#alaskafoodbound

Can’t wait until until they reopen! Stay tuned for winter eats from Alaska.

In Homer, my favorite Thai restaurant has to be Vida’s Thai Food. For several reasons… one-the food is awesome, two-the food is awesome, and three-the food is awesome (sorry to pull a Donald Trump, but I must emphasize!). I’ve already ate a variety of dishes here, but my dinner tonight was the “traditional” American-style shrimp pad Thai. At most Thai restaurants, I am often disappointed with how they overcook their meat, a common issue with a lot of American-Asian cuisine. However, the shrimp is cooked just right at Vida’s. It’s easy to tell they don’t just reheat precooked shrimp. Each crustacean is sweet and tender. Another reason why I love this spot is the servers are so friendly and they remember you! I ate here quite a bit last February and several months later the main server still remembers me and that I work on boats. How sweet!

What a beautiful dish! And yummy too of course! Unfortunately I wasn't a big fan of the kimchi (spiciness really isn't my strong suit), but the rest was a really splendid combination.

Because I want to be able to find the best fish taco in Alaska, my reviews on fish tacos continue! I hadn’t heard of Le Truck until I saw it parked outside of my hotel room yesterday. Before I build these up I want to mention that these rockfish tacos are great, but I think the Bayview Pub tacos in Sitka are still better. However, this may have been the the most beautiful fish taco I have ever seen. A+ for presentation! They also get a little more creative with what they top their rockfish tacos with... pink lady apples, bean salsa, pickled fennel cabbage, and your usual cilantro. A great combination of sweet and spicy. This taco was loaded! I also tried the pesto salad to help mellow out the spiciness of the taco-the chipotle cream was on the verge of being too spicy for me, but don't rely on my taste buds to indicate spiciness because I am a big baby when it comes to capsaicin.  

To end my meal I had the macadamia, chocolate and caramel turtle pie. This ended up being a take home dessert since there was no way I was going to be able to eat it after such a rich meal. The picture speaks for itself! Soooo delicious.

It's time to try tacos once again... the Bayview Pub is a popular spot for visitors and locals alike. There is a nice selection on the menu, and I was really happy to find fish tacos among the items! You have the choice of having your rockfish grilled, blackened or fried. I went with fried. Three corn tortillas are filled with rockfish, red onion, cabbage, cilantro and salsa. I love the more traditional take on these tacos. Three tacos were plenty for my stomach! I had barely managed to munch on the chips provided on the side. Besides the food (which is good enough to make me want to try more!), there is some fun entertainment that frequents this bar. Upon approaching the building I could hear the beat and melody of a Scottish pipe band. I was able to hear a few songs before they departed for the night. The next act was Aurora and the Fungi's. A trio of folk singers and guitar players from Skagway, a very pleasant way to end my evening. My time here in Sitka may be coming to a close. I have thoroughly enjoyed eating in this port. Next stop? Well, your guess is as good as mine... let's hope the food is good!

Although I have been highlighting cocktails at the Mean Queen in Sitka, they are also known for their pizza. I grabbed a couple slices of their portabella mushroom pizza (by the slice is only at lunch time). The toppings were simple, but I love mushrooms so this was good enough for me! Hopefully I can bring friends next time so I have a reason to buy a whole pizza.  

From the archives, I have another special review about my favorite salad in Dutch Harbor. I have tried many salads in Dutch and I by far the Hangar Steak Salad is THE BEST salad you can order throughout the Unalaska. The steak is cooked to order. First layered with salad greens, then shaved with red cabbage, red onion, cherry tomatoes, then two over-easy eggs. On the top there is buttered toast and then accompanied with a side of blue cheese dressing and crumbles. When I have had this salad, I prefer to ask for the dressing on the side otherwise it is very easy for them to overdo the dressing. I order my steak medium rare, and it is cooked as such. I can't help but want to devour the steak right off the bat. I think the two over easy eggs I can do without, but they are a fancy addition to the dinner salad. This salad will take awhile to consume, and will often take me more than 20 minutes to fully take in (if I have the appetite to eat all of this food!). I should mention though, that although I love Cape Cheerful to death, the service can be slow when they are very busy, but be patient! Because when they take care of you, they take care of you WELL!