By Ken Smith
Turnagain Times
Fall is the greatest time of year, the foliage, the fresh organic smell of falling leaves, and of course—Halloween.
There are a couple of places to go and dress up in a scary costume and pretend you're a kid again.
Chair 5 is having a Halloween Party with DJ Fiddler starting at 10 p.m., and the Indian House is planning a big bash, going all out with decorations and a spooky room, and are having a costume contest, live music and giving away door prizes.
The Brown Bear Saloon won't be having a Halloween party, but that shouldn't stop you from going there dressed up and ready to have some fun. Matt, the proprietor, said he'll have a bowl of candy on the bar waiting for you.
On a different note, I just want to be on record as saying I really love oysters, and I'm very selective and finicky about my oysters—they must be fresh, fresh enough to taste the salt water, and served chilled on a plate of crushed ice with lemon wedges.
After sampling many oysters on the half shell at all of the fine establishments on Turnagain Arm that serve them, I'm happy to report that Jack Sprat's came through with the best oysters and presentation.
Myself and two dining friends indulged in 16 oysters on the half-shell at Jack's while sipping a fine bottle of chardonnay on the outside deck during a brilliant sunny day on “Sushi Friday.”
We then sampled a medley of fresh, delicious sushi. Co-owner of the restaurant, Frans Weitts, said he gets his fish and oysters from New Sagaya's wholesale division, a main distributor of seafood to many restaurants.
The following week, I continued my oysterfest, dining at Pepe's Turnagain House for some Oyster Rockefeller.
They cook them with a traditional east coast recipe: Pernod flavored Hollandaise sauce made from scratch with egg yolk, butter, lemon, a dash of salt and spinach. A half-dozen Washington State oysters were topped with the sauce and baked to perfection.
And most recently, before the Double Musky closes for their annual vacation Oct. 25-Dec. 9, I caught their two-for one entrée night last Wednesday and continued my seafood trend, ordering the Lobster Kabob.
Everybody goes to the Musky for their famous steak dishes—myself included. But let me tell you, don't be afraid to stray from the house specialties and delve into some of the less publicized dishes, like the Lobster Kabob.
Being from New England originally, I can never get enough of lobster, but it's hard to come by here in the land of the King Crab. However, the Musky has been serving up lobster tails express mailed from Maine for years.
Lobster doesn't require much work when cooking, just boil or bake it with little or no sauce. The Musky bakes three lobster tails in ample butter and serves them over a bed of rice. That's it. Simple but oh so good!
It's fun to treat oneself periodically with the finer things in life, especially when it's two-for-one night at the Musky.
Now on to The Scene.
Thursday, October 15
Open mic at the Silver Tip Grill, 8-11 p.m.
Guitar Jimmy and Jeff Collins host open mic at the Indian House. 8:30 p.m.
Friday, October 16
Whipsaws at the Brown Bear Saloon. 10 p.m. until closing. $10 cover.
Steve & Merrell cover tunes at the Indian House. 8:30 p.m.-midnight. No cover.
Dan Lesperance acoustic guitarist at the Silvertip, 8-11 p.m. No cover.
Saturday, October 17
Whipsaws at the Brown Bear, 10 p.m. until closing. $10 cover.
Scout playing original acoustics at the Indian House. 8:30 p.m.-midnight. No cover.
Thursday, October 22
Open mic at the Silver Tip. 8-11 p.m.
Open mic at the Indian House with Guitar Jimmy and Jeff Collins. 8:30 p.m.
Friday, October 23
J.D. Cox solo rock cover tunes at the Indian House. 8:30 p.m. to midnight. No cover.
Dan Lesperance at the Silver Tip. 8-11 p.m. No cover.
Saturday, October 23
Charlie & Teddy perform rock n' roll covers. 8:30 p.m.-midnight. No cover.
Thursday, October 29
Guitar Jimmy and Jeff Collins open mic night at the Indian House. 8:30 p.m.
Scott Cossu, world-class pianist Jessica Blinn, violinist/soloist perform at the Perrys' home at 3061 Alyeska Highway. 6-9 p.m.
Friday, October 30
DJ Cross kicks off Chair 5's two-day Halloween events. 11 p.m.-2 a.m.
Dan Lesperance at the Silver Tip. 8-11 p.m. No cover.
Saturday, October 31 Happy Halloween!
DJ Fiddler at Chair 5's Halloween party. 10 p.m. until closing.
Halloween bash at the Indian House. Live music, costume contest, door prizes. 8:30 p.m. until closing.
Kid's Carnival & Haunted House at the Daylodge. 4-7 p.m. Costume contest, games and refreshments. This is a fundraiser for Girdwood school computers. $3 per person/$10 family.
A Party To Die For at the Daylodge. 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Live music by Chill Factor with John Tracy. $5 advance/$10 at door. $5 off with costume. Must be 21 or older with ID.
If you know of any events please e-mail them to us at info@turnagaintimes.com
