.892154&oi=manybox&ct=14&cd=1&resnum=2

We'd be happy to see ya. If you've never met me I'll be wearing a Starbucks cap to seperate myself from everyone else and Ambird will be with me more than likely so most of you know her.

Lookin forward to good company and food.

Streder

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 9 replies

Chilaquiles, anyone?

Zotzy — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 19:02:36 GMT

Any Mex / TexMex spots in town make these?
And are they any good?

I used to eat these back in Chicago, 20+ years ago, & still remember. The ones I et had eggs in them, as well?

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 3 replies

Chinese Delivery

Christy — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 21:00:46 GMT

On payday Fridays I like to treat myself to Chinese Delivery. Since the birth of the baby a little over a year ago, eating out is almost non existent, not only for budget purposes, but because the little guy is worn out by 6, and in bed by 7 on most nights. So, delivery is a treat for me...

Like many Anchorage people, for years Panda has been my go to Chinese Delivery. I"m never disappointed...but I started feeling guilty about it, giving all my dollars to one restaurant when I know many are struggling. So I made up my mind to try some new options.

Holy Shit, what a disaster. In the last few months I've tried Fu Do, Northern Lights, and China Garden, all of which paled miserably in comparison to Panda for our "traditional" Americanized Chinese.

Does anyone have suggestions of good Chinese Delivery?

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 10 replies

China Lights Anchorage

Streder — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 20:17:09 GMT

I remember back in the day my mother owned a hair salon called McMillin & Max in the strip center where China Lights in Eagle River is and I also remember China Lights opening day and eating there. I was around 12 years old I believe and not knowing a thing about chinese food (nor really caring about any kind of food other than mac and cheese and/or pizza) I had no opinion about it. So a couple years ago when I was here last I decided to try it out and holy crap I was deeply dissapointed and haven't returned to the Eagle River location since.
On a whim and recommendation by a friend I decided to give the Anchorage location a try after looking at the website ( http://www.chinalightsak.com/ ). Noticing the price jumps from $11.99 to $16.99 at 3pm I thought I'd pay just to try it. I've been to good chinese buffet places before that were less expensive but they have a sushi buffet at this one and if it's done right, a sushi buffet is awesome in my opinion.
Upon arrival I was shown a table as usual and got my ice tea ordered, plunked my jacket, sunglasses and cel on the table and went to look at the five buffet tables lined up with food. Now, I usually get my soup first, get the sushi next and then my hot plate and then eat them in reverse order. I do this so the soup has time to cool and the sushi doesn't need to cool anymore so it saves me a trip. I'm a little expereinced at this.
So, the food. The soup was very impressive. I looooove a good wonton soup and I gotta say I'd never seen the way it was setup before but it was the best way I've ever seen. The wontons were kept steaming in a seperate covered container and you just pick however many you want and plop them into a bowl and then pour the broth over them. The only thing I'd recommend (and I know it's very nitpicky so please excuse me) would be some diced chives to spoon into the broth on the side but I definitely survived without them.
Next is the hot food. I like to go eat buffet when it's slow. It gives you a chance to see how important the food is to the chef. If he lets it just sit there for hours and dry out and not stirring or adding sauces where needed then it gives me an idea of the quality of the cook. I have to say that there wasn't anything I ate that tasted dry or left out but the spring rolls and egg rolls were definitely cold. Also the fried rice was so bland I gave up after about half of it. The teriyaki chicken was really good though, not being overly sweet like most places do but more of a salty flavor.
The sushi was good but because I was there at a non-peak time there was hardly any. I ate enough of it though with shaved ginger that was very fresh.
All in all in my experience I'd give it a 7 out of 10. The food could have been better all around, the egg rolls and spring rolls warm, some kind of flavor to the fried rice, even though I was the only table the server had she was on top of her game with tea refills and taking my plates which always makes me happy.
Oh! And even though the price jumps from $11.99 to $16.99 at 3pm on the Thursday I was there, they only charged me $11.99 plus my tea at 4:15pm so that was very nice too!

Streder

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 2 replies

Campobello? Xtra-Rare Lamb?

Zotzy — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 20:26:04 GMT

I dined at Campobello for the first time Saturday ... lovely place. My rack of lamb came out to me more rare than expected, but excellent nonetheless. I only had time to eat 1/2 (and was stuffed to the gills by then), due to the time crunch to get to the Taj Mahal show (and when he pulled out a banjo for one of the three encores -- WOW!) ...

