Dining
Solstice Celebration @ Julia’s Solstice Cafe
by Amy Nordrum · 1 Comment
Join Julia’s Solstice Cafe to celebrate the shortest day of the year, on the exact date and time of solstice!
The official Winter Solstice for the 64th parallel is 12-22-2011 at 13:30 and it lasts but a moment.
So it is only proper to have Julia’s Solstice Cafencelebration starting at that exact time.
On Wednesday December 22, 2011 at 13:31 we will start celebrating the return of the sun by offering hot spiced punch, holiday cookies and pastries, gift drawings, and live music.
When:
Wednesday, December 22nd, 1:31pm
Where:
Julia’s Solstice Cafe
206 Driveway Street
Phone:
(907)474-0001
Dining
10th Annual New Year’s Bash @ Lavelle’s Bistro
by Amy Nordrum · 1 Comment
Get your tickets now for Lavelle’s 10th Annual New Year’s Eve Extravaganza! A seven course dinner with Wine Pairings and DJ Jim Matherly for dancing in the New Year! Reserve a $69 hotel room rate when you mention Lavelle’s. (While supplies last!) Buy your ticket and book your room fast as we are expected to sell out quickly!
When:
Saturday, December 31st @ 7:00pm
Where:
Lavelle’s Bistro
575 1st Avenue
Phone:
(907)450-0555
Dining
ALYESKA 21 DAYS OF SOLSTICE
Downtown Fairbanks is stepping up this holiday season with a brand new campaign to connect Fairbanksans with the finest products and festivities available in the heart of the city.
Celebrate the Alyeska 21 Days of Solstice from December 1st to December 21st with daily giveaways, an exclusive gift guide of new items, and a calendar of events (including visits with Santa!) that will keep you busy and warm as we count down until the darkest day of the year.
And we’re thanking YOU for supporting local, downtown businesses with a giving spree worth thousands of dollars in downtown products. Log on to our facebook page each day to see what’s up for grabs and follow the simple instructions for your chance to win. Products range from wine tastings to parkas, upscale menswear to baked goods, and fine art to holiday baskets.
Businesses on board (thank you!) include:
Lavelle’s Bistro, Chartreuse, Frank’s Menswear, If Only…a fine store, Alaska Rag Company, Forget Me Not Books, Arctic Travelers Gift Shop, l’assiette de Pomegranate, Alaska House Art Gallery, Bridgewater Hotel, Actus Community Fund, Dance Theatre Fairbanks, Alaskan Gold Rush Fine Jewelry, Alaska Public Lands Information Center, Fairbanks Convention and Visitors Bureau, S Salon & Studio, Big Ray’s, Co-Op Arts, Alana’s Espresso Escape, River City Café & Espresso, Julia’s Solstice Café and Lady Lee’s Bath House Emporium.
Plus free midday parking in the parking garage beginning Monday and running through the holidays (11am-2pm, M-F) so that you can park, shop, and eat lunch downtown during the festivities.
Businesses- sign up immediately if you haven’t already registered to be highlighted during this campaign. Sponsor information available here.
More details to come!
Dining
Prime Rib Night @ Gambardella’s Pasta Bella
Prime rib night at Gambardella’s Pasta Bella features steaks rubbed with garlic and rosemary, cooked to perfection and served with potato and vegetable side dish- call and reserve your slice before it sells out.
When:
Fridays and Saturdays, October-April
Where:
Gambardella’s Pasta Bella
706 2nd Avenue
Phone:
(907)457-4992
Dining
Harvest Dinner @ Gambardella’s Pasta Bella
Try the flavors of the season at Gambardella’s Pasta Bella every Tuesday and Wednesday night, with a new menu each week celebrating the bounty of the harvest. $26,00 per person. Sample menu includes: harvest salad (fresh spinach, maple dressing, feta cheese, walnutes) with chicken breast, stuffed with apples and almonds and topped with mushroom sauce, served with traditional green bean casserole and candied yams with toasted marshmallow.
When:
Tuesdays and Wednesdays, October and November
Where:
Gambardella’s Pasta Bella
706 2nd Avenue
Phone:
(907)457-4992
Dining
The Pasta Fair @ Gambardella’s Pasta Bella
All-you-can-eat pasta every Sunday and Monday night at Gambardella’s Pasta Bella. Spaghetti, fetuccini alfredo, garlic bread, and salad for $13.95 per person Runs October through April.
