Alaska Restaurants

A pair of skilled fists punches a glob of dough, effortlessly spins it in the air, and plops it on the counter. After crowning the doughy disk with marinara, a medley of mozzarella and provolone cheese, and dashes of spiced parmesan, the hands grasp a wooden paddle to transport their creation to the stone oven to incubate until the sauces sizzle and cheeses ooze over the crispy crust. Since 1993, the chefs at Uncle Joe's Pizzeria have been following these simple steps to create pizzas that now parade to tables in 18 specialty flavors daily or one racy piece of pepperoni when the chefs aren't looking. Along with pizza, each of the four locations sate tastes for the Mediterranean with salads, gyros, and calzones, whose flavors carefully balance with glasses of beer, wine, and bubbly soda.

Classic Thai dishes—from pad thai and curries to noodle soups and fried rice—entice those who enter Thai Town. The menu is split into clearly defined categories, allowing patrons to easily scan a bevy of noodle, seafood, soup, seafood, and vegetarian selections. For example, the restaurant prepares 18 seafood specialties and 19 entrees geared to vegetarians, often making it necessary to select a dish by employing a Ouija board.

Musicians are tightening their strings at Jalapenos Mexican Restaurant's two locations, preparing to complement rich, piquant meals of meat, beans, and cheese with lively tunes. Familiar enchiladas and corn tamales draped in rich chili sauces pour from the kitchen on rainbow-colored fiesta ware, which also delivers house specialties such as prawns sautéed with dungeness crab and vegetables and Cancun tacos filled with halibut and pico de gallo. Burgers and chicken strips provide a similarly hearty alternative to deep-fried chimichangas packed with beef, chicken, or pork chile verde, which is also available by the bowlful. The cantina's design adds to a festive atmosphere, its tangerine walls painted to resemble an arcade overlooking the sea and its carved, wooden chairs painted to resemble the hollowed-out burritos that carried the conquistadors across it.

Before opening Taco Del Mar's startup location in Seattle in 1992, its founders spent years surfing California's coastline and devouring fish tacos and stuffed burritos. During this time, they developed a bottomless appetite for the local specialty—a taco with fried fish, shredded cabbage, lime juice, salsa, and a mystery white sauce—and decided to make it their signature menu item. Since then, the chain has opened locations in more than 20 U.S. states and three Canadian provinces.

The restaurant's Spokane location gives locals a taste of California-surfer cuisine and mission-style eats inspired by the Latino restaurants of San Francisco's bay area. Fresh guacamole dresses tortilla chips, and proteins such as seasoned pork and fried Alaskan cod fill tacos. Cooks roll meats such as braised chicken or ground beef into burritos or edible origami. The foodsmiths also whip up vegetarian and vegan options.

After years of managing other people’s restaurants, Tinker Berson realized a long-cherished dream by opening her own deli, where a menu of lunches and all-day breakfasts stuffs diners amid verdant potted plants and climbing vines. Clients opt for the simplicity of staff-conceived deli creations or engineer their own, choosing a bread base, favorite condiments, meat such as pastrami or roast beef, cheese, and veggies to match the size of their appetite or one-up a lifelong rival sandwich eater. Breakfasts beckon morning diners with similar creative possibilities as well as quick bites, such as a veggie burrito or belgian waffle drizzled with syrup and topped with strawberries. Fresh salads and real-fruit smoothies with optional Red Bull boosters infuse meals with sweet vitamins, and the onsite espresso bar jump-starts brainwaves with handcrafted caffeine hits that ready minds for Jeopardy tournaments or memorizing the dictionary. Tinker's Rainforest Deli stocks catering trays with vegetables, sandwiches, or assorted meats and cheeses that can feed up to 35 partygoers.

The Mediterranean Sea is a long way from the Bering Strait, and it took a lot more than a land bridge to import the flavors from one to the other. But that’s exactly what the owners of Sophia’s Café have managed to do with their menu of Mediterranean-style breakfast treats and cleverly named sandwiches. They dress up their Spartan sandwich—a salami and cheese affair—with sun-dried tomatoes worthy of any Greek dish, and the Odyssey pita fills its pocket with scrambled eggs, feta, and tzatziki sauce. The restaurant features a sit-down dining room with tall rectangular windows and colorful centerpieces placed atop each of the tables, as well as a drive-thru perfect for eating in your car or astride your camel.