How can I heat / cook up the 1/2 rack so it's cooked a little more, and NOT burn up the sauce/glaze? Microwaving seems icky.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 4 replies

Dim Sum Pt 2

Streder — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 03:16:20 GMT

Well I have to say that Charlie's was really good. I ordered some standard fried rice that had pork, beef, chicken and shrimp in it along with a bowl of shrimp won ton soup that was excellent. With that I had a crystal dumpling with pork and cilantro and I believe it was called Mu Lai with Pork and some pot stickers. For what I got the price was good and I ate my fill. Amber stopped by for a quick hello (hadn't seen her in two years) and Paul came by and had a good conversation about his profession and mine. I will definitely be returning for more Dim Sum in the future.
Paul and I believe we should make this a bigger gathering next time so if we can all rack our brains and calenders maybe sometime in mid March on a Saturday or later in the month? Post your responses here if interested.
I noticed while we were there that it gets busy around noon until around one-ish so either 11 when they open or one o'clock or later but not too much later. The good news is that the Dim Sum is cooked to order so no worries about getting old or stale Dim Sum like you could get at the traditional Dim Sum venues.

Streder

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 8 replies

Birch Syrup?

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 14:29:45 GMT

Does anyone by chance know where I could buy some birch syrup? It seems like I see it all over the place, but when I'm looking for it I can't seem to find it. Hopefully a place in town carries it this time of year. My mom has asked me to take some with me when I go see her this week.

Any ideas?

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 10 replies

Dim Sum

Streder — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 19:54:32 GMT

I love some good Dim Sum. In the morning after a festive night, it's a great hangover cure for me. Plus the noodly outer texture, the flavored meats and vegetables inside, the dumplings and egg rolls... Yum. Imagine my dismay when i find there is only ONE restaurant in town that offers it and only on Saturdays! Here we are, the gateway to the US from multiple Asian countries and only one day a week to get Dim Sum?

Well, I will be goin on a Saturday to check it out. It's at a place called Charlie's at the corner of C st and N Lights and I'll write my own review. Won't be this Saturday as it will be Valentine's day and being in the food service industry, I can't pass up not working that day, so it'll be the 21st. I tell ya though, as soon as I get back to Houston, TX to get my stuff to drive it up here, I'm hittin the Dim Sum there. Hard.

Streder

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 19 replies

Restaurant Chili?

Zotzy — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 22:08:14 GMT

I'm curious to know if any restaurants in Anchorage or the Valley can cook up a great chili ... or should I just continue to tinker with my own recipes?

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 11 replies

Captain Chucks

Streder — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 19:26:32 GMT

On my way into work the other day I decided I had a hankerin for some good, cheap, fried seafood. Not some nice food, but some tasty, fried, fishy goodness. As I was driving into town I saw Captain Chucks on the left had side of the road on the Glenn and made a quick decision to hop in, judging the book by it's cover I figured with a name like Captain Chucks it had to be cheap seafood.
I parked, got out of the car, walked in and was escorted to my table by a waitress. Ok, did you hear me? Waitress? Escorted to my table? I was expecting a counter to place an order at, a number to be given to me that would be shouted over the din of the crowd when my delicious, crispy, fried goodness was ready and given a basket with fried food and fritters. Nope. I was given a table, a menu, asked about my beverage and then my order was taken.
When I'd looked over the menu I'd seen the one thing I was craving, fish and chips. With halibut! Yay! I ordered a glass of sweet tea, a cup of clam chowder and fish and chips.
The clam chowder was quite bland in my opinion and I enjoy a real good cup of bland chowder. The good thing was that it tasted homemade. The potatoes were soft but not mushy and the soup itself tasted very fresh. Even the sweet tea was kinda bland, and I've drank sweet tea with good seafood in the heart of the south like it's supposed to be done.
The fish and chips were good but not excellent. The fish was very fresh and was genuine halibut, but the breading left much to be desired. I enjoy unbreaded halibut, but if you're gonna bread it then put some seasoning into it, otherwise why bother? Also I'm a huge fry snob, as I've mentioned in previous posts, and the fries were lightly breaded which I do not understand or like.
All in all I will not be returning to Captain Chucks. The prices were really high, especially when i had the expectation of spending ten bucks at the most on my food. When I got the bill, for just little ol' me, the price was 24 bux. For sweet tea, cup of chowder and halibut fish and chips. Where I work the fish and chips and tea and chowder would've been less than twenty and you would've got bigger portions. Oh well. Now I know. Next time I'll go back to my ol' faithfull of Long John Silver's or Skippers.

