Donna's Restaurant - Oh, Donna!

It's a beautiful day in Juneau, AK and the wife and I just worked up an appetite hiking up Mt. Roberts.  We need some good food and we are in the valley...got it...let's go to Donna's.  I have never been disappointed, and today is no different.

In the past I have had breakfasts, grilled ham & cheese sandwiches, soup, etc.  Today, however, I feel like a burger and when in Donna's eat Donna's Burger.  Her signature burger is an incredibly juicy quarter pound patty with salami, ham, cheese, and all the fixings.  Pow!  What a great burger...and perfectly prepared.  I wolfed it down in no time flat.  I love the way the salami, ham, and the beef play off each other and taste perfect.

You don't need to climb a mountain to go...you will be happy either way.

Donna's Restaurant:

Address - 9131 Glacier Highway, Juneau, AK 99801

Phone - 907-789-1470

Website -  www.donnasrestaurant.com

Reservations - none needed, but you could call ahead to see if they are busy.

Overall Recommendation:  This is a very good little diner with good breakfasts and good burgers, if you are out near the airport, give it a try.

The Island Pub - the Douglas Dynamo

After a day of hiking and exploring the Juneau/Douglas area there is one place you can count on to really satisfy...The Island Pub on Douglas.  There is no better choice for pizza in the Juneau area.

My wife and I warm-up with the Pizza Skins.  The Island Pub makes it's own garlic infused oil and then coats some of their great pizza crust and tops it with grated Parmesan.  It is great on it's own, but you can also get some dipping sauce (marinara, BBQ, bleu cheese, ranch).  Try the ranch...it tastes fresh and homemade.

We then had some of the gourmet pizza they are famous for.  Each year The Island Pub holds a pizza recipe contest for it's patrons.  We had the Napolitano Alfredo, the 2005 Gourmet Pizza Contest winner, you can draw your own conclusions about the name of the pizza, but it is packed with flavor.  It starts with an Alfredo sauce base, it is then generously topped with house and Parmesan cheeses, basil, sun dried tomatoes, crimini mushrooms, pepperoni, and roasted garlic.  On top of that near perfect crust, you have a work of art.  I would add marinated artichoke hearts, but it is nearly perfect as is.

I really don't think you can go wrong with any of the choices on the menu though.  The ingredients are fresh and put on each pizza with care.  Add a pitcher of your favorite brew and you will be in heaven.

The Island Pub:

Address - 1102 2nd Street, Douglas, AK 88824

Phone - 907-364-1595

Website - theislandpub.com

Reservations - I have been twice and not needed them, but with as good as the food is I might call for a Friday/Saturday night.

Overall Recommendation:  This is the best pizza in Juneau, and one of the best pizzas I have had.  Go for it!

Douglas Cafe - breakfast on the island

Some Juneau friends picked us up at the hotel and then took us across the bridge for breakfast at the Douglas Cafe.  It was definitely a good choice...always trust the locals.

They have a specials board, but I ordered off the menu.  The Douglas Deluxe had, in parenthesis, "the all time favorite).  By now, you probably know that this is the signal that I usually am looking for when looking at a menu.  Rule number one: Always give the house special a shot.

The Douglas Deluxe has fried potatoes, onions, & tomatoes, topped with fresh spinach, cheddar, and 2 eggs (I prefer over easy) and a delicious salsa.  It comes with a side of toast, but I added some link sausage into the mix.  I love breakfast food, and I love spinach...need I say more.  I broke open the yolks and mixed it all together...rich, savory, delicious.

If you are looking for a hole in the wall diner with good breakfast, this is the place.  They are also supposed to have good burgers...I will have to give them a try someday.

Douglas Cafe:

Address - 916 3rd Street, Juneau, AK 99824

Phone - 907-364-3307

Website - none, but they do have a Facebook page

Reservations:  none, and the dining room is small, so you may need to wait....do it, you will be happy you did.

Overall Recommendation:  Great for breakfast.  Give it a try.

The Hanger on the Wharf

The Hanger on the Wharf is a kind of institution in Juneau.  The building is literally on the water and was formerly home to Alaska Coastal Airlines in the 1940's, but the restaurant was established in 1996.  The beer selection is great, the waitstaff is very attentive, and the pub food is very good.  However, in addition to their pub food menu, the Hanger has a more ambitious dinner menu.  This evening I took a chance...only to be disappointed.

Let me preface the rest of my review by stating that I have eaten at the Hanger several times and enjoyed eating there, but those times I ate off the pub menu eating things like fish 'n chips and burgers.  In those previous visits, I have always left satisfied.

We started with scallops wrapped in bacon.  The scallops tasted fine, but they were criminally overcooked, as was the bacon.  The resulting texture resemble more of a savory miniature hockey puck. The appetizer was followed by seafood chowder.  I like my chowder to be somewhere between thin and runny and so thick your spoon could stand up in it.  This chowder had decent flavor, but was extremely thin.  If I have to add a packet of oyster crackers to thicken it up, it is too thin.

