9 Foods You Must Experience In Alaska And Where To Find Them

Alaska can conjure photos of glaciers, the northern lights, and possibly moose, however delicacies may not cross your thoughts when pondering of the Nice Land. Fact be instructed, Alaska has a number of must-try native dishes. From wild-caught seafood recent from the North Pacific Ocean and wild berries grown in wealthy glacial soils to the distinctive style of reindeer, Alaska has a number of native delicacies. TravelAwaits contributors Heide Brandes and Meryl Pearlstein inform us all about their favourite Alaska meals and the place to seek out them whereas in Anchorage.

Heide’s picks:

1. Reindeer Sausage

The place To Discover It:

• The Alaska Sausage and Seafood Firm
• Snow Metropolis Cafe

Do you know that caribou and reindeer are literally the identical species inside the deer household? In Alaska, they’re referred to as caribou within the wild however known as reindeer as soon as domesticated. These animals are quite common in Alaska, with roughly 750,000 roaming the state. Though wild recreation meat can’t be served in eating places, which is why you received’t discover moose on many menus, scrumptious dishes using home reindeer might be discovered in lots of eating places.

The Alaska Sausage and Seafood Firm sells a variety of connoisseur smoked sausages made with reindeer, however you can too discover reindeer at Snow Metropolis Cafe as a breakfast aspect or within the Tundra Scramble, an enormous breakfast plate piled excessive with Alaska reindeer sausage, combined peppers, mushrooms, crimson onion, and cheddar cheese.

Professional Tip: Get to Snow Metropolis Cafe early, particularly on the weekends, in the event you don’t wish to wait an hour or extra for the huge breakfasts, well-known egg Benedicts, and fluffy pancakes.

2. Alaska King Crab

The place To Discover It:

• Glacier BrewHouse
• Humpy’s Nice Alaskan Alehouse
• Simon and Seafort’s

As one of the vital costly gadgets on any menu, no journey to Alaska is full with out tackling the huge Alaska king crab. Harvested off the coast of the Bering Sea and Southeast Alaska, blue king crab, crimson king crab, and golden king crab are extremely sought-after delicacies, and eating places like Anchorage’s Glacier BrewHouse and Humpy’s Nice Alaskan Alehouse usually characteristic this particular on their menus.

Generally known as Simon’s to the locals, Simon and Seafort’s dishes up a 20-ounce serving of Alaska king crab legs on their menu as nicely.

Professional Tip: These huge crabs might be an journey to eat. Put on garments you don’t thoughts getting messy in as consuming king crab can get fairly wild.

3. Regionally Sourced Yak

The place To Discover It:

• forty ninth State Brewing Co.
• Middle Market

Whereas yak isn’t native to Alaska, domestically sourced yak has made it onto the menus in Anchorage, thanks to some artistic ranchers who say yak is the following wholesome and lean meat pattern.

You possibly can resolve for your self at forty ninth State Brewing, which serves up a enjoyable Yak-a-Dilla (a quesadilla made with Alaska-raised yak) and the “World Well-known Yak Burger,” a half-pound monster made with smoked Gouda cheese, caramelized onions, and applewood smoked bacon.

If yak doesn’t attraction to you, forty ninth State Brewing additionally has an Elk Smash burger that’s domestically sourced as nicely.

Anchorage’s Middle Market, Alaska’s solely year-round farmers’ market, options distributors like Sunny Hill Ranch who increase and promote merchandise from these large, furry, horned creatures.

4. Alaska Salmon

The place To Discover It:

• Bridge Seafood Restaurant
• Humpy’s Nice Alaskan Alehouse

Chinook salmon, coho salmon, pink salmon, sockeye salmon — this pink-fleshed number of fish reigns supreme in Alaska’s waters, and also you’ll haven’t any drawback discovering eating places that serve up salmon in artistic and scrumptious methods.

Bridge Seafood Restaurant on the banks of Ship Creek in downtown Anchorage serves up a “salmon of the day,” and guests can watch salmon being caught alongside Ship Creek whereas having fun with their meal.

Humpy’s Nice Alaskan Alehouse additionally serves up quite a lot of salmon dishes on the menu, starting from smoked salmon chowder to smoked salmon dip, salmon and scallop fettuccine, and salmon burgers. Whilst you’re exploring all the salmon decisions at Humpy’s, sip on Humpy’s Bloody Mary made with smoked salmon vodka.

5. Alaska Berries

The place To Discover It:

• Glacier BrewHouse
• Farmers Markets
• Arctic Valley Ski Space

In the event you’ve by no means had the beautiful explosion of taste that bursts from Alaska berries, you’re lacking out on one of many sweetest experiences on this state. Berries of all types develop wild and in farms and gardens all through Alaska, together with salmon berries, cranberries, lingonberries, strawberries, and extra.