Streder

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 18 replies

El Tango

Paul — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 06:39:04 GMT

So we were in a meat mood and went to El Tango Argentinian Steakhouse, on the corner of Old Seward and Tudor. It was my second time - last time was maybe 6 years ago. Still so-so. Good service, very nice menu, nice atmosphere, but the food is just okay. No one was wowed by any of our dishes. Kind of pricey too.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 4 replies

paris bakery cafe

lisabunny — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 03:59:06 GMT

http://parisbakerycafe.net/

ok i am going to have to check this out this weekend, it's where the island plate place was on muldoon

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 14 replies

New Mexican place where Istanbul Cafe was?

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 20:24:36 GMT

I hear there is one. Anyone been there?

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 6 replies

Wee Bees

Streder — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:26:03 GMT

I've heard alot about this place and their hamburgers so I'm gonna give 'em a shot. I'll post about it later tonight.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 8 replies

Spenard Roadhouse update

Paul — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 19:50:50 GMT

Okay, so I am friends with this guy who is married to one of the owners of Snow City Cafe, and he told me that the former Hogg Brothers/soon-to-be Spenard Roadhouse was bought by the owners of Snow City and Sacks, and it will be a family-friendly bistro with full liquor license. He was a little vague on what kind of food they'd have, but he implied it would be like a casual version of Sacks, maybe.

I told him that I thought the name Spenard Roadhouse did not imply "bistro", however.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 5 replies

Kumagoro

Streder — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 07:51:32 GMT

I got back into town on Sat night and then spent the week with my family. On the Saturday after, everyone had left and on this last Monday I was able to go to town and stop by my favorite restaurant in the world, Kumagoro and it HADN'T CHANGED A BIT!! The gyoza were still crunchy on the one side and soft and noodly on the other. The salmon rice balls still were wrapped in fresh seaweed and steamed rice with steamy cooked salmon inside. And the Shoyu Ramen... oh the ramen... This isn't your Top Ramen in your pantry but the real stuff with a thin slice of pork, seaweed and corn mixed in with a homemade broth just a tiny bit spicy. Oh man. I sat in there by myself and ate the whole thing with two cups of hot green tea when it was zero degrees outside.
I'd waited two years for it and it was worth every penny.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 7 replies

I'm movin back.

Streder — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 07:34:19 GMT

Some of you met me at a sushi restaurant with Amber at a tribe get together almost two years ago. I move back on the 20th of December so let's all get together again. I had a real good time meeting everyone. Maybe at a restaurant since I'm in this tribe.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 9 replies

Best salads?

d-dub — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 01:33:12 GMT

Suggestions on places to go for a good salad?

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 2 replies

SO not in Anchorage, but worth reading anyway

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 13:11:43 GMT

My schadenfreude shows through sometimes when I read particularly horrendous restaurant reviews. I would be surprised if this particular restaurant managed to stay open after this one.

My favorite line: "As for my French onion soup - a thin, pernicious liquid seemingly created by adding a few ladles of hot water to a dollop of Marmite - this suggested the dribblings of a geriatric yak in the latter stages of renal disease"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/dec/13/review-matthew-norman-kettners-soho

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 1 reply

Farewell, Hogg Bros Cafe?

Kirstin — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 06:02:02 GMT

I guess they are all closed up and gone? :( I have heard this in a couple places now, and their phone number (from the recent phone book) is out of service.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 14 replies

New local CSA

lisabunny — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:41:36 GMT

http://glaciervalleycsa.com/

if you are into that sort of thing. I haven't tried it out yet, but I will just to see what you get for your 30 bucks. I love my FCF box, but maybe I will get this alaska one the weeks that I don't get a FCF one. I like supporting local farmers, but it's a delicate balance between supporting and getting screwed over price wise.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 4 replies

Cafe Savannah

Jessica — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 19:37:04 GMT

To go? Or not to go?

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 9 replies

Korean BBQ

Raul (sounds like Paul) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 06:45:09 GMT

Debarr and Beaver in the Russian Jack Plaza.

Funky, the Micro Monster, Funky's mom and I went for dinner last week.

Wow!

We will be going again. Lunch prices are about $9.00 a plate, dinner, almost double that. The food is served at dinner with almost a dozen little side dishes for flavor and texture add-ons.