When:
Sunday and Mondays, October- April
Where:
Gambardella’s Pasta Bella
706 2nd Avenue
Phone:
(907)457-4992
Dining
Wine Tastings @ Gambardella’s Pasta Bella
Calling all cork dorks! Wine tastings with Bruce Abbott are back- a flat rate of $23.00 to sample six wines and three appetizers. Bruce specializes in Italian wines and is happy to share his expertise. Many groups of friends make this a weekly occassion. Call and reserve a table today!
When:
Thursdays, 7:00pm-9:00pm
Where:
Gambardella’s Pasta Bella
706 2nd Avenue
Phone:
(907)457-4992
Dining
Halloween Party @ Bobby’s
Enjoy live music and drink specials during a Halloween celebration at Bobby’s Downtown. Costumes encouraged!
When:
Saturday, October 29th
Where:
Bobby’s Downtown
609 2nd Avenue
Phone:
(907)456-3222
Dining
ALL HALLOWS’ EVE
This Halloween, downtown Fairbanks has seasonal flavors, frights, and festivities to coincide with this most haunting of holidays. From tasty restaurant specials and freak-filled parties to a full costume shop stocked with sheep bodysuits, pirate accessories, and colorful wigs, downtown Fairbanks is your one-stop source for a spooktastic October.
RAD COSTUMES
Chartreuse has pulled out all the stops (again) this year- with owner Sheri transforming vacant space next door into a full-fledged costume shop, complete with a smoke machine, creepy window displays, and cobwebs to get you in the spirit. Hundreds of costumes- every creature or character you can imagine- are available with steep (20%) discounts for military and students (college or high school). A Rotting Pumpkin sale on October 31st will knock prices by half for everyone. Vintage costumes and rentals are also available at Chartreuse, but stop in early for the best selection. Bonus: Check out the cannibalistic pumpkin stationed at the store entrance when you visit.
TASTY TREATS
Treats aren’t just for miniature ninjas and tiny rockstars- pumpkins and apples with a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon turn up the warmth and tone of culinary specials this Halloween. If there’s one thing downtown does right- it’s seasonal flavors.
Stop into Julia’s Solstice Café for vegan pumpkin pie and other seasonal baked goods available through Thanksgiving. If you prefer pumpkin in an even richer form, visit The Fudge Pot for pumpkin pie fudge. McCafferty’s brews up a delicious homemade pumpkin pie steamer, and one barista recommends it as a latte with whipped cream and a sprinkle of white chocolate powder.
The most die-hard pumpkin fans should stop into Gambardella’s Pasta Bella for the Great Pumpkin Special- a scoop of pumpkin cheesecake gelato, served with a slice of pumpkin pie, drizzled with pumpkin sauce and topped with whipped cream.
If you prefer apples as your fall food staple, a cup of spiced cider at McCafferty’s is only $1.50 and the warm apple pie at Gambardella’s Pasta Bella comes adorned in whipped cream.
Gambardella’s Pasta Bella is also serving up seasonal meals, including a Harvest Dinner every Tuesday and Wednesday. Fridays and Saturdays are prime rib night, Sundays and Mondays are all-you-can-eat pasta, and Thursdays feature wine tastings with Bruce Abbott.
FREAKY FESTIVITIES
It’s no fun if all the food and fright doesn’t come with a few chances to show off your witty/classy/outlandish choice in costumes. Luckily, there is plenty of downtown Halloween activity- including theatrical, educational, and dance party opportunities.
The Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre will feature a special Halloween showing of Macbeth (8:00pm) and Sleepless Night (6:00pm) at the Empress Theatre on Monday, October 31st- with a special half-off discount for Sleepless Night tickets when purchased with one for Macbeth. Sleepless Night features Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart along with original work on the theme of “Halloween” by local musicians and spoken word artists.
Ghost stories are a must for Halloween, and spookier when tales center on familiar towns, buildings, and outdoor spaces. A new exhibit debuting at the Fairbanks Community Museum titled “Legends, Oddities, and Strange Wonders of Alaska” details the ghosts and legends of Alaska with emphasis on the Interior. The Museum will be open on Saturday, October 29th from 12:00pm-4:00pm with treats for kids and also on Monday, October 31st from 4:00pm-8:00pm. Admission is always free, and donations are welcome.
Finally, it’s not Halloween without a proper party- and Bobby’s Downtown will host an annual Halloween celebration on Saturday, October 29th with live music and drink specials. The Big I Pub & Lounge Halloween party will kick off that same night, with DJ Benjammin on music and dancing all night long.
