I had been warned not to expect much from the culinary scene in Anchorage. Apparently those folks…read more(locals) have not yet been to Crush. Run, do not walk, to Crush! It was an exquisite experience from start to end. Bae who was our server was attentive, knowledgeable, warm, the consummate professional. The setting was beautiful with gorgeous photos (for sale) of wildlife including many adorable bears in the wild. The food was so delicious, I'm still thinking about it. Our party of 7 ordered a variety of items so I fortunately had a taste of a lot of different dishes: I don't usually drink but saw ice wine on the menu so had a delicious glass of the Kiona - 5/5 Appetizers - bread board - 5/5, focaccia sliced and generous servings of two spreads (maybe white bean hummus? something else?), roasted garlic in olive oil, red and green grapes, assorted nuts. this really raised the bar on what a bread board should be! - roasted rainbow harissa carrots - 5/5, a generous pile of roasted carrots of many colors, on a generous bed of spicy labneh (and I don't even like carrots that much) - crispy polenta - 5/5, a sizeable rectangular portion of crispy polenta topped with oven dried tomato, goat cheese, sherried cream sauce, with generous sides of sauteed mushrooms, sauteed spinach. This was an incredible dish and can see why they offer it with chicken because that would make for a tasty entree Entrees - grilled shrimp green curry with udon noodles (special) - 5/5, this was such an outstanding dish. Five generous grilled shrimp on skewers on top of the large bowl of udon noodles and bok choy. Super yum. Everyone else enjoyed their dishes, including the pan roasted halibut, the miso glazed cod, one of the salads (the large is VERY large). Dessert - crème brûlée with berries, candied walnuts, thyme - 4/5 solid offering - mascarpone cheesecake with sliced strawberries and blueberries - 5*/5 I'm not usually a cheesecake fan but this was so light and fluffy it was delicious and I love that the berries were not just a garnish but more generous portions - baked alaska - chocolate cake, gelato, chocolate ganache, meringue - 3/5, this was the only disappointing item of the evening. If you're in Alaska and baked alaska is on the menu, it should be the classic baked alaska and if the menu says it has meringue, it shouldn't be marshmallow fluff instead. 'nuff said. My compliments to the chef - Crush really transported us to another place with the quality and presentation of the food. I'd go back again and again!

We came on a Saturday night and it was busy but we were greeted by the hostess warmly. Our wait…read moretime was about 10 minutes which is good considering we did not have a reservation. The menu has an extensive drink selection. The food is creative and the fish was well cooked. I also liked the charming atmosphere.

Somehow in the time-warp that was COVID-19-20-21...I completely missed this place…read more I wasn't sure if I had imagined that there was a meadery in Anchorage or not? I am here to confirm that it is, in fact, REAL! It's located in a tiny industrial park nook that's easy to miss. It's pretty much behind the Petsmart/Phonatik strip mall. It's on a small road you've probably missed before: 82nd street. The folks that run this mead-making tap room are some of the most authentic, kind business owners I have ever met in Anchorage. They all have day jobs and making mead is their PASSION. It was rather slow last night when I visited, so I talked to them for almost an hour solid about mead and wine and beer and liquor laws and everything in between. And I'm an introvert! They were just so fun to talk to! I got a sampler, mainly of their drier meads. They will tell you themselves, that their passion is more in the sweeter meads. And, after talking to them, I can see why! The character of the individual honeys carries through much more in a sweeter mead. Dry meads lose a lot of the unique character that comes very various different honeys. So, they included a sweet mead too, and I enjoyed it! My favorite was probably the collab they did with Double Shovel. It was a "cyser" (mead-cider hybrid) and was served carbonated. And it was on the drier side. Great stuff! I look forward to coming back! You've likely been within

This place is Amazing!! The staff on hand were the owners and they were very informative and…read morehelpful, you could tell their heart is in this business. The only problem that I had is I couldn't pick a favorite from the choices I tried, all were absolutely wonderful. We were informed that you could purchase a special type of membership at the beginning of the year which qualifies you for limited releases, I'm definitely going to sign up for that. We went to purchase a bottle and couldn't decide therefore we left with three! Can't wait to share with some friends when we're out camping.