If you have not tried them I would suggest trying them, they are that good.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 5 replies

Wasabi's in Homer

Paul — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 21:06:41 GMT

We spent the weekend in Homer and had a great meal at Wasabi's, a Pacific Fusion/Sushi place 5 miles out East End Road. Beautiful setting on the water, really cool, arty interior, neat menu with all sorts of imaginative offerings. Full bar with extensive sake menu, plus wine list and all sorts of fun mixed drinks.

It's a place that would be right at home in Seattle or San Francisco.

My new favorite restaurant on the Kenai, and I daresay the best restaurant on the Kenai.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 1 reply

RE: Namaste Shangri-La

Zotzy — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:01:26 GMT

Had lunch there today ... lovely place, understated decor. Our server was born in Nepal, and had lived in Kalimpong, India. The food was EXCELLENT. Very complex and not quasi-"Indian" or "curried up." Just VERY tasty. I had two appetizers: Meat Golli and the Vege Pakora - more than enough for a meal. My friend had the Noodles: Special, "Amdo Thukpa" with ground meat.

I'll be going there again. The whole menu looks fascinating.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 12 replies

Organic Oasis?

Zotzy — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:41:44 GMT

I am not vegetarian, or vegan, nor is my SO. Soooooooooo, what's to eat at the Organic Oasis? I am tempted by the Brazilian music coming up tomorrow night.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 4 replies

Coconut Cake!

Adriana — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:42:08 GMT

MMMmmmm, if you like coconut, you have to try the coconut cake at Sugarspoon. I was very impressed!

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 3 replies

New Take-out/Delivery

Richard AKA Richard — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 01:52:22 GMT

Okay, I am getting tired of the pizza and the few places I am ordering for delivery. Any suggestions>?

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 5 replies

Island Plate

lisabunny — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 21:52:05 GMT

i think that's the name. it's in that mall on muldoon where muldoon pizza is - nothing fancy on the inside but man the food was so good. i had kalua pork and lau lau, the boy had short ribs. came with 2 scoops of rice and macaroni salad. there were other sammies/burgers on the menu but who wants that when you can have porky goodness?

there is also a bakery part, french it seems, they have chocolate croissants! i didn't get that, the boy picked out butter apple tarts and chocolate toffee tarts. you know how things can look so pretty and delicious in the case but taste like crap? this was not like that at all. so yummy.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 8 replies

namaste shangri-la?

Zotzy — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:34:06 GMT

It's in the same mall as Ichiban, on Tudor Rd. Food is Nepal, Burma, India, Tibet ... anyone tried this place?

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 3 replies

New Pho Place

Paul — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 01:55:23 GMT

Had a very good meal the other day at the new Pho place on Denali just south of Benson, in the same little strip mall as the Baskin Robbins. It's on the back side, facing toward the Wal-Mart.

Wish I could remember what it was called ....

It had a more extensive menu than other pho restaurants I've tried in Anchorage, including both Vietnamese and Thai dishes. We had a Vietnamese crepe, a very interesting and flavorful Vietnamese sandwich with pork and pate and fresh veggies, and we also had an excellent, fragrant bowl of pho.

Service was good and friendly -- definitely worth another visit.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 0 replies

Korean food festival

lisabunny — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 18:24:02 GMT

I just heard something on the radio, it's this saturday in the sears mall parking lot? Sounds interesting.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 10 replies

Good Soup

Lisa — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 20:03:42 GMT

Which restaurants in Anchorage would you recommend for tasty soups?

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 13 replies

Sorrento's vs. Romano's

Zotzy — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:38:10 GMT

I went to Romano's ONCE, 11 years ago ... went to Sorrento's for the first time on Saturday.

Anyone care to comment on either of these restaurants?

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 20 replies

fire and slice

lisabunny — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 18:47:41 GMT

new pizza place on debar. yum yum! we got a pepperoni calzone, hot wings and a diablo chicken pizza. the diablo has this nice spicy marinara sauce, not for weenies. next i want to try the philly and the DIABLO CHZBURGER

http://www.fireandslice.com/

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 14 replies

What's the Scoop

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:34:41 GMT

Has anyone been to What's the Scoop on Tudor? I was just there this afternoon. Nice atmosphere, the owner is really nice (and he's cute), and even though they may not have a whole lot of ice cream flavors, (they do also have sorbet and sherbert) I thought they had a nice menu of things they can make. I had a Chena Chiller (I think that's what it was called). It's 7-Up with sorbet or sherbert. And the optional whip cream ontop. WOW was it really good. Sure did hit the spot.

