Gastropub – Page 3

Anchorage – Glacier Brewhouse and a Haunted Hotel?

October 31, 2018 mmm-yoso Alaska, Gastropub, Pubs and Pub Grub, Travel

I guess it's just fitting to do this post on Halloween; after all we were staying at a haunted hotel, one that is actually the only hotel in Anchorage that's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. But first, we had to get there. It was just a simple 230 mile drive from where we were staying at McKinley Creek to the rental car return in downtown Anchorage.

Of course the views in Denali State Park were stunning……

While we stopped to take in the views, other than another stop to put in gas, we drove straightaway, without stopping for lunch. All in all, with road construction and traffic it took us about five and-a-half hours to get into Anchorage. After returning the rental car, we walked over to the hotel we were staying at and dropped off our bags. We then decided to do some shopping then grab a bite to eat…..actually several bites. The Missus eschewed making reservations at more of the upscale places; instead, we'd end up hitting three places during this day. First we decided to explore downtown Anchorage for a bit and do some shopping.

We started at an apropos spot; the Statue of Balto the Wonder Dog; who was one of the lead dogs during the amazing 1925 serum run to Nome, which also inspired the sled dog race we know as Iditarod.

The sculpture also marks the starting point of the Iditarod.

We wove our way through a myriad of souvenir and gift shops; with names like "Big Ray's", "Grizzly's Gifts", and "Once in a Blue Moose". The kitsch level was high and we really had a blast at all the humorous shirts and other "stuffs".

Taking a turn at the Visitor's Center.

We arrived at our first destination for the day……Glacier Brewhouse.

The place was pretty darn busy; even during the mid-afternoon time. We took a table in the bar area which was hopping as well.

Our Server was really on top of things; efficient and friendly.

I started with a nice Glacier Brewhouse Bavarian Hefeweizen, fruity banana tones, with a slight anise/clove thing going on; light and easy to drink.

The Missus was inspired by something She saw on the drinks list.

Something had "clicked" when She had that first sip of the single malt whiskey at Talkeetna Brewpub.

She pointed at a section of the drinks menu…….

And ordered the Kentucky Whiskey Flight!

I quickly ordered some food from the bar-grub menu. We needed something in our empty bellies or this wasn't going to turn out well.

Regardless; we really enjoyed the whiskey.

I'd ordered the Seafood Crostini; which featured both King Crab and Dungeness Crab on grilled Rosemary Bread. This was pretty good in bar food terms…..after all, how often do you mix the phrases King Crab and "pub grub".

It was quite clear that the less fussy; the better food seemed to turn out for us in Alaska.

The tomatoes were nice and ripe and added a decent acidity to the dish.

The Missus, with some help from me, really enjoyed the whiskey flight…..so She ordered another! This time the Rye Whiskey flight….

The Missus had enjoyed the Smoked Salmon Dip during our previous dinner….in fact, it was the only thing from the dinner She deemed edible, so I ordered that.

More toasts, more seafood, a lot of yogurt in this and a bit too sour for my taste. Still, mayo would have been worse; it surely would have put us down.

Like I said, we really enjoyed our Server, she was a joy to work with and even stopped by and chatted with us a bit. We headed out with something in our stomachs other than alcohol. While the food at Glacier Brewhouse has a definite corporate feel (as most other places here do too), it wasn't too bad….and the Missus got Her whiskey, right?

Glacier Brewhouse
737 W 5th Ave.
Anchorage, AK 99501

We headed on back to the hotel.

We were staying at the Historic Anchorage Hotel.

As we got to the hotel I noticed this sign posted outside.

Haunted, huh? While we waited a few short minutes for our room to be ready in the period piece bar area…..

We notice this this in the bar area….a listing of "encounters".

Some of them; like "lots of mold grew on their beer box overnight, and the curtains moved around on their own" kind of made us laugh….."Guest in room 203 came to the front desk to request a different room. The previous night the light in the bathroom kept turning on by itself and he could hear laughter and smell tobacco smoked from that room. He was not disturbed by this presence, but preferred a "less active" room so that he could sleep through the night." Yeah, for real….

And there was this one; which seemed more like a heart attack than a haunting.

Wow, so many stories. This was going to be an interesting night……

But first; we needed to freshen up, take a short nap……then grab some dinner!