For a hoppy style of native berries, attempt the Glacier BrewHouse’s Raspberry Wheat, an unfiltered wheat beer loaded with 210 kilos of actual crimson raspberries, or its Huckleberry Collins cocktail, made with vodka and native huckleberries. These in search of a non-alcoholic choice are certain to benefit from the Frontier Wild Blueberry Cream Soda at forty ninth State Brewing.

In the course of the summer season months, farmers markets are open day-after-day of the week in Anchorage, and it doesn’t matter what day you go to, you’ll seemingly discover among the native berries. You can too decide your individual at Arctic Valley Ski Space on the high of Arctic Valley Street, aptly named “Blueberry Hill” above the Glen Alps trailhead into Chugach State Park.

Meryl’s picks:

6. Sourdough

The place To Discover It:

• Simon & Seafort’s
• Lakefront Anchorage

San Francisco isn’t the one metropolis to put declare to having sourdough as a culinary specialty. Anchorage has made sourdough a meals staple, serving it plain, warmed, toasted, or slathered with butter. At Simon & Seafort’s, the bread is served scorching, and I’ll dare you to not request a second serving to. Strive it, if out there, on the iconic Lakefront Anchorage deck restaurant, together with a beneficiant plate of halibut fish and chips as you watch the seaplanes land on Lake Hood.

7. Halibut Cheeks

The place To Discover It:

Everybody has heard of Alaska halibut and a few have most likely tasted it. However in the event you haven’t sampled halibut cheeks, you’ve missed one thing further scrumptious. Candy, tender parts of the muscle faraway from the halibut head is a specialty at Anchorage’s well-known Simon & Seafort’s restaurant. Pan-seared with a lightweight coating of panko and asiago crumbs and a drizzle of beurre blanc, the oval-shaped halibut cheeks go particularly nicely with the views from one of many restaurant’s window-side tables. Strive them with a Midnight Solar Kodiak Brown Ale or a Damaged Tooth IPA.

8. Scallops

The place To Discover It:

• Seven Glaciers Restaurant
• Crush Bistro
• Kincaid Grill

Alaska scallops are featured on menus all through Anchorage. Buttery and wild, they’re a minimize above East Coast bay or sea scallops. On the upscale Seven Glaciers Restaurant at Alyeska Resort, the scallop bisque is made with seared Alaska weathervane scallops, smoked salmon mousse, and chive oil. Obtainable on each the restaurant’s full menu and small-bites bar menu, the warming soup is scrumptious any time of the yr and pairs nicely with an Alyeska Brewski, a hazy pale ale made particularly for the restaurant by close by Girdwood Brewing Firm. In the event you’re not planning a go to to the mountain, yow will discover scallops at many seafood-oriented eating places in Anchorage together with Crush Bistro the place they’re served with a crimson coconut curry, or at Kincaid Grill ready nicoise-style with olives, tomatoes, and lemon butter nage.

9. Sizzling Canines

The place To Discover It:

• Tia’s Gourmand Sausage and Hotdogs

Sure, these are a factor in Anchorage. You possibly can order the acquainted model, made out of beef, or be daring and check out one thing you’ll solely discover in Anchorage, reindeer scorching canines. Offered at eating places and out of doors scorching canine stands, my scorching canine favourite was the “scorching” reindeer model at Tia’s Gourmand Sausage and Hotdogs in entrance of the Anchorage Customer Middle. Spice it even additional with a alternative of eight sauces in squeeze bottles together with spicy aioli, spicy mustard, and spicy mayo. Simply search for the brilliant yellow umbrella.

Bonus: Brews

The place To Discover It:

• Midnight Solar Brewing Firm
• King Avenue Brewing Firm
• Cynosure Brewing
• Double Shovel Cider Co.

With greater than a dozen breweries, thirsty guests can pattern quite a lot of craft beers in Anchorage. Among the favorites are the Panty Peeler, a Belgian-style tripel, and the brewery’s flagship India pale ale Sockeye Crimson served frosty at Anchorage’s oldest brewery, the Midnight Solar Brewing Firm.

King Avenue Brewing Firm’s eponymous King Avenue IPA is the town’s hottest IPA however you can too select a Hefeweizen, blonde ale, APA, or stout from the brewery’s in depth beverage menu, or at Simon & Seafort’s amongst others. Cynosure Brewing is one other nice local-approved choice, serving Belgian-style ales and lagers. You possibly can even seize their growlers to go!

Cider followers can get a style of Alaska berries, too, within the seasonal variations at Anchorage’s micro-cidery Double Shovel Cider Co. Or keep on with the regulars, Appalanche Semi-Dry and the Overlook-Me-Hopped.

Professional Tip: For an oddball type of memento, the colorfully designed cans at Midnight Solar Brewing Firm are artistic endeavors. Convey some house.

To find much more to eat (and drink!) whereas in Anchorage, Alaska, click on right here.

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