What do others think? Or what's the best ice cream place out there?

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 10 replies

Dairy Queen -- urgggh

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:39:26 GMT

I saw "Get Smart" last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. Afterwards, I was feeling a bit peckish, so I decided to go to Dairy Queen for the very first time. I grabbed a cheeseburger and shake and headed home. That was at about 11:00 PM

By about 1:00 AM I knew I was in for a rough night. Stomach cramps, nausea. When I got up this morning, I felt bloated and had the weirdest pains in my stomach and upper intestines that are still with me.

I'm thinking it was DQ. I know stuff like this happens and could be a number of ingredients in my burger (a pretty crappy burger, too -- no pun intended).

Now, just the thought of eating anything from DQ, even their soft-serve polypropylene faux ice cream, makes me cramp. It's going to be a while before I ever eat there again, if ever.

I'm going out to do grocery shopping now. You know how the common wisdom is to never shop when hungry? Yeah, not a problem for me today even though I haven't eaten a thing but water so far. I'll be lucky to get through this chore without retching.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 10 replies

don jose's on muldoon

lisabunny — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 21:29:43 GMT

looks like it's open.

salsa squad? hehe

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 23 replies

ZOINKS! Peter's Sushi Spot goes up in flames!

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 17:31:55 GMT

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/462792.html

Poor peter's sushi spot.
I never ate there, and I got the impression that people either loved it or hated it - I never heard a non-inflamed opinion about it (no pun intended) but it sucks that it burned. At least no one was hurt, according to the article.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 12 replies

ZOINKS! Fire at Peter's Sushi Spot!!

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 17:29:23 GMT

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/462792.html

poor peter's sushi spot.
i never ate there, and people either loved it or thought it was overpriced and pretentious (I never heard a non-inflamed opinion about it - no pun intended) but this sucks. At least no one was hurt, that the article said.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 0 replies

La Mex bummer

d-dub — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 22:17:28 GMT

La Mex has been one of my guilty-pleasure destinations since the 80s. My wife and I go there for lunch when we're in the mood for chips and salsa (I like their verde and habanero salsas) and we always order the same lunch special: spinach jack enchilada and veggie poco chimichanga. This has been a pig-out ritual for us for years, so imagine our disappointment today when the server said they no longer serve the veggie chimichangas. Not enough people were ordering them, she said. What?!! After all these years? Tough times, indeed.

BTW, I'm a Tribes newbie and thrilled to find this Foodies forum.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 4 replies

Midnight Sushi?

alaskaroy — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 18:39:34 GMT

So, Kimi, Karol and I go to see the new Indiana Jones movie last night. We get out ten minutes past midnight and Kimi's having a sushi jones.
I told her that I could find out if there are any sushi places in town open after midnight (by asking here) but that I won't have the answer 'till later. (Denny's, in case you're wondering, was where we ended up.)

For next time, then: Are there any sushi places in Anchorage that are open after midnight? Arigato.

Roy

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 4 replies

New Place...

Paul — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 06:40:25 GMT

Saw this on local craigslist today:

Sugarspoon (Desserts and Espresso)
Reply to: see below
Date: 2008-01-16, 9:53PM AKST

A new way to treat your self. Sugarspoon is a dessert restaurant and coffee shop located at 2601 Spenard Road beneath the windmill. We offer a wide selection of cakes, pies, and other assorted desserts, serve Kaladi Bros. Coffee and have WiFi internet. We are open 11am to 11pm Tues-Sun. 337-9338 or info@aksugarspoon.com So come satisfy your sweet tooth at Sugarspoon today!

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 27 replies

Suite 100/Sushi King

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 05:43:48 GMT

I have gone to each of these places once in the past week and figured I'd share.

Friday night, Suite 100: We got a table for two. The service was good. They brought delicious bread, and they brought MORE when we ran out (bonus!). Goat cheese soufflé was a nice appetizer but quite subtly flavored (some would say bland). I liked it when added an accoampanying leafy green and some of the dressing from my spinach salad (I don't remember exactly what kind, but it was the spinach salad on the menu), which was quite enjoyable. I remember being happy with whatever I got on my last visit, but this time the entree fell flat in my estimation. I got the fish & chips. Or should I say, the batter and chips? I got it partly because it was less expensive (I want to say $13), but I prefer a higher fish-to-batter ratio.