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Halloween!

Fernside

October 30, 2018 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Gastropub, Pubs and Pub Grub

I recently had some time to catch up with my good friends; it had been a while and I really missed the good times, laughs, and all the crazy fun we've had over the years. During one of the conversations; I mentioned how much the Missus enjoys the cocktails at El Jardin. Well, the all knowing Candice quickly mentioned Fernside. Christian Siglin, who designed the cocktails at El Jardin had done the same for Fernside, which opened at the end of September. There was one caveat however; the always diplomatic Candice did warn me about our, ahem, somewhat picky taste and the menu.

Still, once I mentioned Fernside to the Missus, we just had to head on down to the corner of Grape and Fern. The place doesn't even have signage up yet.

We enjoyed the casual, neighborhood vibe of the place, and really love sitting outside and counting the number of dogs being walked past us; or who have their heads sticking out of cars as they drive past.

While the beer selection is nice; but not very wide ranging, the Missus has come to really enjoy the cocktails here. It's like they've tailored them to Her taste; not overly sweet, just stiff enough for Her…and She does love Her Bourbon.

Her current favorite is the Mr Robinson; with the smoky-peanut tones of the Peanut Infused Bourbon, the nice citrus acidity of lime, and the perfect kick from the Serrano Bitters. It has those savory-citrus-smoky-spicy tones in a nicely balanced cocktail, at least for the Missus.

We (I say we because if I order this, the Missus will finish it for me) also enjoy the version of the Old Fashion here; the Old Fernside. It's not overly sweet, and has mild anise tones, balanced out with Bourbon.

It gets kinda scary when I start writing about cocktails using food descriptions.

It's even more scary when I think that my favorite drink here is a beer and a shot……called the "Wolf Killer", it's a Coors Light, yes, you read that right, with a smooth and smoky Montelobos (literally "mountain of wolves") Mezcal.

As for the food? Here's what we've had so far from our the Missus's favorite, working it's way down.

The Missus's favorite item here by far is the Crusty Cauliflower ($6).

Simply dusted with cornmeal and fried, it's crunchy and seasoned nicely. The pickled veggies are pretty good here, but that Buffalo Sauce is not a great pairing; it kills any of the mild sweetness of the cauliflower and is way too sour, but perhaps that's the objective; make you think you're not eating your veggies?

The Missus likes the avocado toast ($9), which I think has a nice texture and goes well on Levain bread, but man, I felt this was so bland.

Best thing about this was the pickled onions. This needed some oomph…..

The "Hot Sausage" ($9) wasn't very "hot". In what is perhaps is a homage to an "Ameri-taco" it's lined with iceberg lettuce.

The brioche was very mild; lacking in buttery goodness, the sausage, called "Cochinita Pibil" on the menu, is a very mild, achiote colored, fairly dense, force-meat product. A bit too mild in flavor; I'd have loved a bit of "snap" on this, it might have helped the experience. The pineapple salsa was fine as it did add some much needed flavor and character to things, but in the end; the Missus, well, I've documented Her love of waffle cut fries before, enjoyed that the most. It had a nice and crisp exterior with a creamy interior.

The Spread Plate ($14), was interesting.

The pickled veggies were my favorite thing; the nutty and slightly sweet beet hummus was next, the chicken liver pate was really salty and lacked the nice livery-rich texture and flavor. The Missus liked the "Kale Pesto", which was too bitter for me; it really reminded me of a bitter tabbouleh. The toasted bread and flat bread provided were decent vehicles; it's just the passengers that I didn't care for.

And then we have the wings, I ordered the Spicy Dry Rub version($11). Well, first off the wings were on the dry side and the skin was rubbery.

The rub had too much paprika and not enough salty and sweet tones making it a bit too bitter for me. Too bad, because based on the color of the flesh, this seemed like decent quality wings; no black splotches and such.

So, will we return to Fernside? Well, you might be surprised when I say "yes". You see, we both enjoy the vibe….and the cocktails. The food? Well, I'm hoping I find something I enjoy on the menu. Still, we just love sitting and watching South Park drive and walk on by…..and counting those dogs……

And as long as that Mr Robinson (and "wolf killers") are going strong. Well, that'll have to be enough for us. At Fernside; where the cocktails are a food group…….

