Probably no trip to Alaska is complete without a visit to Denali National Park and Preserve. The name for the park comes from the mountain, Denali, the highest peak in North America. One of America’s jewels, the park is renowned for its wildlife. The gigantic wilderness park is surrounded by even more wilderness. Just outside the park entrance and boundary is a small enclave of hotels, gift shops and food establishments that open seasonally to accommodate Denali’s thousands of visitors.

After a long day of touring the park, marveling at the scenery and capturing the wildlife on film, it was time for dinner. Dick and I used the inexact science of serendipity, walking around a bit and going to a place that struck our fancy. We went to Prospector’s Pizzeria and Alehouse. It turned out to be a good choice.

The hostess seated us in a booth in a large dining room, the walls covered with historic Alaska photographs. The other decorations follow the Alaska theme with snowshoes and bear skins. The building was once a multi-media theater showing aurora, northern lights presentations. There is a long bar with a long line of taps. The booths are bench seat, snug but comfortable enough for a dinner. When the dining room is full of patrons it can be a bit on the noisy side. Besides proclaiming they stock 49 different beers, the menu features appetizers, sandwiches, pasta dishes, salads, and soups as well as the pizza.

We decided to start with an appetizer and ordered humus with crostini. It was an attractive presentation. A round bowl, with a good serving of humus, was in the center of an oval platter. Surrounding the humus were crostini, Kalamata olives, thinly sliced red onion, pepperoncini, diced tomatoes, diced cucumber, a wedge of lemon and a small container of feta cheese. It has been said if you like garlic then you’ll like humus. This version was milder in garlic than expected but still was a nice smooth consistency and good flavor. It was a treat trying all of the possible flavor combinations. The serving was adequate for two.

It was a pizzeria after all, so we ordered pizza. Prospector’s offers two sizes, the cub at 12-inches, and the grizzly measuring 17-inches. The menu has a long list of standard pizza topping combinations. As well, if you have particular favorites, you can “build your own,” choosing from a list of sauces, crusts, and extensive toppings. We went back and forth. Did we want to share a large pizza or get a smaller, individual pie. This topping, that combination was considered until we decided to each get an individual pizza, the cub.

Dick ordered the Grizzly Bear (cub-sized $13.95).The toppings included: pepperoni, Italian sausage, double smoked bacon, ground beef, mozzarella and aged provolone cheese. The pizza arrived hot. When I asked Dick how it was, he gave me a big thumbs-up.

I ordered the Prospector (cub-sized $13.95). The toppings included: Italian sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, onions, hot peppers and mozzarella cheese. Also hot on arrival, the crust had a slightly raised edge, was lightly browned on the bottom, and as a good pizza crust should be, soft but tough. There was a good distribution of sauce and cheese, not too much nor too little. There were adequate topping on the pizza. Good flavor, good pizza. We were hungry and ate avidly. About half way through the pizzas, both Dick and I realized we should have really ordered a cub to split.

Prospector’s offers amenities such as a free shuttle service from lodging to the restaurant and back for its customers. All of the restaurant employees we met were courteous and efficient. The hostess greeted and seated us is short order. The server, in his Carhartt overalls, was always in motion and kept up with the needs at his tables. Work at the pizzeria is seasonal and workers come from all over for a summer’s work. They seem energetic and serious about their work.

Considering that the Prospector’s Pizzeria and Alehouse is in the middle of the wilderness, that resupply is a 4 to 6 hour truck drive away, the quality of the food product was excellent. Servings were well prepared and adequate, and the prices were reasonable considering where we were.

If you would like more information about Denali National Park and Preserve,
see http://www.nps.gov/dena/index.htm .

If you would like more information about Prospector’s Pizzeria & Alehouse,
see http://denalipizza.com/ .