Sushi King is under new ownership and has undergone a re-design. The sushi bar is the same but the seating area has been swapped out. I like the new tables and the freshly red walls with cool artwork. The room dividers are a really cool cracked glass, and they now have a sake bar. The piano is still there, but they were playing Frank Sinatra when I went, which I enjoyed. My favorite sushi chef in town, MC, is still there, and although my favorite roll, the Glacier (California roll made with rice paper instead of seaweed, topped with SMT and a small dollop of spicy sauce, plate decorated with eel sauce. It tastes like a sushi sundae!), is no longer on the menu, he made it for me. I love his work. One of the other chefs is an ogler and an unrepentant flirt, which may get under the skin of some people.

Anyone else have opinions on these places or others?

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 6 replies

Pancho Villa's

Adriana — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:15:08 GMT

I almost never write such a bad review about a restaurant, but here goes. I went to this Pancho Villa's because a friend of ours recommended it. I ordered two carne asada tacos a la carte and my husband ordered chile verde, which is pork chunks in green sauce. My tacos were absolutely horrible, the meat was very dry, they tasted like they had been marinated in a rancid peanut oil and had chunks of garlic in the tacos. Most people know that peanut oil and mexican seasoning almost always clash, unless you are doing a peanut based dish, but rancid oil never goes with anything. My husbands meal was just as bad, it had the same disgusting peanut oil flavor and the meat was also dry. So we took a few bites and decided to call it a loss and never eat there again. Then we got the bill, $13 for two tacos a la carte (no beans, no rice). I asked the waitress if the bill was correct and she said it was. I could not believe that I paid $6.50 for each crappy taco. I had a soda, my husband had one margarita and his meal. Our bill was over $40 dollars. Next time I have a craving I am sticking to Taco King, always satisfying, always delicious, always under $15 for both of us.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 1 reply

Milkshakes R Us

Christy — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 06:31:28 GMT

I'm a sucker for a Milkshake, I can't be alone in that can I? When I was pregnant I let myself have far to many of them under the gise of a need for calcium. Didn't hurt me, or Rynning TOO much...although he's now 51/2 months old wearing 9-12mos clothes...it couldn't have been the chocolate/strawberry shakes, right??? :)

Where is your favorite milkshake?

Mine, hands down, Arctic Roadrunner. And I swear to god, it makes a difference which location. The original little tiny place on Arctic is the place to go. I had a Blackberry one this week in fact, and kicked myself for not getting the fresh raspberry one which is NOT on the menu, but IS on the homespun flyers posted here and there on the premises.

Other favorite milkshakes:
Lucky Wishbone
Red Robin

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 10 replies

New Wing Place

Paul — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 06:15:17 GMT

Winky's Wings has opened at 4th and Barrow downtown. Haven't eaten there yet but I love wings..anyone up to have lunch there?

I may have the name wrong -- I think it's called Winky's...

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 10 replies

And the best fried chicken in Anchorage is....?

Paul — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 22:28:24 GMT

I'm in a fried chicken mood. Recommendations? The only place I've had fried chicken in Anchorage (aside from KFC) is Lucky Wishbone, which is supposed to be the best, but I found it kind of bland and greasy.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 5 replies

6.12.08 Lunch Anyone?

Christy — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:33:41 GMT

It's 1130 and I'm very hungry, anyone have time for an impromptu lunch?

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 2 replies

Recipe: Chicken a la Magpie (for lack of a better name)

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 20:14:08 GMT

Just thought I'd share a recent success (and commit it to memory, for myself). It's sorta Mediterranean, I suppose, with some extra weirdness a la Magpie thrown in.

INGREDIENTS:
2-3 boneless chicken breasts
2 T. olive oil (about 1 swirl around yer pan)
a little salt and pepper
1/2 yellow onion
2 cloves garlic (or 1 T. jarred minced garlic)
1/4 c. (or 1 glug) extra dry sherry or dry white wine
1 12 oz. can diced tomatoes (I used the kind with garlic added) mostly drained
2 T. olive paste (called "olive tapenade" in fancy-schmancy language) or a generous dollop
Seasonings, to taste:
1/2 t. cumin
1 t. garlic salt
1 t. oregano
Whatever else strikes your fancy - but don't go overboard! Especially not with the cumin. You're not making chili here!
at least 1 T. chopped fresh basil, with more to sprinkle on top
(optional) 1.5 t. Vietnamese chili garlic sauce
S&P to taste