Fernside
1946 Fern St
San Diego, CA 92102
Hours:
Sun – Wed 11am – 1am
Thurs – Sat 11am – 2am

Clearing Out the Memory Card: Breakfasts and Brunches – Urban Solace, Tiger! Tiger!, and Talavera Azul

September 21, 2018 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Cajun, Southern, and Soul Food, Gastropub, Mexican Restaurants

It's sure been a beautiful day. I'm hoping you have more important things than to just sit around and read blog posts…..but if not; here are some quick, mostly photo revisits. Brunch and Breakfast issue.

Urban Solace:

*** Urban Solace has closed

For the Sunday Jazz Brunch.

Sadly, they're not doing the "Secret Menu" torchon de foie gras anymore. Bummer. Portion sizes were generous; but I really didn't like the gravy they put on the biscuits; it really killed the rather delicate cheese flavor. The slab bacon might have been our favorite; though the Kennebec potatoes were not bad.

Actually, my favorite thing was the Picante Bloody Mary, with bacon. Man, that was really good.

Urban Solace Restaurant
3823 30th Street
San Diego, CA 92104

Tiger! Tiger!:

**** Tiger! Tiger! has closed

We were bummed when they removed the Wood Fired Potatoes from the brunch menu and stopped dropping by on Sundays. We revisited last weekend and were happy to find "crispy potatoes" on the menu. We enjoyed it with a half charcuterie board.

Tiger! Tiger!
3025 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92104

Talavera Azul:

It's been too hot for the Missus to order the Menudo; so of course She ordered my favorite, the Sonoran Machaca.

Trying to figure what to order; I went with the Chicharron in Salsa Verde.

Gooey pork skin in an almost too tart and sour salsa verde. But combined in a tortilla with the beefy and crunchy machaca; it worked out fine.

Talavera Azul
365 3rd Ave
Chula Vista, CA 91910

So there you go….maybe some ideas for brunch this weekend!

Thanks for dropping by!

Denali State Park Milepost 135 and Revisiting Twister Creek Restaurant & Denali Brewpub (Talkeetna)

August 23, 2018 mmm-yoso Alaska, American/New American Restaurants, Beer, Gastropub, Travel

There was still a lot of daylight left when we completed our flightseeing and glacier landing and the Missus wanted to do something. So we decided to head out and take the short (by Alaskan standards) one hour and change drive up to Denali State Park. Don't confuse Denali State Park with the enormous and much more popular Denali National Park. The park is known for the views of Denali and the Alaskan Range; especially from the stop at milepost 135 of the Parks Highway. And even though it got overcast and drizzly, the views were still breathtaking.

We also loved the signs.

After lingering for a bit; the Missus was getting hungry, so we decided to head back to Talkeetna. We did make a brief stop at Denali Brewing Company on Talkeetna Spur Road….just in case they'd have that Single Malt Whiskey in stock. And while we were greeted by a very friendly pooch; there was no whiskey to be found.

Since we'd only had a couple of scones for breakfast; we were getting hungry. We drove back to the lodge and walked the half mile into Talkeetna. We just decided to head back to Twister Restaurant & the Denali Brewpub for dinner.

Just like the previous evening, this was the busiest place on the street. And we were in for another surprise; the Hostess Stand was manned by one of the folks that worked at Talkeetna Air Taxi. We'd often see folks working multiple jobs…..we were told it's normal during the high season….though it was somewhat funny….I think there's a sitcom hidden here somewhere. We also saw our favorite Server from the night before. She made sure to stop by and tell us hello.

I started with a Mother Ale; a very light almost Pilsner like brew. Very easy to drink.

We started with the item they were out of the night before; a monstrosity named "The Gourmet" ($15).

Candied Pork Belly in a mess of too sweet BBQ sauce, topped with a relish with jalapenos, red and green bell peppers, and even more pork belly…in the guise of bacon. This is one of those dishes that look great on a menu….but is just a bit too over-the-top for us. At least we'd be amking up for missing out on lunch, right?

We decided to share a dish and went with the Fish and Chips with Sweet Potato Fries ($16), which the Missus thoroughly enjoyed.

The batter on the fish and chips was fine, it was crisp with body, the seasoning perfect for our taste, the fish was moist, though it wasn't of the best quality…..still, not bad, and more than enough for the two of us.