Dining
AROUND THE WORLD WITH ETHNIC CUISINE
by Amy Nordrum · 1 Comment
Downtown Fairbanks has always been a haven of great food served up in a variety of culinary styles, from Italian to BBQ. But lately, the opening of new restaurants and the rediscovery of (sometimes hidden) older gems has broadened the selection of ethnic foods offered downtown, much to the delight of curious local palates.
It’s no surprise to locals that Thai food is abundant in downtown Fairbanks. Two restaurants have mixed up vegetables, beef, pork, shrimp, and tofu with garlic, ginger, soy, and lemon heaped on beds of rice or noodles for years. Bahn Thai and the Thai House consistently serve fresh spring rolls, nutty pad thai , and that sweet, creamy Thai iced tea that tastes so good on a summer day. There’s no mistaking that one is found on this side of the Pacific, though- as several dishes at Bahn Thai incorporate halibut and salmon.
Now, the brand new Thai Kitchen located at the corner of 4th Avenue and Lacey Street joins their ranks, matching quality and service with a new take on familiar dishes. Formerly the Sawatdee Café and owned by the same family, the Thai Kitchen offers seven varieties of curry and stir fried red snapper. Homemade noodles can also be found in many of their dishes.
Neighbors to Thailand, the flavors of Vietnam are now available downtown in a modest hut adjacent to the intersection of 1st Avenue and Noble Street. Opening less than two months ago, Vietnamese specialties like crab soup are prepared in a traditional manner, which means light cooking (to preserve original flavor and texture) and with herbs like mint, coriander, and basil. Hamburgers and deli sandwiches are served with cilantro or cooked using traditional spices. Specialty teas and fruit or vegetable smoothies (in flavors from papaya to pea) round out the menu.
Skipping slightly east across the South China Sea to the Philippines, traditional cuisine is marked by its combination of salty, sweet, and sour flavors. Filipino food exists downtown, but it takes a bit of digging to find it. The Co-Op Diner nestled between 2nd and 3rd Avenues in the Co-Op Plaza serves up typical diner food like pizza, philly cheesesteaks, pasta, and full breakfasts. But if you know to ask, you’ll be handed a full menu of Filipino entrees like lumpia (egg rolls with chili sauce), adobo (served over fried rice), and longanisa (sweet sausage flavored with indigenous spices). Vangie Maxon grew up in the Philippines and prepares each order, while her husband Scott fries up burgers and cheesesteaks. Vangie is happy to adapt meals for breakfast by adding eggs, and plans to roll out a daily buffet of Filipino entrees in the near future.
Moving east across the Pacific and keeping with island culture, the Aloha BBQ Grill at the corner of 5th Avenue and Noble Street brings- you guessed it- Hawaiian dining to downtown Fairbanks. Co-Owners Jade and Jeff Yi met in Anchorage but have lived in Hawaii. Seafood has provided the main source of protein in Hawaiian diets for centuries and many types (prawns, scallops, calamari, and mahi mahi) are featured in their recipes, alongside some of Jade’s top picks like Kalua Pork, Lau Lau, and Kalbi (BBQ short ribs). Burgers and sandwiches take on an equatorial twist, topped with avocado, pineapple, crab, and jalapeno.
With a big leap across the eastern Pacific, the spice and sauces of Mexican dining bring a whole new dimension to local flavor at downtown’s only taco stand, El Dorado on 2nd Avenue. A few stools lining the walls (indoor and out) offer limited seating, as the burritos, tacos, quesadillas, and chimichangas available here are most convenient on-the-go. A straightforward menu offering beef, steak, chicken, fish, potato, vegetarian, and bean versions boasts affordable prices. Everything listed is under $10 and a potato taco can be had for only $2.00.
Returning to mainland Asia, the notorious spice of India is slightly incognito but still available downtown. The owners of Pizza 4 Less on Illinois Street are not just experts at fast, delicious pies- they also used to own a restaurant in the early ’90s called India Rose that gained a fair following in Fairbanks before shutting down (a recent Yelp review says it best). The meals they served in their former business are still available at Pizza 4 Less through a limited take-out menu unveiled a few months ago. Samosas, sag paneer, lamb curry, and vindaloo in the style of North India (the family is from Punjab) are available for customers.
As it turns out, a culinary tour of the greater Pacific can be achieved in downtown Fairbanks. With three Thai restaurants, a Vietnamese coffee hut, a taco stand, a Hawaiian BBQ joint, and two hidden gems- it’s all right here. Sometimes it just takes a little digging.
