PRICE:
Frommer's Exceptional

A restaurant started by three friends back when gourmet food was an exotic hobby in Anchorage long ago became the standard of excellence in the state. Treatments of Alaska seafood that began here as cutting-edge creative cuisine now turn up in many of the best restaurants, yet Chef Jack Amon's signature macadamia nut encrusted halibut is nowhere done better. He still presides in the kitchen of the cottage downtown, one of the city's first houses, while maitre d' Van Hale manages the front, preparing his famous Caesar salad at tableside, a ritual that allows him to schmooze with anyone he chooses in the tiny dining rooms. His attitude mirrors the casual elegance of the entire evening, where those wearing ties are in the minority. The cuisine is eclectic, ranging from Asian to Italian, and always turned out flawlessly. The changing menu is not long, but the wine list is the size of a dictionary. With plenty of bottles over $1,000, it has won many awards, but the novice may find it intimidating. A meal is an experience that takes much of the evening and most entrees are over $30. Save room for the exceptional desserts.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Alaska 2008, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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