Of course, one of the main reasons for returning here was "dessert"; or more appropriately a digestif; the wonderful newly released single malt whiskey. It was wonderful.

We loved the service and the prices were quite reasonable.

Twister Creek Restaurant/Denali Brewpub
13605 E Main St
Talkeetna, AK 99676

After dinner we walked around Talkeetna a bit….the Northern Lights Gallery was awesome…..I chatted with the owner of ne of the gift shops….he mentioned visiting San Diego in the 80's and the "Gaslight" (Gaslamp) district. We loved the folks here; friendly, but not overly so……just good people.

Just as on the previous evening, I sat by the window of our room and watched the Susitna River rolling by. And of course, I'd bought a bottle back from the Denali Brewpub.

This was a very nice Belgian Strong named One Tree Birch Beer made with birch syrup. This was very smooth, bready, with light citrus tones, and the sweetness of a typical Belgian Strong. I really enjoyed it.

It was 9pm but it looked like 4. I watched the river roll on by and though about what a great day it had been.

And there was still much more to come.

Thanks for reading!

Romeo & Julieta Wine Cafe

July 31, 2018 mmm-yoso European Restaurants, Gastropub, Polish Food and Restaurants

**** Romeo & Julieta has closed

Here's a little place on a rather odd corner in Talmage that I would never had found. It's a recommendation from my "FOY" JasonV. It's a favorite of his Missus, Jackie. The location is indeed interesting; being on the corner of Monoe and 47th Street. I'm sure most folks drive up the back way from Fairmount….but the place is basically a quarter mile from ECB and Nhu Y. The little wine bar is located right next to a dental office in the same strip mall. It's quite unassuming.

This is Romeo and Julieta a Polish Wine Bar of sorts. The humble exterior leads to a pretty nice and cozy interior.

We love the art and the ceiling.

Though when the weather is nice and not too hot; you can drink and dine al fresco as well.

The place is run by what I believe is a wonderful and friendly husband and wife team. The husband is the chef; though he's often helped out serving wine, and the super friendly woman runs the front of house; often on her own. In other words; this is a real mom-and-pop operation. You can't be in a rush here.

There's a regular menu of items; sort of a Polish fusion; the usual suspects, Peirogi's, Polish Sausage, and such, served with purple cabbage, sauerkraut, and cucumber salad, hearty stuff. And other items like Crab Cakes and Barbecued Pork.

The wine list is quite good and you're always served light and crusty baguette; the texture of a nice banh mi; with an addictive garlic aioli.

Don't forget the specials on the Chalk Board; where we found our favorite dish; the Pork Rouladen. Again, knowing what the "base" cuisine is of the place helps…we were looking for Polish – German – Eastern European type dishes.

A classic German – Polish dish of pork rolled around pickle spears. This version features sliced pork cutlets, pounded flat, wrapped around pickle spears and cheese. Smothered in a tasty gravy and served with a nice, rustic mashed potatoes; this is totally comfort food. The Missus enjoys the sauerkraut and sautéed cabbage and onions. The red cabbage is fine, but doesn't compare to what She really enjoyed in Prague. The cucumber salad is a bit bland for our taste; it could use more salt and bit more acidity to help cut the richness of the food.

As you can tell; the portions here are no joke.

Another favorite from the specials board was a version of the Polish Classic Bigos Stew – Hunter's Stew.

This version features the classic base of sauerkraut with Polish Kielbasa, bacon, and chopped pork. A hearty sour-meaty-smokey-porky combination. And that tomato salad was really good as well.

Of course these aren't always featured on the specials board; so the Missus will order the Polish Sausage Plate ($17.95).

While I enjoyed the nice snap of the sausage; I didn't think it was anything really special; but the Missus really enjoyed this….for a while. After two or three times, we've gotten a bit tired of this and the Missus tired of the left-overs. Yes, there are always left-overs.

You see; our drill is to arrive during Happy Hour; the Missus doesn't mind the House Chardonnay here; though they've recently changed it; and I'd just get a glass of the Italian Grillo, six bucks during Happy Hour.

Then we'd order the Polish Schnitzel Sliders from the Happy Hour menu ($9.50). I'm usually not a big fan of these fusion slider things; but this is pretty good.

