Amid the wild countryside that crowds around it on all sides, Anchorage has grown into a spirited, cosmopolitan city -- by far Alaska's largest and most sophisticated. The relative affluence of its largely white-collar population -- with a sprinkling of olive drab from nearby military bases -- attracts fine restaurants and pricey shops, first-rate entertainment, and world-class sporting events. Flashy modern towers punctuate the skyline, and colorful flowers spill from hundreds of baskets on downtown lampposts.

AREA COMPANIES

  • Alyeska Pipeline Co (4.0 mi)
  • British Petroleum (3.0 mi)
  • Elmendorf Airforce Base (7.0 mi)
  • Fort Richardson Army Base (7.0 mi)

ATTRACTIONS

  • Alaska Native Heritage Center (10.0 mi)
  • Alaska Native Hospital (4.0 mi)
  • Alaska Railroad (6.0 mi)
  • Alaska Zoo (4.0 mi)
  • Alyeska Ski Resort (25.0 mi)
  • Arctic Slope Regional (1.0 mi)
  • Egan Convention Center (5.0 mi)
  • Museum of History and Art (5.0 mi)
  • Providence Hospital (3.0 mi)
  • Sullivan Arena (3.0 mi)
  • University of Alaska (3.0 mi)

AREA AIRPORTS

  • Anchorage - ANC (3 mi E) From Anchorage Airport: Follow International Airport Road straight until reaching "A" Street. Turn left on "A" Street. Turn left into hotel parking area.

RESTAURANTS


Simon and Seafort's Saloon and Grill
420 L St.
Anchorage
Cafes
Average Price: $25 to Over $40
CC: AE|DC|MC|V
907-2743502

Chef Rob Whaley's mouth-watering seafood creations are as good as it gets. And with the view of the sun setting over Cook Inlet, Simon and Seafort's is a pretty idyllic spot. Top billing goes to seared scallops with sour cherry, onion, and fig compote -- this dish is utterly divine. Fish lovers will also appreciate crab legs and grilled Alaskan salmon with toasted hazelnut butter. Of course, there's also plenty of meat and pasta. The brandy ice -- vanilla ice cream whipped with brandy, Kahlua, and creme de cacoa -- is decadent. The bar has a good selection of scotch, microbrews, and appetizers. Reservations essential. AE, DC, MC, V. No lunch Sun.


Glacier BrewHouse
737 W. 5th Ave.
Anchorage
American/Casual
Average Price: $10 to Over $40
CC: AE|D|DC|MC|V
907-2742739

Always packed with locals, the cavernous, wood-beamed BrewHouse offers ales, stouts, lagers, and barley wine. Dinner selections range from thin-crusted, 10-inch pizzas to barbecued salmon, New York pepper steak, and Alaskan king crab legs. The atmosphere is loud and jovial, and you can watch the hardworking chefs in the open kitchen. Reservations are recommended. AE, D, DC, MC, V. No lunch Sun.


Downtown Deli
525 W. 4th Ave.
Anchorage
Delicatessens
Average Price: $10 to $25
CC: AE|D|DC|MC|V
907-2767116

Owned by Alaska's governor, Tony Knowles, this deli serves a variety of favorites, from pastrami sandwiches to chopped chicken liver. Lunch and dinner include Alaska touches, such as grilled halibut or salmon and reindeer stew. The dark, rich chicken soup comes with either matzo balls or noodles. Breakfasts range from omelets to blintzes. Wooden booths offer privacy, or sit out front at the sidewalk tables for some people-watching. Service is efficient and cheery. Reservations not accepted. AE, D, DC, MC, V.


Crow's Nest Restaurant
On top of the Hotel Captain Cook, 5th Ave. and K St.
Anchorage
Contemporary
Average Price: Over $40
CC: AE|D|DC|MC|V
907-3432217

Along with elegant cuisine you'll find one of the best views in Anchorage -- the Chugach Mountains to the east, the Alaska Range to the north, and Anchorage below. Crow's Nest is best known for its five-course set menu ($80 plus wine) offered in the summer months. The wine list is also impressive. The presentation is refined: plenty of starched linen, brass, and teak. Seafood is always on the menu, along with game and other meats. Locals flock here for the Sunday brunch ($32). Reservations essential. AE, D, DC, MC, V. Closed Sun.-Mon. No lunch.


Marx Brothers' Cafe
627 W. 3rd Ave.
Anchorage
Cafes
Average Price: $25 to Over $40
CC: AE|DC|MC|V
907-2782133

A local favorite, Marx Brothers' was built in 1916 and refurbished by the so-called "Marx Brothers" -- Jack Amon, Van Hale, and Ken Brown. Chef Jack's melitzanosalata (eggplant spread) appetizer is an Anchorage institution. Try baked halibut with a macadamia crust, served with coconut curry and mango chutney. And don't miss the warm wild-berry crisp with Alaskan birch syrup and butter pecan ice cream. More than 400 international wines are on the list -- the restaurant has received the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. Reservations essential. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed Sun. Sept.-May. No lunch.


