Cafe Amsterdam - European Style in Midtown

I have been meaning to give Cafe Amsterdam a try for some time, but unfortunately, I let my impression of a restaurant be affected by who was recommending it, so I kept putting off.  Pretty stupid on my part.

A few weeks ago, my wife and I packed up our one year old and went out for breakfast.  We planned to go to one of our other favorite restaurants, but at the last second I made the decision to turn into Metro Mall parking lot (across from the Sears Mall), and pulled up to Cafe Amsterdam.  

Going to a new restaurant with a one year old can be considered brave or stupid...I'll let you decide.  Suffice it to say, that our experience at Cafe Amsterdam was positive, and the restaurant and staff were ready to accept us with our little food critic.

I love a good Eggs Benedict, so I was excited to see that Cafe Amsterdam had not one, but a variety of four different Benedict options.  I went with the Moluska Benedict: two poached eggs on English muffin with salmon lox, red onions then topped with hollandaise sauce and capers, and served with cottage potatoes.  I lox, lachs, laks...no matter how you spell it...I love it!  I am also a hollandaise sauce snob.  I was not disappointed with either component of the dish.  I wasn't sure how they would pair, but matching the richness of the lox with that of the hollandaise and yolk left me wanting more.

The only problem with going to breakfast at Cafe Amsterdam is the fact that I could not partake of my favorite Belgian beer, Chimay.  Chimay and a huge variety of other Belgian, local, and international ales and ciders are available on tap or by the bottle.  They also have a healthy variety of meads and wines on their list of beverages.

As for me, I have learned a valuable lesson.  From now on, I won't let my impression of someone else affect my opinion of a restaurant.

Cafe Amsterdam:

Address - 530 E Benson Blvd #3, Anchorage, AK 99503

Phone - 907.274.0074

Website - cafe-amsterdam.com

Overall Recommendation - This is Eurostyle cafe with a great selection of Belgian and local beers.  The food is tasty and the staff is friendly.  Perfect for a late weekend breakfast, but I look forward to going back for lunch or dinner...when I can have some Chimay!

Southside Grill Restaurant - My Neighborhood Diner

If you have read through my blog, you know that I enjoy breakfast...a lot!  To my dismay, I have been unable to find a breakfast joint (that I can stomach) on the south side of Anchorage.  Either the food is bad, the service horrible, or both.  No more!  I have finally found the Southside Grill Restaurant.

Not to be confused with the Southside Bistro (read my review from December 2011), the Southside Grill Restaurant serves breakfast and lunch diner style meals.  My wife and I went for breakfast recently, and the food was very good and service was fast and friendly.

I went with the Hungry Man Breakfast featuring: ham, bacon, or sausage, 3 eggs served to order, choice of potatoes or pancakes, and biscuits and gravy.  They had me at the biscuits and gravy :)

I went with the sausage, eggs over easy, and hash-browns.  The sausage and hash-browns were typical, and the eggs cooked correctly (something that seems to be difficult for some cooks), and the biscuits and gravy were better pretty good.

What makes me happiest, is that I no longer have to drive across town to any of my other favorite breakfast eateries.  Southside Grill is just a short drive for those of us who live south of Dimond.  Spacious, clean, and friendly...our little south side gem!

Southside Grill Restaurant:

Address - 12870 Old Seward Hwy Anchorage, AK 99515

Phone - 907.297.0597

Overall Recommendation:  Good diner food and friendly service.  I have finally found a breakfast place on the south side of Anchorage that I can enjoy.

Snow City Cafe - Community Minded with a Dash of Politics

Snow City Cafe has quite a following among a certain cross section of my friends.  These friends are heavy on things like organic food, vegan recipes, locally grown ingredient, etc.  If this sounds like your kind of place, then you need to go...now!

Regardless of your socio-political leanings, Snow City is the downtown spot for breakfast, brunch, and lunch.  Hmmm, I guess I could have just said brunch.  The food is fresh and very good.  I have been twice in the last couple of weeks, once for breakfast, and once for lunch.