The crunchy beef schnitzel, combined with the slightly sweet, but pungent, beet colored horseradish, the almost always sweet and slightly acidic tomato, and that pickle, don't forget that pickle, just goes quite well in a bun. There are four of these to an order……combined with the Missus's weak spot; sweet potato fries, enough for the both of us.

We usually end up taking most of the other entrée home as left-overs.

We also tried some of the other items over time, not all of which we enjoyed.

The Stuffed Cabbage was a menu board special. These were huge and we loved the mashed potatoes.

But we thought it on the bland and somewhat mealy side. Even with that wonderful horse radish.

The Happy Hour Wings and Fries; was priced right at $9.50.

The Missus of course, enjoyed those fries, but those wings weren't deep fried. I know this place serves flatbread/pizzas, so I'm thinking this was cooked on a conveyor oven? Not sauced enough and rubbery skin, not good eats.

My good friend's Mom back in Hawaii used come and visit with her rolling pin. She made awesome pierogi's. So during one of our first visits I decided to try the Pierogi's; the Happy Hour version. Unfortunately; they were out of the two versions that featured sauerkraut. So I ordered the Potato and Cheese; "bacon style" ($9.50).

Man, these were really stuffed. I found the wrapper to be bit on the brittle side and there was too much mushy potatoes as filling. The bacon and bacon fat topping was lovely, but I really didn't care for this version. I'll probably try one of the other versions one of these days.

There's a lot to like about Romeo & Julieta. We think the food is quite hearty and you do get your money's worth; especially those Happy Hour items. The owners are really friendly, gracious, and just really nice folks. There's often only two to three people working; which is fine during the time we eat; early on in the evening.

Happy Hour is from 4pm to 6pm Tuesdays thru Saturdays and 3pm to 6pm on Sundays.

And make sure to check out the specials board. JasonV told me he enjoyed the Watermelon Salad.

I'm sure if you choose well from the menu; you'll have a nice and hearty meal.

Romeo & Julieta Wine Cafe
4715 Monroe Ave
San Diego, CA 92115
Hours:
Tues – Sat 4pm – 10pm
Sunday 3pm – 10pm

Thanks for the recommendation Jason! Maybe one of these days we'll run into you here!

And share some Bigos.

Eating to Beat the Heat – Revisits to Iron Pig Alehouse and Prime Grill

July 29, 2018 mmm-yoso BBQ, Gastropub, Korean Restaurants, Pubs and Pub Grub

Here are a couple of more revisits to places during the recent hot and sticky weather we've had.

Iron Pig:

**** Iron Pig has closed

I'm not sure why we don't drop by Iron Pig more often. Actually, I do know why; these days the Missus is more into wine and cocktails and beer has lost favor with Her. She is also not fond of the tumblers used for wine here………yes, She's becoming a bit of a snob I guess.

Still, on one of those hot days, I wanted one of my favorite salads….the "Man Salad". Which, by the way; the Missus enjoys as well.

Smoked brisket, goat cheese, arugula, Portobello mushrooms, and yes, French fries. With a nice vinaigrette that doesn't over power nay of the ingredients. Great crisp textures, combined with beefy-milky flavors. Definitely a favorite of mine.

That said; I'm not a big fan of the BBQ here; though the Missus does enjoy the rib tips….She likes chewing on the cartilage and crunchy bits. It's also one of the few items still on the Happy Hour menu.

Sadly the smoked wings; which I enjoy here, is no longer on HH menu.

So, we'll save that for our next visit.

Iron Pig Alehouse
1520 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109

Prime Grill:

For some strange reason; the Missus enjoys a nice Dolsot Bi Bim Bap when it gets really hot. I was glad to know that even though Prime Grill now has an AYCE menu; it still features good quality items on the menu.

Though I think the panchan here has definitely taken a step down from when Ed from Yuma and Cathy joined myself back 2016 when the place first opened. It is still a step above all the other Korean BBQ places in town.

Over the last couple of years; the Bi Bim Naengmyun at Prime Grill has over taken the version at Buga as my favorite. The noodles are not under cooked, but not mushy, and are the thinner version.

On this visit; they provided a good amount of the spicy-savory sauce; add some cho-jang, vinegar, and I'm good to go.

And the Missus got Her Dolsot Bi Bim Bap.