The dinner menu features steaks, seafood dishes, chicken, etc.  I decided to try the Black & Bleu New York Steak.  The steak is rolled in freshly cracked black pepper, charbroiled and then topped with bleu cheese crumbles.  It was not horrible but, perhaps because of my previous experiences, I was expecting something special.  The steak was not a prime cut....it was thin, tough, and not very juicy.  The peppercorn was actually pretty good, but the bleu cheese was far from transcendant.  In a word disappointing....definitely not worth the $42 price tag.

The saving grace for the dinner service was the very attentive wait staff.  My water glass was never empty, and I never had finished dishes sitting in front of me for more than a few seconds.

It is possible that I just got a disappointing dinner.  I suspect that the downtown Juneau merchants and restaurants are overwhelmed with the beginning of tourist season and the cruise ships.  Having said that, it is time to pick up your game, not let it slip away...like a cruis ship in the night.

The Hanger on the Wharf:

Address - 2 Marine Way #106, Juneau, AK 99801

Phone - 907-586-5018

Website - hangar.hangaronthewharf.com

Reservations - Recommended, especially on a Friday or Saturday night, or if there is a cruise ship in town.

Overall Recommendation:  Eat from the pub menu.  It has always been good for me in the past.  The prices are more reasonable than the dinner menu...and the food is much better.

Capital Cafe - Maybe not so capital

My wife and I are in Juneau, for a wedding, for the weekend.  We are staying at the Westmark Baranof Hotel and decided to eat at the in hotel restaurant, the Capital Cafe.  I am usually a bit wary of in hotel cafe type restaurants.  They are not usually unique fine dining experience, and the Capital Cafe definitely backed up my instincts.  Let's just say, I saw the "Grand Slam Breakfast" as one of the options the menu...not really a good sign.

However, I also saw Eggs Benedict which I love...so I ordered those.  They weren't inedible, but I am pretty sure the hollandaise came from a packet and was not made from scratch.  Not much flavor or richness and it needed salt.  The eggs themselves were actually poached almost perfectly, so the breakfast was not a complete loss.  Add a side of extra greasy hash-browns, and lets just say I was underwhelmed.

The waitstaff was friendly, but the restaurant was loud with silverware and plates being bussed and dumped into bins.  Not really a relaxing environment, which I would have been able to overlook with great food, so....no joy.

Capital Cafe:

Address - 127 N Franklin St, Juneau, AK 99801

Phone - 907-586-2660

Website - www.westmarkhotels.com/juneau-food.php

Reservations - probably not needed, but you could call ahead to see.

Overall Recommendation:  This not the worst hotel restaurant I have been to.  It serves an adequate variety of breakfast foods.  However, if you are looking for a great dining experience, look elsewhere.

Tommy's Burger Stop & Po Boy Shoppe

Friends have been recommending that I give Tommy's Burger Stop & Po Boy Shoppe a try for years now.  For some reason, I have never taken the opportunity to stop by.  It is located kitty-corner to REI on the southeast corner of Benson and Spenard.

I am a bit of a burger snob, and I think a lot of people rave about burgers that are pretty mediocre.  Tommy's Burger Stop burgers are pretty darn good!  You may want to wear a bib since the 5 ounce burgers are cooked perfectly and are very juicy.

I had the Stella Bleu Burger and my wife had the Bacon Cheeseburger.  They were brought to us at our outdoor table, and we immediately dove in.  The Stella had a generous amount of blue cheese crumbles and mozzarella.  My wife loved the crispy bacon.  Both burgers were juicy as can be.

We each had a side of fries (they were out of onion rings) and we were less than impressed.  They were cooked well, but the seasoning didn't really do much for us.  I would have like them to be a little more savory.

However, the fries won't keep me from going back.  I already have my eyes on the Sweet Charlotte, the RLE Hello Burger, and maybe a Po-Boy.


Tommy's Burger Stop & Po Boy Shoppe:

Address - 1106 West 29th Place (Benson & Spenard), Anchorage, 99503

Phone - 907-561-5696

Facebook Page

Reservations - None.  There is very limited seating inside the restaurant, which means on a busy weekday, the lunch crowd might have to dine out.  During the summer there is some outdoor seating.

Overall Recommendation:  Tasty burgers with ok fries.  STOP by and give it a try.

El Rodeo Mexican Restaurant - Muldoon Royalty

Just three blocks from the Glen Hwy, on Muldoon Road, is a nice little Mexican restaurant perfect for my trips home after a day of coaching at Bartlett Pool.  El Rodeo is not unlike many of the Mexican Restaurants in Anchorage, good food, good value, and a friendly staff.  The Muldoon area of Anchorage is lucky to have one of these gems.

I have probably driven past El Rodeo thousands of times.  Countless times I have told myself to go in, but today was my first time...it really hit the spot.  The menu has all of the greats:  enchiladas, tacos, burritos, chimichangas....huevos rancheros.  I love huevos rancheros, and when I see it on the menu, it is hard for me to resist ordering...this time I did not even try.

