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Girdwood Dining & Nightlife |
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Girdwood Dining & Nightlife |
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One of several restaurants run by Alyeska Resort, Seven Glaciers sits 2,300 feet above sea level, a mountaintop restaurant with panoramic views of the Turnagain Arm, glaciers, and the Chugach Range. To get there, diners with reservations are whisked away on a complimentary ride up the 60-passenger Alyeska Aerial Tramway. Starting in the summer of 2004, the lounge menu will be served in the bar & lounge area, so even if you didn't make a reservation, you can still enjoy a great meal.
Seven Glaciers is one of Alaska's two AAA 4-Diamond restaurants. This casual fine-dining restaurant features an elegant Alaskan cuisine; entrees range from $30 - $60, with appetizers around $11. Notable menu selections include cold-smoked and grilled Alaskan salmon and Alaskan king crab. One of the servers says that the "Buffalo Strip Loin and Alaskan King Crab Oscar" is her favorite entree. The appetizers include "Hotel Alyeska Lomi Lomi," which is described as "wasabi beurre blanc, Alaskan seafood," and mesquite-grilled lamb chops. |
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Katsura Teppanyaki |
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Located on the third floor of the The Hotel Alyeska, Katsura Teppanyaki is authentically Japanese. (The resort is Japanese-owned.) As one of just 18 diners, watch your chef prepare your meal, featuring your choice of Maine lobster, prime steaks, Alaska salmon, and chicken. The menu includes an extensive wine and sake list. Prices range from about $40 - $60 for full meals, including appetizers, soup or salad, entrees, and dessert. For example, the "A Course" includes "Kushiyaki" (shrimp, scallops, chicken, and mushrooms on skewers), miso soup or salad, "Iseebi" (live lobster or Alaskan king crab), a steak filet, and crème brûlée for dessert. And of course, green tea. |
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| Open: |
Two seatings each evening, year-round: 5:30pm and 7:30pm. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. |
| Phone: |
907-754-1111 |
| Website: |
www.alyeskaresort.com |
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The Pond Café |
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Located on the second floor of The Hotel Alyeska, this resort-run restaurant offers something for everyone, with Alaskan favorites and a children's menu. Dinner entrees include Alaskan halibut Florentine, roasted prime rib, and Alaskan seafood bouillabaisse (all between $24 – $26). |
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| Open: |
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, year-round
 June – Mid Sept: 6am – 11pm
Mid Sept – May: 7am – 10pm (Sun – Thur); 7am – 11pm (Fri – Sat) |
| Phone: |
907-754-1111 |
| Website: |
www.alyeskaresort.com |
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Glacier Express |
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This self-serve restaurant, located at the top of the mountain, features great scenery. Alaskan clam chowder in a bread bowl is a popular choice (about $7). |
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| Open: |
10:30am – 5:30pm daily. Closing time shifts with the season, so call the hotel for current hours. Closed in October. |
| Phone: |
907-754-1111 |
| Website: |
www.alyeskaresort.com |
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The Aurora Lounge |
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Located on the third floor of The Hotel Alyeska, at the top of the Grand Staircase, the Aurora Lounge offers great views and great drinks. Alaska Amber is $5, Baileys and coffee is $7. The wide selection of single-malt scotch starts at $7 for Sheep Dip and shoots up to $32 for 25-year-old Macallan. While not exactly a locals' hangout, it's the second-best place to meet people who don't live in Girdwood. (The best place is the hot tub at the Alyeska Fitness Center.) |
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| Open: |
Mid May – Mid Sept, daily from 1pm – 11pm. During the rest of the year, open 4pm – 11pm (Mon – Fri) and 12pm – 11pm (Sat – Sun and holidays). |
| Phone: |
907-754-1111 |
| Website: |
www.alyeskaresort.com |
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Chair Five |
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Chair Five is as local as Girdwood gets. Here, you'll find folks in tie-dye and Carharrts at the bar, and families with small children on the more sedate side of the restaurant. Plenty of people make the drive down from Anchorage to visit Girdwood and "just happen" to end up at Chair Five; it has that kind of magnetism. Of course, some of the best pizza and burgers in the state might have something to do with that.