And all was good in the world. At least until we had to step back out into the heat and humidity.

Prime Grill
4620 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

What have you been eating to beat the heat the last couple of weeks?

Thursdays Near 30th – Toronado, North Park Thursday Market, and Tribute Pizza

July 26, 2018 mmm-yoso Beer, Gastropub, Markets & Grocers, Pubs and Pub Grub

During mid-June, the Missus had a hair appointment, and I gladly "volunteered" to drive Her and wait. If you recall, the Missus's hairdresser is located in North Park.

I somehow "randomly" found parking near Toronado. How convenient. It had been a while since I last visited. I ordered a Pliny the Elder….and totally forgetting about this "blog thing" took a sip before remembering to take a photo. Bad food blogger….bad food blogger. Anyway, as always the temp was just perfect.

**** Toronado has closed

Toronado
4026 30th St
San Diego, CA 92104

All too soon, the Missus walked on over….She's not so much into beer these days, so we decided to take a stroll and decide where to grab dinner. And ran into the North Park Thursday Market.

It's a rather small run. Located on North Park Way between 29th and 30th. But it was fun just watching people chill and enjoy sunny San Diego.

The North Park Thursday Market
3000 N Park Way
San Diego, CA 92104
Thursdays 3pm – 730pm

While She is not a fan of the wine glasses Tribute uses; it had been a while since we last visited.

We started with the Sea Salt Focaccia with 'Nduja; to which they now add a dish balsamic and olive oil.

The bread was fabulous; I think we'll now ask for just olive oil without the balsamic, which was a bit too much. The 'Nduja tasted great as always; though the texture seems to have changed. It's now more waxy than I recalled. Still tasted great, a mild porky, smokey-spiciness.

The potatoes in the Patatas Bravas were nice; crunchy exterior, mildly creamy interior.

The potatoes were perfectly salted; but it seemed that the aioli was overkill and just over powered the mild starchy sweetness of the potatoes.

The Missus; who loves green beans just destroyed it all before I even had a bite.

Oh well, She's the reason we came up here in the first place, right?

Tribute Pizza
3077 N Park Way
San Diego, CA 92104

It was a fun way to spend an early summer Thursday evening.

I'm thinking "FOY" CC must have though so too! Look where they went for their 23rd Anniversary Dinner! Nice!

Hope you're having a great week!

Talkeetna – Twister Creek Restaurant & Denali Brewpub

July 17, 2018 mmm-yoso Alaska, American/New American Restaurants, Beer, Gastropub, Travel

It had been a pretty long day by the time we were able to check-in at lodge we were staying at. We decided to take a short nap. Upon waking; we realized it was like 7pm! That's the thing about Alaska at this time of the year. The sun didn't set until 11pm…..and, like folks told us; the weather can change by the minute here. Like the "polar winter" we experienced in Tromsø it was a bit disorienting at times….it was 730 pm when we left the lodge for dinner and this is what things looked like.

It could have been 2pm anywhere.

We walked into Talkeetna. Things had quieted down a bit from earlier in the day….folks gone for the day. Plus, this was still early in the season and Talkeetna was still kinda "sleepy" once many of the tourists were gone.

All the restaurants seemed empty; except for one; Twister Creek Restaurant, which is run by Denali Brewing Company.

After our previous experience at Seward Brewing Company we thought; "why not?"

The place was three-fourths full when we arrived; but soon filled to the brim.

I started with….well a beer of course. I liked the fact that Denali Brewing offered many Belgian style brews; I went with the Belgian Golden Strong dubbed "Abaddon".

Served at a perfect temperature; slight banana tones; somewhat boozy in the Belgian way….no joke at 9.1ABV.

Our Server whose name I believe is Nastasia was a joy. So nice, so friendly, awesomely efficient, and she also made one fantastic recommendation.

This being heavy pub-grub; we shared an order of Sweet Potato Wedges….the Missus loves this stuff.

This was strange as it was fairly crisp; nice flavor, the Missus loved it; but it was still slightly cold in the center. Still; while the Missus would soon tire of pub-grub; we weren't at that point yet.

They were out of a couple of appetizers and mains. We ended up going with the Reindeer Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy.

The meatloaf was fairly lean. The flavor was mild. The gravy had quite a bit of black pepper and was nicely seasoned, rich, and smooth. But it was barely past lukewarm. Ditto the slightly water-logged mashed potatoes.

