R. Doug Wicker — Author

Brewed in Alaska • By Alaskans • For Alaskans

With that motto on the menu, you just know you’re entering a fine dining establishment.  Well, tasty, at least.

Today we reach the end of our Alaskan adventure with a return to our favorite Anchorage dining establishment — Glacier Brewhouse.

Ursula and I first discovered this Anchorage treasure last year.  This year we just knew we would be going back, even though we had severe reservations.  No, not those kind of reservations.  The I-want-to-show-up-and-not-wait-two-hours-to-eat kind of reservations.  Thus, planning ahead, we had reservations for three visits — two dinners and one lunch.  That’s what I refer to as “severe reservations.”

First off, this is not your father’s brew pub.  If the hand-crafted hefeweizen and the India pale ale I had are any indication, then everything they brew here has to be simply outstanding.  Hefeweizen is a Bavarian-style wheat beer that is known for it’s cloudy nature, but this particular example is positively opaque and as flavorful and robust as it looks.  Don’t feel left out if you’re a teetotaler, however.  The Glacier Brewhouse also make a very good root beer.  House-brewed cream soda is also on the menu, but neither Ursula nor I gave it a try . . . at least not this visit.

Beyond the brews, however, is the incredible food.  In particular, the Hearty Alaskan Seafood Chowder is an absolute must.  This rich and tasty treat contains roasted corn, shaved fennel, red peppers (which accounts for the color), and bacon in a cream-and-crab broth flavored with a hint of dry sherry.  Go for the bowl.  It’s only two bucks more than the cup, and you’ll regret reaching the bottom too soon.  Accompanying your bowl will be a basket of fresh bread slices, but the bread is nothing about which to write home.  It lacks the crispy crust and flavorful interior of a traditional European-style rustic bread.

Hope you’re still hungry, because there are a lot more enticements awaiting you.  Pictured below you will see the crispy cod sandwich, a pulled pork and slaw sandwich with homemade potato chips, and an example of one of Glacier Brewhouse’s wonderful rustic pizzas.  Another pictured dish is, if I recall correctly, the crusted Alaskan cod Jasmine rice cake topped with a coconut curry sauce.

This place alone is almost worth the trek up to Anchorage.