For breakfast I had the B.O.B. (aka The Best of Both Benedicts).  It features a blend of their traditional Eggs Benedict and their Eggs Florentine.  Two poached eggs, fresh spinach, Roma tomato slices, English muffin, and Hollandaise comprise the B.O.B.  While I found the Hollandaise to be a little watery and flabby, the rest of the B.O.B. to be perfect.  The spinach and Roma slices bring a freshness to the plate and are quite tasty.

Snow City's Cowboy Meatloaf Sandwich

For lunch I had the very hearty Cowboy Meatloaf sandwich.  Made with hormone and antibiotic free beef, this sandwich is great!  Served on marble rye with bacon, cheddar, Roma tomatos, and crispy onion straws, you just know this sandwich will be delicious, and then bam!  You get the homemade BBQ dipping sauce.  I get a nice zing in the layers of flavor in that sauce...perhaps something fruity?  I have to say, it is a very good sandwich.

The only drawback to Snow City Cafe is that they may alienate some potential clientele, with the open display of politics in the restaurant, and even at your table.  Table cards and posters abound, and there is no question which side of the aisle the owners are on.

Politics aside, this is a good restaurant with an above average menu.

Snow City Cafe:

Address - The corner of W 4th Ave and L Street in downtown Anchorage

Phone - 907.727.2489

Website - www.snowcitycafe.com

Reservations - First come, first serve.

Overall Recommendation - If you are the kind of person who would be unable to enjoy some great food because of the kind of politics espoused in Snow City, then I would not go.  If, on the other hand, you aren't bothered by such things...then don't miss it.

Harley's Old Thyme Cafe - Southern Comfort Food in Anchorage

Harley's is close to my Chiropractor.  This gives me yet one more excuse to get regular adjustments!  While the dining room is small, there is a huge amount of flavor packed into the food.  I may have found Harley's by accident, but I have been there three times in as many weeks.

• I have had the Chicken 'n Dumplings.  The chicken was tender and juicy, and the dumplings brought a smile to my face.
• I have had the Brisket Dip.  A french dip style sandwich with brisket and a barbecue style jus.  This is very good.  The brisket is tender and the jus is perfect.
• I have had the Harley Bennie.  This is the Harley's "manly" benedict, with chicken fried pork loin and two eggs any style atop a toasted english muffin and smothered in country sausage gravy.  The pork loin is tender and succulent.  Try it with the eggs over easy and experience the blending of flavors as the yolk, pork, and gravy do their magic on your taste buds.
• Try the okra!  There are not too many places you can get good fried okra in Alaska.  Harley's is the place in Anchorage.
• Don't pass on the Fried Pickles.  I have often heard the lore of how tasty a fried pickle can be.  I have searched high and low at fairs, food carts, etc.  Harley's has them, and I am hooked.  You have to try them!

I can't wait for my next Chiropractic visit.

Harley's Old Thyme Cafe:

Address - 7550 Old Seward Hwy

Phone - 907.349.8878

Website - harleysotcafe.com

Reservations - None taken.  The dining area is small, and the place gets crowded on a Sunday morning.  Take the time to wait.  You will be rewarded with some good eats.

Overall Recommendation - This is southern style comfort food, and it is pretty good.  The waitstaff is friendly, the service is fast, and the prices are reasonable.  Give it a try.

Judy's Cafe - Cash Only, Rude Servers

When you listen to people from the Hillside area of Anchorage they rave about Judy's Cafe.  Judy's serves breakfast and lunch and is only open until 3p on weekdays and Saturdays.  It is open until 2p on Sundays.

Judy's is different than most restaurant, or most places of business for that matter, in that it only accepts cash.  While there is an ATM on the premises, it is very inconvenient not to be able to pay by debit or credit card...or even check.

The food is fairly good homestyle cooking, and it is one of the better diner style restaurants in Anchorage.  Having said that there is a big drawback...which I will get to later.