Conceived on a rainy night in 1982, Chair Five first opened January 23, 1983 on Crow Creek Road. After a fire burned the building to the ground in 1987, it moved to its present home, near the Post Office. All of their food is prepared to order from scratch using the freshest ingredients available. "This takes a little time, so sit back, relax, and enjoy your visit," their website states. Besides, even if your salad isn't in a rush to get to you, that's ok, because there's an ample supply of good beer, including Black Butte Porter, Alaska Amber, and Guinness on tap (about $4/pint and $13 - $15/pitcher). You'll also find ciders, wine, and single malt scotches, not to mention many other beverages.
Appetizers run from $6 - $10. The nacho platter is huge-perfect after a day rafting the Six Mile River. The spinach-walnut salad is a full meal if you're not that hungry, or if all you did was, say, jump off a mountain in a paraglider. The British burger (about $8) is a favorite among local avalanche experts. There are also steaks, halibut, and shrimp (ranging from $15 - $20). But since this is basically a burger joint, one with a lot of Alaskan ambiance, succumbing to a burger is your best option.
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| Open: |
Daily year-round, from 11am – 10pm for food. Burgers and pizza served until 11pm and beer and other alcohol served until 2am. |
| Direction: |
From "downtown" Girdwood, drive about two miles along Alyeska Highway, toward the mountains, and take a left onto Hightower Road. After passing Crow Creek Mercantile on your left and a variety of small stores on your right, take a left onto Linblad Avenue. Chair Five will be on your left. |
| Phone: |
907-783-2500 |
| Phone: |
www.alyeskaresort.com |
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Double Musky |
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You might hear that locals drool over the Double Musky's French pepper steak. That's absolutely true. The French pepper steak is something Girdwoodians dream about, talk about, and pray that rich relatives will discover. It's the thickest, softest steak you might ever see.
The Double Musky is as good as it gets in Girdwood. (You still don't have to dress up though, but you can if you want to.) Don't even consider being on a diet: this place believes in butter. You'll find escargot (drenched in butter), mushroom stuffed scallops (drenched in butter), and battered halibut (drenched in butter), among other appetizers. In fact, many locals on a budget make a meal of the appetizers (about $8 each). Entrees can run $30. |
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| Open: |
Daily year-round, except for November and on Mondays
4:30pm – 10pm (Fri – Sat)
5pm – 10pm (Tue – Thur) |
| Direction: |
Follow Alyeska Highway and take a left on Crow Creek Road. The Double Musky is on the left after 0.2 miles. |
| Phone: |
907-783-2822 |
| Phone: |
www.doublemuskyinn.com |
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Jack Sprat |
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If gigantic steaks aren't your thing-or even if they are-head to Jack Sprat. "Fat and Lean World Cuisine" became Jack Sprat's slogan with a menu that pleases opposite tastes. Choose between fresh spring rolls ($7) and fried egg rolls, between deep-fried halibut and pan-seared salmon. This is the place to go if you want healthy, vegetarian food but your dinner companion wants a bacon burger with extra cheese ($11). Their daily specials usually incorporate Alaska's famous seafood-for instance, their salmon falafel is reputed to be excellent. The Australian tenderloin ($28) is about the most expensive thing on the menu, which includes pasta with smoked salmon and halibut burritos.
