That Food Guy
Sunday, July 14, 2013
The Bake Shop - Girdwood, Alaska Revisit July 13, 2012
The Bake Shop – Girdwood, Alaska
On my very first trip to Alaska the Bake Shop in Girdwood
was a stop on a sightseeing bus tour. It has been a favorite place since then
and it is one of the places that I have to take first time visitors to Alaska.
It is a small store in the oldest Alyeska Ski Resort building. It certainly
isn’t fancy or even spacious. During the busy ski season the customers are
lined up waiting to get in and those with food are taking seats at the outdoor
picnic tables. Most of my visits have been during the off season, the summer
time, and usually only a short wait is needed.
The usual cloudy, overcast and often rainy skies cast a gray
pall over Girdwood in the summer. To
counter the gloom the Bake Shop decorates with flowers. Large planters overflow
with vibrant red, pink, white, gold and yellow blooms making a cheery sight.
Considering the size of the planters at least a lift gate truck would be needed
to move the planter boxes to greenhouse winter storage and back; all in all a
significant effort.
As its name would imply, the Bake Shop makes bread and other
baked goods. The giant-sized sweet roll and the sourdough buns are the best
examples. The sourdough, the buns and the take-home bread, are famous. The
sourdough starter dates back almost a hundred years. The buns, like little
round sheepherder breads, have a tough crispy crust with fragrant sourdough
bread on the inside. When hot from the oven, sliced and slathered with butter
and then paired with the soup of the day it is a meal to be to be desired.
During the summer of 2012 I had the pleasure of hosting my
sister, Pattie Sue and her son, Ron. Sister has been to Alaska several times
and knows the ropes, seen most of the sights. This was nephew Ron’s first visit
and, among other things, it called for a trip to the Bake Shop in Girdwood,
Alaska. It was to be an auto sightseeing tour day, covering great distances,
but we planned it to be in Girdwood come lunch time. It all worked out well;
hunger and destination converged.
The parking lot was moderately full. That was not surprising
as summer sight-seeing tourists and winter time ski fans alike all frequent the
Bake Shop; even tour busses stop there.
The menu is in very large print on the wall. You place your order at the
counter and then look for a place to sit. Luck was with us and a table was
vacant and we took seats on the pew benches to await our order. When your order
is ready, they call your name and you pick it up at the counter.
Sister Pattie Sue ordered the grilled cheese on sourdough
bread ($5.75 She
selected Havarti from a choice of Cheddar, Swiss and Havarti). The sandwich was made with nice thick slices of freshly baked
sourdough bread, well toasted to a golden brown and filled with a copious amount
of cheese. The sandwich is served with an orange slice twist and some dill
pickle chips. Pattie said the sandwich was excellent, the cheese hot and
melted, the bread delicious sourdough. That
may be a bit of a biased appraisal as she has learned to love the sourdough
bread from the bake shop. The starter
used in the Bake Shop is about 100 years old. If you bring in a suitable
container and ask nicely, they will give you a sample of the starter to take
home and make your own sourdough mix. On each trip to Alaska she has procured a
sample of the sourdough to take back to Idaho. Small batches of starter used in
home bread baking can change in flavor over time and Pattie takes advantage of
the Bake Shop’s generosity to renew her supply and guarantee that Bake Shop
flavor at home.
Nephew Ron and I both ordered the same thing, the soup of
the day and bun and butter. (Soup $6.25, Bun and butter $2.50) The soup of the
day was clam chowder. The serving was a
nice big bowl garnished with some fresh chopped parsley. The broth was thick
and creamy with lots of clams and potatoes; a hearty soup with great flavor. At
$6.60 a bowl the price may seem high but remember this is Alaska and Girdwood
is halfway to the end of the road. However, although it doesn’t say it anywhere
on the menu, the policy of the Bake Shop is to refill your bowl without charge
in which case the cost per bowl is less than in the Lower Forty Eight States.
The bun is more like a small loaf of round bread, about
4-inches in diameter. The Bake Shop heats them, slices them through and
slathers them with butter. The skin is
tough as with most sourdough but the bread inside is tender with a wonderful
sourdough aroma and a distinctive Girdwood flavor. A couple of bowls of soup
(and the soup of the day changes every day) and a buttered bun are a filling
and hearty meal and you feel prepared to tackle the rest of the day even in
cold, overcast and rainy weather. It is no wonder why it is such a popular
place during the ski season. Should you be fortunate enough to be in Girdwood
during any season, take the time to have a meal at the Bake Shop. You will be
glad that you did.
