Double Musky – Birthday Dinner 2016

The Double Musky Inn

Cajun cooking, emphasizing steak & local seafood, in a roadhouse with Mardi Gras-style décor.

A Birthday Dinner Tradition

Mile .3 Crow Creek Road, Girdwood, AK 99587

(907) 783-2822  http://www.doublemuskyinn.com/

In another reality Larry Tower and I would have been brothers. As it is we share a common first name and share the birthday month, September. Over the years we have developed a ritual, a tradition. We would splurge a bit for our collective birthdays and go have a pepper steak dinner at the famous Double Musky Restaurant in Girdwood, Alaska. See previous eating adventure 2012 here. It had been a long four years since we last were able to get together and share a meal at the Double Musky. During this trip to Alaska, 2016, with joy we kept the tradition alive.

The Double Musky is located in the Girdwood Valley, about an hour’s drive south from Anchorage along the Turnagain Arm of the Cook Inlet. There is a world-famous ski resort there with a lavish resort hotel. It is a very busy place during the winter ski season. It is still a mecca for the Alaska visitor even in the summer although the pace is a bit more relaxed during the warmer weather. The beauty of the Alaska wilderness surrounds and seven glaciers in the surrounding Chugach Mountains can be seen from various vantage points in the valley

On this occasion we would also have the pleasure introducing another person to the Double Musky. Larry’s most charming and lovely companion, Wasana, would be joining us for a night out with the boys. We had much to tell her, much about why and how we came to this place and what this night was all about. It took a bit of time to coordinate all of our schedules but we finally got it all together October the eleventh. It was an overcast day with a raw feel to the air, about 30 degrees. The Alaska fall weather was definitely here. I did my home chores and a few local errands. In the afternoon I drove to Anchorage’s Eastside to meet up with Larry and Wasana where we would carpool for the hour drive to Girdwood. We didn’t want to leave too early because The Double Musky is only open during dinner hours.

We arrived a few minutes before opening. There were already several cars in the parking area. Our hectic schedules had delayed our birthday get together for almost a month. The early cold weather had blighted the usually verdant garden in front of the restaurant. On this occasion we would miss the vibrancy of a floral garden. The building looked the same as always. The doors were opened soon after and we were shown to a table by the window overlooking the garden. We did look over the menu but at least Larry and I knew what we were having.

French Pepper Steak ($41.00 “Best steak in America,” says Jill Cordes of the Food Network.  A 16-20 ounce New York steak crusted with cracked pepper and covered with a spicy burgundy sauce.)

Wasana read over the menu and had a lot of questions. You can see the menu at the Double Musky website.  At long last she too knew what she wanted to sample:

  Crab Stuffed Halibut  (Market Price, today $47.00 A delicious halibut steak, stuffed with crab meat dressing which contains crab meat, mushrooms, shallots, chablis, heavy cream, creole seasoning
and served with creole beurre blanc.)  

Appetizer bread rolls are included. You have the option of salad with dressing of choice. The entrée is served with your choice of baked potato (with whatever fixings you choose) or vegetable of the day. All three of us chose the salad. It was a mixture of lettuce and greens including spinach, some shredded carrots and croutons. I chose 1000-Island for mine and a good grind of fresh ground black pepper. Every one enjoyed their salads along with nicely buttered pieces of the appetizer rolls.

Wasana’s selection, the crab stuffed halibut, was a large halibut filet folded over the crab stuffing mixture and slathered with a thick delicious lemon butter sauce and a sprig of parsley. Then accompanying baked potato had ample sour cream and sliced scallions.  It was a large portion but Wasana was up to the task and there was little left to carry home in a takeout container. She did enjoy her meal very much. The Creole seasoning was a bit different than she is accustomed to but found it to be an enjoyable new encounter, one that she would enjoy again in the future. Perhaps next year…

The other Larry ordered the French pepper steak with the Burgundy sauce on the side. His choice of a side was the baked potato with sour cream and sliced onions. When ordering your steak, you select from the following menu listed options: “Rare - cool red center - Medium-rare - warm red center
Medium - hot pink center - Medium-well-well – Butterflied - takes time.” He ordered medium, grilled to a hot pink center. Usually Larry has a large chunk of the steak left over to take home. He was extra hungry this day and he happily finished off all of his French pepper steak and the baked potato, with lots of sour cream and sliced green onions, included. He thoroughly enjoyed his meal and was already thinking about the next time we would visit The Double Musky for our mutual birthday celebration.

I ordered my French pepper steak medium as well, Burgundy sauce over. My baked potato was with all the trimmings including the sour cream and the sliced scallions. The steak, as is usual, cut easily with the knife and was tender to chew. It meat was flavorful on its own, the Burgundy sauce delicious. Some of the bites I took were plain, just a slight dash of salt. Some of the bites were slathered in the sauce. I can’t really say which was better. I would have been happy with that steak either way – I guess I just had the best of both worlds that day. I finished my baked potato and would have eaten all of my steak but I had a use for a bit of my pepper steak; more about that later.

At long last there was clink of forks being placed on the plates for the last time. Everyone was sated, happy with full bellies, ready to pay the bill and waddle home. That’s when our server arrived with a tray of sample desserts. Larry and I had just eaten bread, a salad, a large baked potato loaded with toppings and a one-pound steak with sauce. And now we were being tempted with rich, luscious desserts! To coin a phrase, nothing succeeds like excess. We decided to have dessert to finish off the meal. The other Larry ordered a slice of banana cream pie. It was a nice large slice of pie, a tasty pudding and banana filling, cream topping and toasted coconut; very tasty he said.

It had been a big and filling meal. Wasana and I both wanted something a bit lighter and we both chose the crème brûlée. The serving was a nice 4-ounce ramekin of velvety custard with a caramelized crust. Very tasty, the sweetness was a nice counterpoint after the savory meal.  It all capped off the evening nicely. I too look forward to the next visit with the other Larry to celebrate our birthdays.

Oh, and that bit of steak I took home in a doggie bag? Ah, yes – the next morning I fried up some potatoes, onion and the meat cut into little pieces. In the end I added some peas and carrots to make a big batch of Double Musky French pepper steak hash that would help top feed me well over  several breakfasts. Each of those breakfasts brought back memories of a wonderful evening spent with Larry and Wasana at The Double Musky Restaurant in Girdwood, Alaska.