Bear Tooth Theatre Pub - more than movies

The Bear Tooth is made up of three separate parts.  The Bear Tooth Grill, the Bear Tooth Theatrepub, and the Bear Tooth restaurant.  The menu for the Theatre Pub and Restaurant are the same.  The menue for the grill is separate, and I will write about it in some future posting.

The theatrepub is a great place to see late run movies, shows, and concerts all while enjoying a great pizza, burrito, taco, wrap, etc.  There are many vegetarian and vegan options on the menu, which is great, but I love the more traditional offerings.  You can enjoy all of this and wash it down with a great beer!

What some people forget, is that there is a small restaurant/seating area outside of the theatre.  You can sit and order off the menu just like you would at the Moose's Tooth (the Bear Tooth's cousin).  It is not usually as crowded as the Moose's Tooth, so when I need a pizza fix, the Bear Tooth is a great choice.

I have had some great burritos at the Bear Tooth, including the Chicken Colorado, the Steak & guacamole, and the Steak Chipotle.  But on Saturday night, I needed a pizza, and I was looking for something on the lighter side.

The Wild Mushroom pizza was the perfect choice.  Chock full of portabella and crimini, and sun-dried tomatoes...this pizza rocks!  It has goat, mozzarella, and provolone cheeses on top of a denali sauce (a special non-tomato based house sauce).

The key to Bear/Moose's Tooth pizza is the crust.  It has a great savory flavor with just a hint of sweetness.  On the Wild Mushroom pizza, the crust combines with the denali sauce to bring out the flavors of the cheese and mushrooms.  With those sun-dried tomatoes, every bite has a bright tangy finish.

I enjoy the the Moose's Tooth Hard Apple Ale with almost all of the pizzas at the Tooth restaurants.  It is light and fruity, and it balances with the crust and toppings.

Whether you are catching a movie, or not, the Bear Tooth has something for nearly everyone.

Bear Tooth Theatrepub:

Address - 1230 West 27th Avenue

Phone - 907.276.4200

Website - beartooththeatre.net

Overall Recommendation:  I don't think you can do better than Bear/Moose's Tooth pizza in Anchorage.  Add in the burritos, tacos, and beer, and you have an incredible combination.

Taco Del Mar - VELOUS!

I admit I have a problem.  Tortillas are like a blanket of love for food, and Taco Del Mar is one of those places that make me feel the love.  It is a "quick-serve" chain restaurant with a local feel.  I have visited Taco Del Mar restaurants in 3 or 4 different states, and I feel like they are all local.

I would like to tell you that I have tried everything on the menu, but the fact of the matter is that they are the only burrito place I have been with fish burritos....and I love them!  I always have the Mondo fish burrito with rice, black beans, the special fish sauce, sour cream, salsa verde, & cheese on the spinach tortilla.  The ingredients are fresh, although they do have to go to the freezer for the Alaskan Cod filets.  They are all wrapped up with care into that soft, moist, and delicious green tortilla.  They really are great!

I can only assume that the rest of the menu is as good, because I always see other people ordering other items, but you have to give the fish a try.  If you need some incentive, to go, Taco Del Mar is rated by Heath Magazine as among the top 10 healthiest "fast food" restaurants in the United States.


Taco Del Mar:

Locations throughout the western United States and Canada and much of upper midwest.  There are two locations in Anchorage, one in Fairbanks, and one in Wasilla.  Check the website for a location near you.

Website - www.tacodelmar.com

No reservations needed.

Overall Recommendation:  If you like like burritos and the like, you gotta give it a try.

Freebirds World Burrito - It's a Monster

I first ate at Freebirds World Burrito about 15 years ago. Over the years the picture of this magnificent beast of a burrito has grown, like a legend, in my mind. The only thing is that this time my mind was not playing tricks on me.

The burritos come in 4 sizes: Hybird, Freebird, Monster, and Super Monster. There are 3 proteins to choose from: Slow Roasted Carnitas, Fire Grilled Steak, Fire Grilled Chicken (your choice of white or dark meat).....or you can have a fresh veggie filling.

When I am faced with a decision about which size to get, and two of the names have Monster in them, I feel obligated, on a purely masculine level, to get at least the smaller of the two monsters. I went with the Monster simply because I might not have been strong enough to even hold up the Super Monster. To be healthy (ha!) I went with the spinach tortilla and chicken (dark meat please).

The flavor of the fire grilled chicken really stands out amongst the traditional rice, cheeses, sour cream, etc. In many chain burrito stores (Qdoba, Chipotle to name a couple) you get decent flavors from fresh fixings, but there is something about the grill on the Freebirds burrito that is special. It is like that lady in the red dress, when the rest are wearing black.

In an earlier post I mentioned that I have a real weakness for good food that is served in a warm tortilla. Freebirds is the best I have had. If you have the opportunity, don't pass it up. I would eat at one every day if there were one in Anchorage, although I would have to go with a smaller option I don't want to lose my figure :)

Freebirds World Burrito:

Address -

43 locations in Texas

1 in Oklahoma

2 in California

Website - www.freebirds.com (you can order online)

Reservations - none needed

Overall Recommendation: bring your appetite and thirst for well seasoned fixings!