But, there were two reasons we really enjoyed this meal. The first was the amazing service by Nastasia. The second was; when I wanted an digestif; she recommended they newly released single malt whiskey. We were told that the first run of the whiskey sold out in hours; but the restaurant still had a stock.

This was fantastic….we loved the vanilla tones of this rather smooth spirit. We really wanted a bottle….but of course; there was none to be had.

So, we'd just have to return again.

Twister Creek Restaurant/Denali Brewpub
13605 E Main St
Talkeetna, AK 99676

Our Server chatted with us a bit about working in Alaska. She told us that you either loved it here….or you left. She was lucky as, unlike many of the folks who work two-three jobs during the high season, the brewpub was open year round and she enjoyed Talkeetna.

Many of the places were closed; but we visited those places that were still open.

As we left one of the shops; it seemed like the weather was turning a bit……

So we headed back to the lodge. By the time we walked the half mile back, the weather had cleared up a bit, so we walked along the Susitna River and enjoyed the view.

After wandering around for a bit we returned to the lodge and while the Missus showered and got ready for bed, I had a nightcap.

The Denali Flag Stop Mile Post 2 is a Flanders Red; mild stone fruit, slightly tart, no, it wasn't Duchess, or as we learned in Ghent, "Doo-Chezz", but this was perfectly fine.

As was the view out our window.

You could do a lot worse than this…..

Thanks for stopping by!

Seward – Resurrection Bay and Dinner at Seward Brewing Company

June 28, 2018 mmm-yoso Alaska, Beer, Gastropub, Travel

The first task of the day….well, the second after a simple breakfast was to head up to the boat harbor and the offices of Major Marine Tours to see if any cruises were going out on this day. The Fjords cruises were all cancelled because of storms at sea, but the regular bay cruises were still going out. Folks were really nice and we ended up getting a discount because we were actually staying in town. Our cruise didn't leave until around noon; so there was some time to kill.

I had heard that there was something interesting to see in the boat harbor; so we walked around the building……

And sure enough; there they were……

Two adorable otters….totally oblivious to us.

There's something so amazing about watching creatures who are so graceful in the sea. Every so often they'd dive….apparently the otters enjoy the mussels attached to the docks.

For some reason; it just brought out the inner child in the both of us. We were mesmerized.

We drove back to downtown and spent some time shopping.

Instead of driving back up to the boat harbor; we decided to walk. It was only a mile-and-a-half or so. Plus you could walk along the bay. And even on an overcast day like this one, you sometimes felt like you were viewing a painting.

We passed various campgrounds…..if you parked your RV here; you really couldn't complain much about the view.

You notice a lot more when walking……do you notice something that looks a bit out of place in this photo?

It was a nice walk back to the boat harbor.

This is the Seward Mariner's Memorial, to memorialize all those lost at sea.

We eventually got back to the boat harbor.

We just went and grabbed some coffee and killed the hour or so before the line-up for our cruise.

We really enjoyed the four hour cruise; the captain was wonderful as she and her crew went looking for wildlife. We also got some history as well, learning about the effect the 9.2 magnitude Good Friday Earthquake in 1964 had on Seward. It totally changed the town's shoreline.

We saw the B&B we were staying at as we headed out into the bay.

We travel light these days; without even the DSLR. So no crazy wildlife photos. But we did see Bald Eagles, goats, one amazing sea otter just hanging out in the bay, seals…..

We got "blessed" by one of the many beautiful waterfalls created by water from melting ice from glaciers.

And then it happened. The highlight of the cruise.

A young Humpback Whale! The captain stopped the boat. There are specific rules for approaching marine mammals here, which I really appreciate. The whale seemed a bit curious and really got close to the boat before figuring out we were just boring humans and heading on his or her way.

I've seen whales several times while taking folks around back home in Hawaii….but let me tell you; it never gets old.

We got back to the harbor after about four hours. We were kind of pooped. In fact, there were folks sleeping on the benches as we returned. As much as I would have loved that entire eight hour tour….possibly seeing glaciers calving; I'm not sure how tired we would have been.

We rather enjoyed the walk back to downtown. We decided just to head back. Looking at what was served at the touristy seafood restaurant in the harbor just didn't inspire us.

