By Paddy Notar
Turnagain Times Correspondent

The Brown Bear Softball Tournament is this weekend, Sept. 11. It’s a great time with games going on Friday afternoon through Sunday. There will be RV’s and tents out. The Brown Bear will be stuffed with fun. Look for their team practicing on any given day. You have as much of a chance at seeing a true brown bear as you do at the team practicing on the field. This tournament is a blast to attend. Matty will be running around, while food is over cooking, beers are left half poured, and music is playing. Its absolutely nuts, but it’s a great time. I just hope there are no early morning games. After a night at the Brown Bear, that alone can destroy you.

The State Fair is going on through Sept. 6. It’s a good time, but it’s expensive and 50 miles away. I went last year and had a $10 hamburger. That seems pricey for fair food, but I did enjoy the animal petting zoo. That was nice. There’s nothing like seeing a pig give birth.

I went into Chair 5 and got a pizza that blew me away. A meat lovers on one side and Hawaiian with jalapenos on the other. It had pepperoni, taco meat, bacon, pineapple, peppers, and a bunch of other stuff. It was just delicious. The pizza was perfectly cooked by Shane in the kitchen. Shane makes a great thin crust, crunchy pizza. Micaela was bartending and she always does a great job. She’s been in Alaska since 2002 and treats every customer like gold. Micaela is one of those people that works hard and smiles while she does it. Gretchen, Christa, Jenny, Stevie and all the others do an, equally, excellent job at making people feel comfortable.

Good employees are an asset to any successful business. Micaela and the rest of the staff are one of the many reasons that this place is a destination for anyone who wants to relax. The delicious food is one of the other reasons. From salads, Iowa Ribeyes, crab cakes, fresh halibut, the finest single malt scotches, and a lot more, Chair 5 satisfies. It’s a fun place to meet friends and the best place in town to watch football. Get there early on Sunday and pick from one of four large TV’s to watch the games from. Spike usually has specials for Monday night games and they are a bargain. What are they? I have no idea. Show up during the football season and find out. You’ll be glad you did.

As always, if you’re heading into Anchorage, stop by O’Brady’s in the Carr’s Huffman mall while your significant other goes to the grocery store. Grab a quick beverage and some food to go. There’s a good chance their meal is better than anything you will make at home.

The Belugas are coming in by the dozens. Make sure to stop off at, where else, Beluga Point and check them out. It’s one of the many pleasures of living in this state.

 

Seven Glaciers serves delicious Elk and a grand view

By Ken Smith

I stopped by Seven Glaciers Restaurant at the top of Mt. Alyeska after attending the memorial for Ted Stevens next door at the Glacier Express. It was just after 6 p.m. and there were only a few people at the bar. I don’t often make it to the top of the mountain, but since I was there, I took an hour to relax and reflect on life.

The bar faces the mountains on the Northface side of Alyeska, and the large windows in front of you allow for a panoramic view of the entire valley. It’s a view Ted Stevens also appreciated.

I met Mike Finnigan in the lounge. He also attended the memorial and happens to be the man who oversaw the building of the tram at Alyeska and the fine woodwork in Seven Glaciers.

As we talked about the memorial and Stevens’ contributions and visions for Alaska, he spoke of the bond the late Senator had with Glacier Valley.

“The man had a vision,” Finnigan said as he peered at the surrounding mountains and glaciers. “Looking out that window is where he got his strength.”

The mountains have that effect on a lot of people, and they are what draws most of us to live in Girdwood.

And if you really need some time to relax, to think and be inspired, there’s no better restaurant and bar in the world to do it than right here at Seven Glaciers.

I glanced at the entrée menu and was immediately drawn to the Alder Smoked Elk. It’s not often I see game on restaurant menus, and I always order it when offered. However, game meat is extremely lean, which is why I like it, but if it’s not a good cut of meat or even slightly over-cooked, it can turn tough and flavorless.

I ordered the Elk bone-in chops medium rare. Before the entrée arrived, I delved into the complimentary whole grain and roasted garlic bread. You won’t stop eating this wonderful bread served with fresh churn-whipped salted butter and three dipping sauces: smoked ancho chile oil, balsamic vinegar with fresh herbs and olive with sun-dried tomato.

The entrée came out 15 minutes later, perfectly cooked. I cut into the first thick 1 ¼ inch chop and the smoked pink meat inside was succulent and tender. The two chops were served with white truffle Béarnaise sauce and a brown butter demiglace, complemented by homemade cherry brown Gnocchi and white asparagus and garnished with a handful of clover alfalfa.

As a pre-dinner drink, I ordered a blueberry infused vodka martini, garnished with three frozen blueberries. Jason Wertish, the 28-year-old bartender, claimed ownership of the beverage. He said he likes to experiment making drinks because “People enjoy it.”

He calls the invention a Bluetini and he makes it with Grey Goose Vodka. I’m not a fan of sweet drinks, but he assured me it wasn’t. And he did not “stir” me wrong. It was just a subtle hint of blueberries, and quite refreshing. It also matched perfectly with the elk.

It would have been fine to just have the Bluetini, but I felt the need to indulge in a fine wine. Jason suggested the 2007 Domain Drouhin Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, Ore. It was also a nice match with the elk, but my palate was still processing the Bluetini, and I didn’t get the full pleasure of the wine.

Seven Glaciers can be pricey—the elk was $51 and the Pinot Noir was $18 per glass. But you owe it to yourself to indulge once in awhile, and the tram ride and view alone are worth the extra money, and the mountains will lift your spirits and inspire your soul.

The summer menu will be served until Seven Glaciers tentative closing date of Sept. 18. It won’t reopen until mid-December, perhaps earlier. The lounge opens at 5 p.m. and the dining room at 5:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. There is a complimentary tram ride with advance reservations. Tel. number 754-2237.