Sacks Cafe
328 G St.
Anchorage
Cafes
Average Price: $25 to Over $40
CC: AE|MC|V
907-2763546

Another longtime favorite and now in a new and more spacious location, Sacks serves light American and ethnic cuisine, such as grilled lamb with sun-dried tomato curry sauce, roasted Portobello mushrooms with udon noodles, and spicy pan-seared scallops. For lunch, try the New York steak sandwich or one of the vegetarian panini -- and leave room for the decadent chocolate gateau. A separate bar area provides a friendly atmosphere for singles. The cafe is especially crowded during lunch. Sunday brunch is available 11-2:30. Reservations essential. AE, MC, V.


Kumagoro
533 W. 4th Ave.
Anchorage
Japanese
Average Price: $10 to Over $40
CC: AE|D|DC|MC|V
907-2729905

A favorite of the suit-and-tie lunch crowd, Kumagoro also has Japanese-style breakfasts, a take-out deli with such specialties as herring roe on kelp, and a sleek sushi bar (open evenings only). The best dinner items are the sizzling salmon and beef teriyaki. With the shabu-shabu dinner ($26 per person), you cook your own meats and vegetables in a stockpot of boiling broth. Inexpensive homemade ramen (deep-fried Japanese-style noodles) soups are also available. AE, D, DC, MC, V.


Club Paris
417 W. 5th Ave.
Anchorage
Steak
Average Price: $10 to Over $40
CC: AE|D|DC|MC|V
907-2776332

Alaska's oldest steak house, Club Paris has an old-fashioned feel. It's dark and smoky up front in the bar, where Anchorage folks have been meeting for more than four decades. You can get tender, flavorful steaks of all kinds, including a 4-inch-thick filet mignon. Also on the menu are sandwiches (lunch only), salads, and fresh seafood. If you don't have reservations, have a martini at the bar and order the hors d'oeuvres tray ($26), a sampler of top sirloin steak, cheese, and prawns -- a meal for two (or more). AE, D, DC, MC, V. No lunch Sun.


Gwennie's Old Alaskan Restaurant
4333 Spenard Rd.
Anchorage
American
Average Price: $10 to $40
CC: AE|D|DC|MC|V
907-2432090

Historic Alaskan photos, stuffed animals, and memorabilia adorn this old family favorite, just south of city center toward the airport. Lunch and dinners are available -- including an all-you-can-eat beef barbecue for just $11 -- but the restaurant is best known for its old-fashioned breakfasts, available all day. Try the sourdough pancakes, reindeer sausage and eggs, or crab omelets. AE, D, DC, MC, V.


Double Musky Inn
Crow Creek Rd.
Girdwood
Cajun/Creole
Average Price: $25 to Over $40
CC: AE|D|DC|MC|V
907-7832822

Anchorage residents say eating here is worth the one-hour drive south to Girdwood and the inevitable wait for dinner. Despite the noise and tacky decor, Double Musky is charming -- huge Sitka spruce frame the windows for a scenic setting, and the diverse menu mixes Cajun-style meals with such favorites as garlic seafood pasta, rack of lamb, French pepper steak, and lobster kebabs. The biggest attraction for dessert is the gooey, chocolate-rich Double Musky pie. The restaurant is smoke free except for the lounge. Reservations not accepted. AE, D, DC, MC, V. Closed Mon. and Nov. No lunch.


Seven Glaciers
Westin Alyeska Prince Hotel, 1000 Arlberg Rd.
Girdwood
Contemporary
Average Price: Over $40
CC: AE|D|MC|V
907-7542237

A tram, which is free with dinner reservations, otherwise $19 round-trip, carries you to the base of the 2,300-ft Mt. Alyeska in Girdwood, 40 minutes south of Anchorage. In this refined yet comfortable restaurant, whose dining room overlooks seven glaciers, you'll enjoy artfully presented dinner entrees -- smoked and grilled salmon with spicy green chili dumplings and grilled Portobello mushrooms on angel-hair pasta. Appetizers, particularly the peppered Dungeness crab cakes, are extraordinary, but so are the prices. A special four-course menu ($70 including a matched wine) is available nightly. Reservations essential. AE, D, MC, V. Closed Sun.-Thurs. Nov.-mid-Apr. No lunch.


