So it's February, and it's raining here in Anchorage! The snow has turned to dirty slush and everything is dripping and soggy. I now officially know what it feels like to live on top of a slushy.
It feels a little crazy, and it's definitely not what I expected for an "Alaskan" winter. I'm quickly learning, as in most things, there is not a typical "Alaskan" anything.
For one thing, the state is so damn big! From one end to the other the temperatures typically vary at least 40 degrees.
For another thing, Anchorage and many of the coastal areas have just incredibly variable climates. My science teacher co-worker informed me that there is no "typical" season in Anchorage. Rainy all one summer, sunny the next, there were two straight weeks of -15 temperatures last January, and for the past 3 or so weeks the highs have been above freezing. Go figure.
As I was slogging through the crazy snow mush on my way home today, I felt like I could use a good dose of summer about now. Here's a slide show of the highlights of our summer adventures (most of which didn't get blogged--bad blogger!). Enjoy!
Here's a re-cap:
Matt's brother, Chris, came to visit and we went down to Whittier where we hiked and kayaked.
My parents came up and we went salmon fishing on the beautiful Kenai river, dad caught a silver!
Matt and I found a very cool hiking trail in our new favorite town, Girdwood, that crosses the Winner Creek on an hand cart. Yes, we made Jack ride across, he was none too happy about it too, but as always, a good sport!
Matt and I hiked up Flat Top Mountain, a local hike STRAIGHT up to stupendous views.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Wines List Added
One thing that is great about Anchorage is there are a few phenomenal restaurants. We've been lucky enough to enjoy some fabulous meals from them on occasion, and we've been able to sample some great wine as well.
I've added a list on the left-hand side of the blog of the wines we've sampled since coming to Anchorage that we really love. I also included the restaurant and approximate date we sampled it at. It's more of a way to remember and keep track of them than anything else, but I thought a few other readers might find it interesting.
Here are the restaurants that we capital "L" Love so far in Anchorage:
I've added a list on the left-hand side of the blog of the wines we've sampled since coming to Anchorage that we really love. I also included the restaurant and approximate date we sampled it at. It's more of a way to remember and keep track of them than anything else, but I thought a few other readers might find it interesting.
Here are the restaurants that we capital "L" Love so far in Anchorage:
- Crush: a fabulous wine and tapas bar. The menu and wines ALWAYS delight. Great atmosphere. Jen's very favorite (see picture @ left).
- Glacier Brew House: Good selection of AK seafood, pretty good brews made in house. Consistently an enjoyable experience.
- Orso: a contemporary Italian restaurant specializing in local ingredients (see review below). We've had some incredible meals here, and a few that bombed.
- Sacks Cafe: a little spendy for a normal outing, but the food is always excellent. I had a calamari salad here for lunch when my mom and dad were here that was amazing. We particularly enjoy the more affordable brunch (served weekends only) where my favorite dish is crab & scallop cakes topped with poached eggs drizzled with chipotle hollandaise sauce. Yes, it's as incredible as it sounds.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Best "Local" Meal Yet!
So, we went down to a restaurant in our downtown area (only about 2 miles away) called Orso. They had this special tonight (ok, "tonight" was around 2/5/10):
Fresh Fare continues its travels this winter by visiting the wild, diverse and beautiful countries of Spain and Portugal. The location lends itself to a rich history with a natural bounty. The diverse regions produce phenomenal wines which complement the wide array of flavorful profiles. It’s a resilient and sophisticated cuisine, yet simple in execution as nothing but the best will do.
Prix Fix Menu 65.00 with wine
So, since we've been to Spain, and we've recently vowed to do our very best to eat local, this was VERY exciting for us. Even better, the meal was fabulous.
The lamb was exceptionally tender, and this was my first time tasting figs with meat, but it was very nice. I particularly enjoyed the stew with chick peas and kale--very much my style.
The Alaskan sausages and shrimp skewers were juicy and a wonderfully tasty combo. My favorite wine was the Grenache Syrah--incredible wine! Great depth of flavor, very smooth (which is my favorite when I find it in wine, I don't know how else to explain it, it's just not too bitter or alchol-ly).