One of the great things about Mexican cuisine is that it does not take long to prepare.  Less than five minutes after placing my order, out came my 3 huevos.  They came with sides of refried beans and rice and several "supplemental" corn tortillas.  Now I am a bit of a ranchero sauce snob, and I was not too impressed with El Rodeo's version, but the dish was pretty good despite that one handicap.  One thing I really appreciated were the extra tortillas.  Most times I have had huevos rancheros, I have wished I had some extra to help collect the extra yolk, beans, and rice.

Needless to say, I am just moments from a food coma.  Why do I have such a weakness for tortillas?  ¡Ay, caramba! 


El Rodeo Mexican Restaurant:

Address - 385 Muldoon Rd., Anchorage, AK 99504

Phone -  907-338-5393

Website - www.elrodeoak.com

Reservations - Not sure if any are needed.  There are two dining areas with plenty of seating.

Overall Recommendation:  I nice option for those on the east side of Anchorage.  Good flavors, friendly service.

Romano's Italian & Seafood Restaurant

The first time I went to Romano's, I was with a group of swimmers, traveling from Fairbanks.  We enjoyed the escargot that night, and since then I have always had a special place in my heart for the place.

Most recently I took my wife for a Friday "date night".  We had a very friendly waiter who made us both smile and put us in a great mood.  Despite the fact that we heard a lot of noise from a birthday group in the same room, we were able to have a nice dinner for two.

I started with the minestrone which was very hearty and quite good.  We then enjoyed the stuffed mushrooms.  The fresh mushrooms were stuffed with a seafood dressing and then covered with light seafood cream sauce.  I would have preferred them to be cooked a little longer to blend the flavor of the stuffing and the mushrooms a bit, but they were still tasty.

My wife had the chicken fettuccini and she said it was one of the best in town.  I had one of the specials for the day, the Seafood Lasagna.  With shrimp, crab, and scallops that had first been sauteed with onions and red peppers, this version of Lasagna is outstanding.  The flavor and texture of the seafood shines through and blends perfectly with pasta, cheese, and sauce.  If I was not so full from my serving, I would love to have had a second serving.

While there are quieter, more intimate Italian restaurants in Anchorage, there are not any that show any more talent in blending seafood into their dishes.  The prices are primarily in the $15-$20 range and well worth the cost.  Give it a try.

Romano's Italian & Seafood Restaurant:

Address - 2415 C Street, Anchorage, AK 99503

Phone - 907-276-0888

Website - www.romanosak.net

Reservations - Reservations are not accepted.  First come, first serve.  There are a lot of tables, so I can't imagine having to wait, but there is a bar if you need to wait for a table to open up.

Overall Recommendation:  This is a good restaurant with friendly waitstaff.  This is not a quiet, intimate restaurant.  There can be quite a bit of noise with voices carrying, but if you go on a slow night and are seated away from others, it can be a nice romantic dinner.  Having said that, the food is good and worth a try.

The Channel Club - A Sitka Landmark

Every year I get to go and do a "man camp" weekend with a few friends in Sitka.  We spend the weekend fishing, drinking cocktails and beer, and eating lots of camping types of food.  At the end of these trips we usually have some down time in Sitka before heading home.  We usually cap off the trip with a meal at one of Sitka's premier restaurants...The Channel Club.

The Channel Club is a has has modern feel with a beautiful view of Sitka Sound.  The restaurant has a reputation for being a fine dining establishment, and I have known people who have flown from as far as Juneau for a dinner at the Channel Club.  While it is an above average restaurant, I must say I would go mostly for the view.

With a modest wine list, and a small but more than adequate menu, the Channel Club does satisfy.  The steaks are what are always recommended, but after a weekend of eating nothing but red meat, I usually need something a little lighter.  On this trip I had the Ceasar Salad with the asian inspired Black Cod dish.  The salad really hit the spot, especially since the only vegetables I had had for the last few days were pickled beans and olives.  The Black Cod was served with bokchoy and rice, with a savory soy/teriyaki and sesame sauce.  The cod was cooked perfectly and was just what I needed.

For dessert I had the Strawberry New York cheesecake.  I have had better, in fact, I wonder how many days old this particular cheesecake was.  Don't despair on the dessert front though, as I did try the peach cobbler and it was very good.

All in all our group enjoyed the food, wine, and dessert and I look forward to another man camp trip capped off with a visit to the Channel Club.

The Channel Club:

Address - 2906 Halibut Point Road, Sitka, AK

Phone - 907-747-7440

Website - www.sitkachannelclub.com

Reservations:  I recommend calling ahead and making reservations.  I have been to the Channel Club twice, and the first time it was very full.  If you are visiting Sitka, and would like to be picked up, the Channel Club has it's own shuttle...give them a call.

Overall Recommendation:  The food and service are good.  I don't think you will be disappointed with anything on the menu.  With that said, it seems that the view, in combination with the food, is what really sells this place.  The views of Sitka Sound are great...and the food is pretty good too.