Established in 2001 at the base of Alyeska Mountain, Jack Sprat is an intimate restaurant with only a few tables. (There is also seating outside on the deck.) Call ahead if your party numbers more than six. |
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| Open: |
Dinner daily, from 5pm – 10pm year-round. Weekend brunch, from 10am - 2pm, will last you all day. |
| Direction: |
Located on Olympic Circle, at the base of the ski resort. Follow Alyeska Highway about three miles to the T-intersection. Take a left and the second right. Jack Sprat will be on the left. |
| Phone: |
907-783-5225 |
| Phone: |
www.jacksprat.net |
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The Bake Shop |
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This is as local as it gets (unless you're at Chair Five). Despite the lack of ambiance-though a new paint job is an improvement, and it is a great place to read the newspaper-the Bake Shop does swift business year-round with huge breakfasts, hearty sandwiches, and bottomless bowls of soup (no kidding; refills are free). Hungarian goulash and New England clam chowder (about $5) bring in lots of fans. The Bake Shop is also famous for cinnamon rolls the size of your head, among other things. The brownies ($2) are thick and moist.
Enjoy a bit of history with their famous sourdough pancakes ($6). According to Bake Shop lore, the sourdough was passed on about 80 years ago by a fortune-seeking gold miner in the Girdwood valley. It is 'fed' and 'doubled' every day-and the bakers will tell you that it has its very own temperamental personality, making it quite a challenge to work with. Many people bike from Anchorage to Girdwood, rewarding themselves at the finish with the Bake Shop's sourdough.
One note of caution: Unless you like Mexican chocolate, stay away from the mocha coffees. If you need an espresso-and-chocolate fix, head to the Java Haus, just a few doors down.
In the summer, it's worth a visit to the Bake Shop just to see their outdoor display of begonias, lobelias, impatiens and many old-time favorites. The Bake Shop offers both indoor and outdoor seating.
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| Open: |
Daily, from 7am – 7pm year-round, Saturdays until 8pm. |
| Direction: |
Take the Alyeska Highway to the T-intersection at the base of the ski lifts. Turn left and follow the Bake Shop signs on the right leading you up a small hill to a parking lot. (You'll pass Jack Sprat on your way.) |
| Phone: |
907-783-2831 |
| Phone: |
www.thebakeshop.com |
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The Java Haus |
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If you have a coffee or computer addiction, go visit Emma at the Java Haus, just a few doors down from the Bake Shop (to the right of the Bake Shop if you're looking up at the mountain). You'll find two computers with Internet access and a printer. Emma also has Chai tea, muffins, desserts, and sometimes, fruit smoothies ($5).
There's always a newspaper on her front round table and often some kind of political discussion. If there's an open seat, feel free to join in. Otherwise, there are a variety of smaller tables to choose from. If you're lucky, a local gold miner and longtime Alaskan will be sitting in the corner, reading a newspaper in an armchair under the lamp. When he's in a story-telling mood, you'll learn a lot about Alaska. Pilots, dog-mushers, the occasional Olympic skier, stunt snowmachine riders, environmental activists, a former judge, and helicopter bikers are also among Heidi's regulars.
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| Open: |
Daily, from 7am – 3pm in summer and 7am – 7pm in winter |
| Direction: |
Located at the base of the ski resort, a few doors down from The Bake Shop on Olympic Circle. |
| Phone: |
907-783-2827 |
| Phone: |
www.thebakeshop.com |
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Maxine's Glacier City Bistro |
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Maxine's is Girdwood's newest restaurant, which opened in the summer of 2004. It features Mediterranean food served family style, i.e. dishes big enough to share. In fact, you'll probably be eager to trade bites so you can try everything on the menu, which changes frequently. One night, fresh tombo tuna steak, "gambas a pil pil" (tiger shrimp), Dungeness crab cakes, and marinated lamb skewers ($10 - $11) competed for attention. For lunch, there are appetizers and salads as well as panini filled with smoked salmon, Portobello mushrooms, or roast beef ($8 - $8.50). |
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| Open: |
Year-round from noon to midnight. |
| Direction: |
Take Alyeska Highway into Girdwood and make a left onto Crow Creek Road. Maxine's is about 0.2 miles on the left. |
| Phone: |
907-783-1234 |
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