While we'd obviously be happy with another meal at the Cookery; it was Monday and the place was closed. So we decided to hunt around a bit for a dinner spot….this one was definitely not it.

After looking at a few places…..we decided just to head back to the Seward Brewing Company.

The Missus just wanted some fries. And the "Hangover Homie"; thick cut fries, crisp, topped with that sunny side up egg…….on this evening, there were no complaints.

Bacon….cheese sauce….crema…..gorgonzola……I can handle that for one meal.

Needing something to finish up the evening….and my second beer. I went with the Fried Cauliflower.

Which was way too sweet……

But heck; we could deal with this for one night.

Seward Brewing Company
139 4th Ave
Seward, AK 99664

And then it was off to sleep….sort of.

Seward – Seward Brewing Company and Dinner at The Cookery

June 26, 2018 mmm-yoso Alaska, American/New American Restaurants, Beer, Gastropub, Seafood, Travel

We loved the town of Seward. Tucked in the Kenai Peninsula; this town of about 3,000 had character and charm. Instead of staying at one of the hotels near the boat harbor; we decided to stay at a B&B in the historic downtown area. And driving down Ballaine Boulevard to the B&B indicated I'd made the right decision.

This was the view across the street from our unit.

When we checked-in we found that there were some severe storms at sea and our whole day wildlife tour was cancelled. After travelling for a while you understand that no one controls Mother Nature and you have to go with the flow. We were given some Resurrection Bay alternatives. Major Marine was given as the company to use. We decided to wait until the next morning to book our tour. And headed off to explore Seward.

We were steps from the Alaska Sealife Center, but our schedule didn't allow us time to visit. Though there were some musicians and this really interesting vendor there as we walked past.

Now there must be a story here…….

Downtown Seward had the feel of a touristy-kitschy-artsy-"wild frontier" kind of vibe. It is also "framed" by some wonderful views.

Things were quite mellow when we arrived. We were told that the first cruise ship of the season had just left, so things were quiet until the next one came in.

It was still too early to head to the spot I wanted for dinner, so we wandered around a bit.

It was a bit too early for our dinner destination; so we decided to grab a drink at the Seward Brewing Company.

We enjoyed the vibe of the bar area. The Missus had a white while I had a red ale. Folks here just start talking to you…….

Our bartender was from…….San Diego! Encinitas if I recall. She was here for the summer, working, like many folks we ran into, several jobs during the busy season. Her other job? Well, working at Major Marine. Go figure……

We really enjoyed the Seward Brewing Company and returned the following evening.

Seward Brewing Company
139 4th Ave
Seward, AK 99664

Our dinner reservations was at a place called The Cookery. I'd looked over their menu online, and the small plates seemed like just the thing we'd enjoy.

First off, this place gets really busy, really fast. The crew is quite nice, though they seemed a bit harried. We enjoyed the menu….perhaps a bit hipster, but quite interesting and perfect for folks who don't want to stuff their face.

The Amuse was a ceviche of sorts.

This was quite nice. A good acidity; meaty fish……

I love my oysters so we started with a half dozen.

The Halibut Cove were really briny reminding me of Atlantic/French oysters. The Jakalof Bay oysters were still a bit too briny for my taste, but had an interesting, almost sweet finish. It had been too long since I'd had good oysters, so I really enjoyed these.

The fish of the day was Halibut Cheeks…….how could we not order this?

I actually enjoyed what the light curry sauce and the mango added to the dish. The Halibut Cheeks would have been amazing, except it was over-cooked, therefore losing that rich fattiness that would take this to the "delici-yoso" level.

The Roasted Brussel Sprouts had been cooked well, as in not mushy, still crunchy.

The Missus, who loves Brussel Sprouts simply said; "not savory enough and not enough flavor" in Her assessment.

The "Wild & Tame Mushroom Toast" was a nice dish; nice earthiness, but a bit too sweet for our palate.

I told the Missus to order dessert……but knowing how much I missed oysters…….

We enjoyed our meal at the Cookery. In fact, if hey had not been closed on the following evening, we'd have eaten there.

As is; this was the second best meal we had during our trip to Alaska.

The Cookery
209 5th Ave
Seward, AK 99664

Hours
Tues – Sun 5pm – 10pm