Jens'
701 W. 36th Ave.
Anchorage
Contemporary
Average Price: $25 to Over $40
CC: AE|D|DC|MC|V
907-5615367

This dining spot may be in a midtown strip mall, but it's exquisitely decorated -- featuring Alaskan art -- and serves fine food. The dinner menu changes daily and almost always includes Alaskan salmon, halibut, and rockfish. Other specialties are rack of lamb, tenderloin of veal, and their justly famous pepper steak. Head chef Jens Hansen's heritage shows through at lunch when the Danish specials appear, along with soups, salads, pastas, and vegetarian meals. For a lighter evening meal, sample the appetizers in the wine bar. Reservations are recommended. AE, D, DC, MC, V. Closed Sun. and Jan. No lunch Sat., no dinner Mon.


CampoBello Bistro
601 W. 36th Ave.
Anchorage
Italian
Average Price: $25 to $40
CC: DC|MC|V
907-5632040

Tucked into a midtown mall, CampoBello has surprisingly sophisticated Italian entrees and sinful desserts. Step inside for a romantic lunch or dinner -- modern art on the walls and candles on the tables. Specialties include wild mushroom cannelloni, veal marsala, and scampi Mediterranean -- a rich blend of shrimp, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, spinach, and feta cheese over fettuccine. The wine list is impressive, particularly for Italian wines. Reservations for dinner are recommended. DC, MC, V. No lunch weekends, no dinner Sun.-Mon.


Mexico in Alaska
7305 Old Seward Hwy.
Anchorage
Mexican
Average Price: $10 to $40
CC: AE|D|MC|V
907-3491528

Since 1972 this restaurant has been serving the most authentic Mexican food in town -- maybe even in Alaska. Favorite dishes -- all are subtle and ungreasy -- include lime-marinated fried chicken, chilaquiles (tortilla casserole with mole sauce), and entremesa de queso (melted cheese, jalapenos, and onions with homemade tortillas). Lunch buffets are offered on weekdays and Sunday. The place is several miles south of downtown, so you'll need to drive or catch the city bus. AE, D, MC, V. No lunch Sun.


Moose's Tooth Pub & Pizzeria
3300 Old Seward Hwy.
Anchorage
Pizza
Average Price: $10 to $40
CC: D|DC|MC|V
907-2582537

This down-home brewpub and pizzeria in midtown, just off the Seward Highway north of 36th Avenue, is always packed with jovial locals. Pizzas and handcrafted beers, including more than a dozen ales, ambers, porters, and stouts, prevail. Homemade root beers, cream sodas, and ginger ales are also delicious. Match these unique brews with one of 40 pizzas, with toppings as varied as roasted red peppers, jalapenos, cream cheese, halibut, and capers. Weekday lunches are a steal, starting at just $5. D, DC, MC, V.


Thai House Restaurant
830 E. 36th Ave.
Anchorage
Thai
Average Price: $10 to $40
CC: AE|MC|V
907-5638616

Among the Thai restaurants scattered around Anchorage, this is one of the best. Housed in an old Dairy Queen on a busy street corner, it has authentic Thai cooking, quick and friendly service, and an unpretentious setting. Standard offerings include fresh rolls, pad thai (spicy cooked noodles with shrimp, chicken, and eggs), and tom kha gai (a flavorful soup of coconut milk, chicken, lemongrass, and ginger), along with something you aren't likely to find in Thailand: stir-fried curry Dungeness crab. AE, MC, V.


Middle Way Cafe & Coffee House
1200 W. Northern Lights Blvd.
Anchorage
Vegetarian
Average Price: Under $10 to $25
907-2726433

This cramped lunchtime niche serves a variety of vegetarian and nonvegetarian dishes, including gussied-up grain-and-soy burgers, turkey cranberry sandwiches, and jumbo whole-grain tortillas wrapped around combinations of organic veggies, falafel, brown rice, and beans. You can get a fruit smoothie at the juice bar, choose from 35 different teas, or enjoy an espresso. Be sure to check out the daily specials. Reservations not accepted. No credit cards. Kitchen closed Sun.


Harbor Dinner Club & Lounge
220 5th Ave.
Seward
Seafood
Average Price: $10 to Over $40
CC: AE|D|DC|MC|V
907-2243012

Local seafood is the best choice in this comfy, family-run restaurant in Seward, 127 miles south of Anchorage -- the gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park. Try a halibut burger and fries for lunch, prime rib or lobster for dinner. There's also dancing in the lounge. AE, D, DC, MC, V.


Ray's Waterfront
Small-boat harbor
Seward
Seafood
Average Price: $10 to $40
CC: AE|D|DC|MC|V
907-2245606

True to its name, this dining spot in Seward has views of the bay and a small-boat harbor. Sea otters and sea lions have occasionally been known to swim right past the large picture windows. Not surprisingly, seafood is the specialty here; the seafood chowder is excellent. AE, D, DC, MC, V. Closed Nov.-mid-Mar.