Labels: Alaska, Alyeska, Bake Shop, bread, bun, cheese, clam chowder, girdwood, soup, sourdough, starter
¶ 5:29 PM 0 Comments
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Double Musky Inn - Girdwood, Alaska
Double Musky Girdwood, Alaska
Mile .3 Crow Creek Rd
Phone: (907) 783-2822
http://www.doublemuskyinn.com/
October 25, 2009
Alaska can boast of a world-class ski resort. Located in Girdwood, Alaska, Alyeska’s winter slopes are filled with skiers. In the off season the streets are quieter, the hustle and bustle of a ski resort is replaced with the staid, quiet tempo of a country village. But it was not the skiing that brought us to Girdwood this day. We were on our way to the Double Musky Restaurant.
The old mantra of location, location, seems not to apply here. Anchorage, the only city of any size is an hour’s drive away. The double Musky must be doing a whole lot right to earn the “Alaska’s favorite restaurant” accolade from the Anchorage Daily News. The original Musky came into being in the early 1960s. Back then it was an after-ski bar. Customers grilled their own steaks over coals in the dining room. There were several owners over the years with varying degrees of success. The new Musky came into being in 1979 when it was purchased by Bob and Deanna Persons. Through trial and error, they developed a unique persona that brought in the customers. For a time they called themselves a Cajun restaurant but now specialize in classic New Orleans dishes featuring Alaska seafood. Their effort has paid dividends and has earned them accolades from many newspapers, magazines and TV cooking show personalities.
It is great to have friends on whom you can always rely. Among others, one stands out as rather exceptional. His name is Larry just like I am and that sometimes can be confusing. During this particular summer he was of particular help with projects around the home. To say thanks I treated him to dinner at the Double Musky. This was not an adventure, seeking new and untested foods. We have been to the Double Musky before and we knew what to expect. Although they are known for their Alaskan seafood dishes, they are equally famous for their French Pepper Steak (16-20 oz. New York Steak, crusty with cracked pepper and covered with a spicy burgundy sauce). Of course we would study the menu but we already knew what we would order.
If you are unfamiliar with the Double Musky, call ahead to make sure they are not on vacation, booked for a private event, and to be sure of their hours of operation. Once we did make the two-hour drive from Chugiak only to find that the restaurant was booked for a private function. We usually try to arrive there a bit before their opening for the dinner hour. There will always be a few people already in line at the front door. When the doors are opened, customers pass through the arctic entry and then past the viewing window to their extensive wine collection. The Double Musky has grown over the years and has collected décor items so that it may now best be described as eclectic. It does add quirky warmth to the dining salon.
Some of the Cajun and New Orleans dishes can be inherently spicy. The serving staff will take your order including just how spicy you do or don’t want your food to be prepared. For beef, they post the following to help you decide just how you want your beef cooked: Rare - cool red center - Medium-rare - warm red center Medium - hot pink center - Medium-well-well - takes time. Most dinners are served with vegetables, salad and rolls. You can view entrees offered in their extensive menu at http://www.doublemuskyinn.com/ .
Our salads were mixed greens with croutons and dressing of choice. The greens were fresh and crisp. With a nice freshly baked roll and butter, it was a nice opening to the meal. Arriving early has the advantage of earning you a window table. After our salad, we chatted and watched the darkening shadows of evening in the forest across the street. It was summer time and it doesn’t get really dark except for a few hours in the wee hours of the morning. But the shadows in the forest were deep and dark adding to the allure and magic of the Alaska wilderness just on the other side of the window glass.
Anticipation makes the wait seem longer but in this case well worth the effort. I enjoyed my pepper steak on my last visit very much. Sometime, though, I thought the burgundy sauce to be a little overbearing. This time I ordered the sauce on the side so I can add as much or as little as I liked. They had no problem with the request. The meat was cooked to order, tender but the thickness required a little pressure from the knife. The other Larry knows at the start that about half of his steak will be taken home in a container. I, on the other hand, looked at the huge steak sitting in front of me and considered it a challenge. Suffice it to say that with the salad, roll, steak and large baked potato with butter, sour cream and chives, there was ample to eat, perhaps even a bit of excess. I passed on dessert that night because I did indeed have more than enough to eat.
It was a very pleasant evening. Good food, amazing ambiance and good friendship made for a time well remembered. I thank the people at the Double Musky for their courteous service, good food and most of all to say thank you to the other Larry for being a friend in need.