The olive oil cake is simply the best cake we've ever had. Incredibly moist, but not rich, it was simply a delight to eat. Matt likened it to a tres leches cake, without the leches.
The low-point of the meal was the cream sherry, but that might just be because Matt and I are not sherry drinkers. After sampling all the fabulous wines with the meal it was a big, sweet let down.
We split the meal, so it was a little more affordable, and the wine parings were excellent. I left the prices just so you can get a feel for what prices are like in Anchorage, this is NOT the most expensive restaurant. But, YUM! (or, to use Jen's new word: YUMB!)
Orso is an modern Italian restaurant that tries really hard to use local ingredients (this is more of a challenge then you might realize in AK!) The cozy, rustic/contemporary interior is always a pleasant complement to the food. They consistently have excellent wines, and we've found some incredible (and not so incredible) meals there. The local fare are the wine keep me coming back.
Fresh Fare Travels to Spain and Portugal
Fresh Fare continues its travels this winter by visiting the wild, diverse and beautiful countries of Spain and Portugal. The location lends itself to a rich history with a natural bounty. The diverse regions produce phenomenal wines which complement the wide array of flavorful profiles. It’s a resilient and sophisticated cuisine, yet simple in execution as nothing but the best will do.
Prix Fix Menu 65.00 with wine
Shrimp and Reindeer sausage skewer
Dusted with star anise and grilled. Served over a shaved fennel, orange and olive salad. 9.95
Dusted with star anise and grilled. Served over a shaved fennel, orange and olive salad. 9.95
Albariño, Legado del Conde ‘08, Rías Baixas 8.95
Alaskan Pork Belly
Apple braised, complimented with an Alaskan razor clam topped with shaved apples and fennel. 9.95
Apple braised, complimented with an Alaskan razor clam topped with shaved apples and fennel. 9.95
Grenache Syrah, Almira “Old Vines” ‘08, Campo de Borja 8.95
Umpquah Valley Lamb Chop and house made Linguica
Simply seasoned and grilled. Served with a stew of pearl onions, chic peas, figs, kale and linguica. Finished with a Pedro Ximenez-fig glaze. 31.95
Simply seasoned and grilled. Served with a stew of pearl onions, chic peas, figs, kale and linguica. Finished with a Pedro Ximenez-fig glaze. 31.95
Rioja, Martin Códax ‘06 6.95
Bizcocho Borracho (Olive Oil Lemon Cake)
A light moist cake made with olive oil, lemons and yoghurt. Soaked with our ORSO ‘09 Roof Honey, cinnamon, and brandy. 5.95
Cream Sherry, Solera 1847 6.95A light moist cake made with olive oil, lemons and yoghurt. Soaked with our ORSO ‘09 Roof Honey, cinnamon, and brandy. 5.95
So, since we've been to Spain, and we've recently vowed to do our very best to eat local, this was VERY exciting for us. Even better, the meal was fabulous.
The lamb was exceptionally tender, and this was my first time tasting figs with meat, but it was very nice. I particularly enjoyed the stew with chick peas and kale--very much my style.
The Alaskan sausages and shrimp skewers were juicy and a wonderfully tasty combo. My favorite wine was the Grenache Syrah--incredible wine! Great depth of flavor, very smooth (which is my favorite when I find it in wine, I don't know how else to explain it, it's just not too bitter or alchol-ly).
The olive oil cake is simply the best cake we've ever had. Incredibly moist, but not rich, it was simply a delight to eat. Matt likened it to a tres leches cake, without the leches.
The low-point of the meal was the cream sherry, but that might just be because Matt and I are not sherry drinkers. After sampling all the fabulous wines with the meal it was a big, sweet let down.
We split the meal, so it was a little more affordable, and the wine parings were excellent. I left the prices just so you can get a feel for what prices are like in Anchorage, this is NOT the most expensive restaurant. But, YUM! (or, to use Jen's new word: YUMB!)
Orso is an modern Italian restaurant that tries really hard to use local ingredients (this is more of a challenge then you might realize in AK!) The cozy, rustic/contemporary interior is always a pleasant complement to the food. They consistently have excellent wines, and we've found some incredible (and not so incredible) meals there. The local fare are the wine keep me coming back.
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