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News Release

The Fresh Factor: Fresh Alaska Seafood, Fresh Ideas Make Anchorage Kitchens Sizzle

Anchorage, Alaska – Nov. 1, 2007 – In Anchorage, scrumptious seafood is everywhere just begging for a fork, a zest of lemon and some butter.

“For Alaskans, it’s all about the fresh-factor,” says Patrick Hoogerhyde, Executive Chef at Orso, a Mediterranean restaurant on 5th Avenue in downtown Anchorage. “We’re talking 24-hours out of the water. We do it right in Alaska. We’re the best model of sustainable resource management on the planet. Personally and professionally, that is important to me because we know that our visitors are having the best culinary experience possible.”

Wild- caught crab, halibut, and salmon figure heavily into local fare and the freshness of the seafood complements the fresh ideas that come out of the kitchens of city restaurants. By utilizing the options available from Alaska’s abundant harvest, Anchorage chefs have reinvented and reinvigorated the city’s culinary scene. Seafood is the star in many establishments and the preparation varies from one chef’s imagination to the next.

“I think one of my favorites is preparing a nice, troll caught King,” says Shane Moore, Executive Chef of Sack’s on G Street. “I serve it with a soy maple glaze, wasbi ginger aioli, deconstructed spring roll, fresh herb and chili oil with delectable jasmine rice.”

Scallops are also mainstays on local menus. There are three types of Alaska scallops: Bay, Rock and Weathervane. Fished off of the coast of Cape Spencer to Yakutat, Alaska’s scallop fishery is small but produces a coveted product.

“The fresh scallops we get are rare and they are absolutely fantastic,” says Chef Travis Haugen of Southside Bistro off Huffman Street. “The net to plate turn around time makes them very succulent and tender. We’ve run the gamut on preparation. Generally I like something simple: butter, nuts and mushroom. Alaska scallops don’t need a whole lot, the taste is just so full from the get-go.”

In Anchorage, the dining possibilities are endless. Whether you’re hankering for halibut or craving for crab, local restaurateurs provide a feast from the sea that is unrivaled.

“Trying to choose a favorite Alaska seafood recipe is like trying to figure out which of your children you like best,” says Jack Amon, Partner and Executive Chef at Marx Brothers Café on W. Third Avenue. “Yukon King, when it comes in, is so rich in oil content that it just drips with taste. The fresh, Macadamia- crusted Alaska halibut is defiantly a favorite of visitors as well. The flaky fish is breaded in finely ground macadamia nut. We make a traditional style Thai yellow curry paste fried in peanut oil and finished with coconut milk. The halibut is quickly seared in a pan and finished in the oven, then served with a mango, curry, and rice vinegar chutney.”

City culinary artists also take advantage of the fresh produce from local producers in the nearby Mat-Su Valley. Many chefs make a habit of perusing the Wednesday and Saturday farmers markets during the spring and summer months. Locally picked berries and mushrooms often make their way into Anchorage dishes when in season. Huckleberries and morels are two regional delights. Market to menu produce like crunchy carrots, delectable Yukon Gold potatoes and leafy greens, allow diners to exponentially experience the Anchorage fresh factor firsthand.

There are 930 acres of commercial produce planted each year in Alaska according to the Alaska Grown label. Started in 1986, Alaska Grown products are in demand all season long and praised for the way the stimulate the taste buds and the local economy, generating more than $52 million in profits.

So what are you waiting for? In Anchorage, all you need is an appetite, a sense of adventure, and a list of local restaurants to find culinary nirvana.

The Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau’s mission is to attract and serve visitors to the Municipality of Anchorage. ACVB’s marketing functions are funded by one-third of the bed tax collected by the lodging association. One-third goes to the Municipality’s general fund and one-third goes to the Anchorage Civic & Convention Center construction project. ACVB receives no state or federal funds. Explore www.Anchorage.net for more information.

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Media Contacts:

Shelly Wozniak
Public Relations Manager
Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau
swozinak@anchorage.net
(907) 257-2331 direct
(907) 250-5285 cell
(907) 222-3752 fax

Nance Larsen, APR
Vice President, Communications & Marketing Programs
Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau
pr@anchorage.net
(907) 276-4118
Explore www.Anchorage.net