Expensive, but fantastic food, great service and beautiful views. Not touristy at all IMO but it is…read morein a hotel... so clearly, most patrons were likely tourists like myself. I walked in alone on a weeknight for dinner and was told to sit in the bar (I did ask for an actual table since several were open, but was told they were for reservations only...) While initially off-putting, I still got a great view from my bar table and great service from my server in the bar area! She was knowledgeable, made great recommendations and was attentive; not just to me, but alsoto the tables next to me that I could hear. The Cioppino was perfect and exactly what I was looking for. The portion size was perfect for me, though the table next to me did say they were still hungry. I also did appreciate the little table bar snacks (mixed nuts, raisins, etc.) - you don't see those much anymore. The hotel itself is a bit dated, it was a bit tough to find and it is certainly expensive, but the food itself was worth it. I will say other surprise was the wine menu - despite boasting a sommelier and wine cellar, I did honestly expect a larger selection. But I was very happy with the wine I selected regardless!

The service by Marco was excellent, the food was underwhelming! The crab risotto had 3 tiny pieces…read moreof crab for $60 great flavors but not worth it at all. The Ribeye was a bit tough for med rare cook, the pork chop was very good. The Caesar salad was wet simple and a lack of flavor. The salads and soups were delivered by someone with no pepper or parmesan or a spoon. For the price point and ambience it was overall mot worth it.

There's a certain feel you get when you step foot into the Captain Cook. The old charm and elegance…read morehas become nostalgic and yet very comforting. Head just past the reception desk and a few beautiful art galleries and you'll find yourself at Whale's Tail, a bar/restaurant where good food, great drinks and live music stand out. You'll always find a good drink and there's "nothing gross on the menu" as one waitress put it. I have found their staff to be highly knowledgeable in wine and drink selection, happy to answer any questions. Their food is really good and at Alaska prices (there's always a theme here with my reviews) you pretty much break even. It's comfort food but served in a more elegant fashion. It might just be the white table cloths, candles and dim lights, who really knows it still tastes great. If you're in the mood for some delicious comfort food with healthier options and not at Crow's Neat prices, you might just find Wail's Tail is your place to be! The accept reservations too and keep and eye out for their music line up. Jazz night is also fun.

Went to Whale's Tail for trivia and had a blast! The drinks were unique including mocktails for…read morefolks who don't drink. There were excellent appetizer finger foods to snack on during a high stakes game of trivia where you could win up to $1000! We didn't win big but do recommend trivia night with apps and drinks for a great atmosphere and fun night out in Anchorage.

Stop for a birthday lunch and had the BEST Rib Eye steak panni ever!…read moreJuicy, tender and loaded with flavor. Absolute new favorite. Steak fries were excellent and all at a very reasonable price. Chicken panni was just as good.

The wine server was nice enough to let me try 3 different red wines before I picked the perfect one…read moreto accompany my onion soup. Settled on the petite sirah and it did complement the rich broth of the onion soup. Wedge was also good and my husband had the chicken panini, which I thought was a bit bland flavored. If you added procuitto to the sandwich it would kick it up a notch. Just a suggestion! Maybe add some arugula or tomatoes for extra texture. The ambiance is relaxing with old school standards playing such as My Way by Sinatra. The service was great and we got some suggestions about places to visit in the area. If I got to come back would try the crab cakes. They are not on the lunch menu though. A bit on the pricey side at 29.00. Have it with the suggestion they give on the menu of Sauvion Vouvray wine.

Great service, great food, excellent all around!!…read more The restaurant is in a strip mall like shop center, so i am glad i researched this place prior to visiting Anchorage. The soup I ordered was such a pleasant surprise, and the salmon was simply the finishing touch. The decor was appropriate for an intimate night of conversation, or small family gatherings. I would definitely recommend this place, and our waitress provided great recommendations to us tourists

Out on vacation and came here for our last night. Unbelievable dinner. Not only was the service…read moresuperb - Jessica was incredible but the food was excellent too. Lots of yummy dishes. We were all very satisfied.

To caveat, I'd give 4.5 stars if possible. My husband and I…read morewere visiting AK for pleasure & some work - and before heading home we wanted to go to a restaurant that had fresh seafood options. Orso was one of the few nicer restaurants in Anchorage that was open on a Sunday so we headed there after a very long day out at Seward. We arrived around 7:30pm. It wasn't super busy so we were seated immediately. Our server suggested some drink options based on what we liked (me: gin; my husband: bourbon). They were very good. We got the calamari appetizer - I loved the artichokes and thin lemon slices added in, plus both fried and fresh calamari in the dish. I got the Parmesan crusted halibut and my husband ordered the halibut with diavolo pasta. Both were very good. My dish came with asparagus and mushroom risotto; the risotto was pretty salty but still good. The fish was cooked well and I enjoyed it. Overall we had a very nice dinner at Orso, and I'd recommend if you're looking for a more special dinner. As I mentioned it was later on a Sunday so not busy - so the atmosphere was pretty quiet and the ambiance was cozy.