Tenderize/flatten the chicken breasts a little using a meat mallet (or the butt of your husband's cordless drill). Make sure you cover the chicken with a paper towel or you'll end up with chicken bits all over your kitchen. Gross!
Sprinkle both sides with a little salt and fresh-ground pepper
Heat a large skillet to medium-high and add a swirl or so of olive oil
Brown the chicken breasts in the pan, approx. 5-7 minutes per side
Meanwhile, chop your onion to large dice (about 1/2 inch pieces) and finely chop your garlic (or dig around in the back of the refrigerator for that jarred garlic you KNOW you bought but is hiding behind the THREE bottles of ketchup that you've mysteriously acquired, despite the fact that you DESPISE ketchup)
Remove chicken from pan and put on a plate to rest
In the chicken-besmirched pan, saute the onion until translucent, approx. 2-3 minutes. You may need to add a LEETLE more olive oil.
Add garlic and continue saute for another minute or so
Once onion and garlic are cooked, add your alcohol (sherry or white wine) to deglaze the pan. Swirl around a bit, scraping up any delicious bits of brown from the bottom of the pan.
Add your can of diced tomatoes, olive paste, chili garlic sauce (optional) and dry seasonings, minus the fresh basil
Bring to a low boil, stirring occasionally, for about 3-4 minutes
Add chicken back in and spoon saucy bits over chicken
Sprinkle fresh basil on top
Cover and turn the heat down to simmer; cook for approx. 20-30 minutes or until your husband is finished puttering around and decides he's hungry enough to come eat.

I served this with brown rice dressed with Middle Eastern zahatar seasoning and a dash of sesame oil, and some baby green peas with almonds, but you could serve it on top of pasta or rice, with new baby potatoes, or broccoli spears, or a nice spinach salad, or anything else your little heart desires.

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 0 replies

Instanbul? Any word?

Andy — Fri, 16 May 2008 18:21:05 GMT

They were moving, but he didn't say where. Any word as to when and where Istanbul is going to re-open?

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 1 reply

Food buses

Tue, 27 May 2008 23:52:39 GMT

I went to a new food bus today. I want to call them Mexican buses, but I know there are different kinds (like AJ's BBQ, for example), and the one I went to today is Colombian.
It's called Empanada El Paisa, and it's in the parking lot of that tiny bar between Lithia and AIH, on Old Seward just south of Tudor. I bought chicken tacos and the guy gave me a free empanada which was REALLY REALLY GOOD (possibly because I was partly starving).

Other buses I know about:

AJ's BBQ, in the parking lot between Dimond (not Abbott) Fred Meyer and Minnesota drive. Good ribs and stuff.

Burrito Azteca, the Mexican bus out by the airport, in the area where the cargo shippers have offices. I've eaten here and it seems pretty good and pretty cheap.

Any others? Reviews?

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 19 replies

New Middle Eastern place has opened in Anchorage....

Paul — Mon, 05 May 2008 06:39:45 GMT

Sahara Restaurant, at 2409 C St. Has a great menu, but I haven't been there...anyone want to go this week?

http://saharaalaska.com/

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 22 replies

Best Japanese (Non-Sushi) ???

Zotzy — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 18:02:19 GMT

Opinions, please. What restaurants? I'm pretty ignorant about sushi, but I like teriyaki, tempura, miso soup, various don buri ... what can you-all recommend?

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 7 replies

Caramel + Sea Salt

Kirstin — Thu, 22 May 2008 17:28:37 GMT

I keep reading about this combination and I really want to try it. Does anyone know of a place in Anchorage that makes any kind of desert with these two ingredients?

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 11 replies

Falafel King?

Zotzy — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 22:42:42 GMT

I just tried this little place on Gambell for lunch. I had the shwarma, which was a huge double-fisted pita stuffed with enough spitted, grilled beef (similar to gyros, but spiced differently) for four, hummus, tahini, and veggies galore.

Others' opinions? What's their schnitzel like ???

posted in Anchorage Foodies - 6 replies

Twin Dragon ???

Zotzy — Tue, 06 May 2008 18:13:38 GMT

I have an obligatory meal at this place tomorrow night. What's yummy to eat?

What is the best combo of ingredients for the Mongolian BBQ big flat grill stir-fry?