On my most recent, and final visit, I had a bacon and mushroom omelette and a 1/2 order of biscuits and  gravy.  The omelette was good, but the biscuits and gravy were sub par.  The gravy did not stand out.  It was drab and needed plenty of Tabasco to make it tasty.  The biscuit itself was just plain.

My biggest gripe with Judy's is the service.  I am used to being greeted warmly and serve in a courteous and pleasant manner when in any restaurant.  I would like to say that I have only ever experienced bad service once, but I have been to Judy's three times, and have never felt like my business was appreciated. Judy's Cafe needs to work on their staffing in a big way.

I am amazed that so many people rave about Judy's Cafe given that the service is so poor.  Have we all just gotten used to bad service and rude waitstaff.  I hope not.  Judy's stands out, but for the wrong reasons.


Judy's Cafe:

Address - 11620 Old Seward Hwy

Phone - 907.349.5500

Website - on facebook

Reservations - None.  It can get very busy on Saturday and Sunday mornings.  Get there early, or be prepared to wait, or go somewhere else.

Overall Recommendation - The food is good, but the inflexibility of payment and the often rude waitstaff make it easy to pass this hot spot by.

Sunrise Grill & Pancake House

I am not much of a pancake person, but maybe I should have given them a try.  I am not saying that I disliked my breakfast at the Sunrise Grill and Pancake House, but it was not up to my breakfast loving standards.

The Sunrise Grill is a bright and clean restaurant with a friendly waitstaff and fast service.  That being said, I was not blown away by their breakfast.  I chose the Sunrise Omelet, with ham, bacon, and sausage.    It came with my choice of toast, pancakes, or biscuit...I love biscuits.  I ordered a side of gravy to go with my biscuit.  It turns out the biscuit was the highlight of the meal.

The biscuit was clearly handmade, and was fluffy and tasty, which is a lot more than I can say for many places in town.  However, the gravy was drab...with a dash of salt.  I poured on some Tabasco and that made it better.

The omelet was thick and heavy.  I prefer an omelet where the egg is light and airy.  The filling was generous, but underwhelming.  Maybe there was just too much in the omelet.  Wow, I can't believe I said that!


Sunrise Grill and Pancake House:

Address - 8201 Old Seward Hwy

Phone - 907.677.6011

Overall Recommendation:  I will probably try it again, but there are far superior breakfast restaurants in Anchorage.

Jackie's Place - Good for the Bodybuilders and the rest of us too

My father was Mr. Alaska 1992 for the Masters division.  He was a bodybuilder, and whenever he was in Anchorage, he looked forward to eating at Jackie's Place.  With it's pictures of well muscled, oiled, and tan bodied covering one of their walls, it seems it it is a popular hangout for more than just my dad.

Many of the options on the menu reflect it's loyal bodybuilder clientele.  With egg white omelets, steamed rice, and brown rice they offer some lighter diner style breakfasts.  Some of the non-traditional meats in the omelets include chicken and turkey.  It definitely sounds a little unorthodox, but it really does work.  I don't eat there because of the healthy options...I eat there because the food is great!

My father is no longer a bodybuilder, but I still go to Jacke's Place regularly.  My favorite breakfast is JP's Omelet.  It is an egg white omelet with turkey, portuguese sausage, extra turkey, extra portuguese sausage, jalapeño, and mozzarella...hmm!  I like to get mine with steamed rice on the side with a little soy sauce.  I know it sounds different, but it works.

For those of you who are not really into the alternative fare, there are still the regular eggs and sausage, biscuits and gravy, eggs Benedict, etc.  There is also a large variety of sandwiches, pies, soups and salads.  All it all, a great diner menu, but get there for breakfast or lunch, they close at 3:45p daily.


Jackie's Place:

Address - 2636 Spenard Road, Anchorage (next to Play it Again Sports and across from the Bear Tooth)

Phone - 907.274.3211

Website - www.jackiesplacerestaurant.com

Reservations - Seat yourself.  There are tables, booths, and seats around a counter.  Other than that, you have to wait for an opening.

Overall Recommendation:  Jackie's Place is an institution.  The food is very good.  Go there soon.