We saved this place for LAST on our Alaska vacation, and I am SO glad we did! Hands down, this was…read morethe BEST restaurant I had the pleasure of visiting in Anchorage. Everything we ordered was absolutely scrumptious. The flavors alone?! MOUTHWATERING. Every dish tasted like thought and care went into it, and I would recommend this place again and again. But what really made the night special was our server. She had to be one of the best in the city! This was my birthday dinner, and she made me feel nothing short of special from beginning to end. Even when it was time to leave, the hospitality continued. They boxed up our leftovers for us and took extra care packaging everything because they knew we were traveling. That small detail meant so much and earned them even MORE brownie points with me. The food, the flavor, the service, the hospitality--10/10 across the board. The PERFECT way to end my Alaska birthday adventure. I'll definitely be back whenever Anchorage brings me this way again!

Seriously, SO good! I'm not even much of a pizza person, so…read moreI usually don't expect much from a pizza place. But this spot completely blew my mind, and I can finally understand why it's so popular! We landed in Anchorage, and this was our first stop because we were absolutely starving. There was a bit of a wait, so we grabbed some beers and hung out on the patio until our table was ready. We ordered a half-and-half pizza, with one side being the Call of the Wild, featuring reindeer sausage, and the other being the Thai Chicken. Both were fantastic! The pizza was incredibly well-made, and the toppings were phenomenal. Maybe we were just really hungry after traveling, or maybe the pizza really was that good but either way, I'm 100% recommending this place if you're in the area. We also tried the Death by Peanut cheesecake, which was just right - not too much, not too little, and a great way to finish the meal.Service was fabulous, too. The staff kept checking in on us without being overbearing, and the pricing felt fair for the quality.

The Diablo Bread Sticks were a 10/10! Amazing flavor with just the right amount of spice…read more Definitely a must-order appetizer! My go-to pizza is the Elf on the Shelf. The fresh pineapple, cream cheese, and jalapeño create the perfect sweet-and-spicy combination. We also tried the Amazing Apricot, which was delicious! My only complaint was the mountain of carrots piled on top and would have preferred a little less. Keep an eye on the specials menu because there are so many fun and unique options to try!

I've been going to Phonatik since they opened almost 10 years ago, and it has been nice to see them…read moregrow over the years. I like their menu because it has a good variety, and the food is pretty solid overall. The dine-in service has generally been good, and the restaurant itself looks clean, modern, and comfortable. That said, the takeout experience has almost always been on the slower side throughout the years, so that is one area I think they could improve. Still, Phonatik is one of the better pho restaurants in Anchorage. I really think they have a lot of potential, but they may need to step up their game a bit to become truly outstanding.

yikes! it sucks that…read morethis is my updated review of Phonatik but hopefully it helps them to improve. so basically : work on getting your shit together. order rolls to go. 30 minute wait. for real? whatever. walked around and came back 30 minutes later. and guess what? it's still not ready! shoulda just got my money back at that point. but since I paid with cash, they couldn't do that. wtf so 10 more minutes and still nada. for goodness sakes. an additional 10 more minutes and i have to remind them about my rolls. how can you forget my order again? I'm sitting right in front of you. I finally get my order! hallelujah. but it's fucked up because you know they're rushing at this point. I ordered the rolls with NO PEANUTS. NO PEANUTS - highly allergic. this is non negotiable. apparently some dude doesn't think so and asks if switching out the peanut sauce sitting next to my rolls is good enough. no, bro. not good enough. then I'm asked if I had originally ordered my rolls with no nuts. well considering how highly reactive I am, yeah, yeah i'm sure. and why are you really trying to blame me for this epic fuck up? worst thing is you can tell the kids working here don't give a fuck. it's so obvious and takes away from what makes Phonatik so good. so like I said earlier : get your shit together.

Excellent restaurant. Both service and food were incredible. Had calamari for appetizer, 8 oz…read morefilet for main course and chocolate dessert. From the moment you walk in, you will enjoy the experience.

Had a lovely dinner here at what I thought was Southside Bistro, they apparently changed their…read morename? At any rate the atmosphere was nice not loud but definitely bustling with every table filled and chefs delivering beautiful desserts to tables and just a nice atmosphere. I had the chèvre salad as a starter and it was very good - the warm chèvre ball was delicious. I then had the halibut special with a mustard sauce that was perfectly cooked. Vegetables were cooked perfectly for me, not mushy not crunchy. We were too full for dessert but they looked really good! We will be back!