Double Musky Girdwood, AlaskaMile .3 Crow Creek Rd
Phone: (907) 783-2822
http://www.doublemuskyinn.com/
October 25, 2009
Alaska can boast of a world-class ski resort. Located in Girdwood, Alaska, Alyeska’s winter slopes are filled with skiers. In the off season the streets are quieter, the hustle and bustle of a ski resort is replaced with the staid, quiet tempo of a country village. But it was not the skiing that brought us to Girdwood this day. We were on our way to the Double Musky Restaurant.
The old mantra of location, location, seems not to apply here. Anchorage, the only city of any size is an hour’s drive away. The double Musky must be doing a whole lot right to earn the “Alaska’s favorite restaurant” accolade from the Anchorage Daily News. The original Musky came into being in the early 1960s. Back then it was an after-ski bar. Customers grilled their own steaks over coals in the dining room. There were several owners over the years with varying degrees of success. The new Musky came into being in 1979 when it was purchased by Bob and Deanna Persons. Through trial and error, they developed a unique persona that brought in the customers. For a time they called themselves a Cajun restaurant but now specialize in classic New Orleans dishes featuring Alaska seafood. Their effort has paid dividends and has earned them accolades from many newspapers, magazines and TV cooking show personalities.
It is great to have friends on whom you can always rely. Among others, one stands out as rather exceptional. His name is Larry just like I am and that sometimes can be confusing. During this particular summer he was of particular help with projects around the home. To say thanks I treated him to dinner at the Double Musky. This was not an adventure, seeking new and untested foods. We have been to the Double Musky before and we knew what to expect. Although they are known for their Alaskan seafood dishes, they are equally famous for their French Pepper Steak (16-20 oz. New York Steak, crusty with cracked pepper and covered with a spicy burgundy sauce). Of course we would study the menu but we already knew what we would order.
If you are unfamiliar with the Double Musky, call ahead to make sure they are not on vacation, booked for a private event, and to be sure of their hours of operation. Once we did make the two-hour drive from Chugiak only to find that the restaurant was booked for a private function. We usually try to arrive there a bit before their opening for the dinner hour. There will always be a few people already in line at the front door. When the doors are opened, customers pass through the arctic entry and then past the viewing window to their extensive wine collection. The Double Musky has grown over the years and has collected décor items so that it may now best be described as eclectic. It does add quirky warmth to the dining salon.
Some of the Cajun and New Orleans dishes can be inherently spicy. The serving staff will take your order including just how spicy you do or don’t want your food to be prepared. For beef, they post the following to help you decide just how you want your beef cooked: Rare - cool red center - Medium-rare - warm red center Medium - hot pink center - Medium-well-well - takes time. Most dinners are served with vegetables, salad and rolls. You can view entrees offered in their extensive menu at http://www.doublemuskyinn.com/ .Our salads were mixed greens with croutons and dressing of choice. The greens were fresh and crisp. With a nice freshly baked roll and butter, it was a nice opening to the meal. Arriving early has the advantage of earning you a window table. After our salad, we chatted and watched the darkening shadows of evening in the forest across the street. It was summer time and it doesn’t get really dark except for a few hours in the wee hours of the morning. But the shadows in the forest were deep and dark adding to the allure and magic of the Alaska wilderness just on the other side of the window glass.
Anticipation makes the wait seem longer but in this case well worth the effort. I enjoyed my pepper steak on my last visit very much. Sometime, though, I thought the burgundy sauce to be a little overbearing. This time I ordered the sauce on the side so I can add as much or as little as I liked. They had no problem with the request. The meat was cooked to order, tender but the thickness required a little pressure from the knife. The other Larry knows at the start that about half of his steak will be taken home in a container. I, on the other hand, looked at the huge steak sitting in front of me and considered it a challenge. Suffice it to say that with the salad, roll, steak and large baked potato with butter, sour cream and chives, there was ample to eat, perhaps even a bit of excess. I passed on dessert that night because I did indeed have more than enough to eat.It was a very pleasant evening. Good food, amazing ambiance and good friendship made for a time well remembered. I thank the people at the Double Musky for their courteous service, good food and most of all to say thank you to the other Larry for being a friend in need.
Labels: burgundy sauce, Cajun, double, girdwood, musky, New Orleans, pepper steak
¶ 7:11 PM 0 Comments
