Editor's note: CL food critic Jon Palmer Claridge is in Alaska doing "research." This is part of an ongoing series sharing his culinary adventures.
Whenever I travel to a new city, I'm interested in ferreting out a fine-dining destination for a special meal. Anchorage is no exception. After some research, I settle on The Marx Bros. Cafe, which has been serving executive chef and partner Jack Amon's refined cuisine since 1979. And since the Anchorage Daily News once dubbed this the "best restaurant in Alaska," I'm surprised when I reach the unprepossessing 1916 railroad cottage.
However, upon entering the intimate quarters, partner and cellar master Richard "Van" Hale's famous Caesar salad cart greets me with the biggest wooden bowl I've ever seen. A two-story wall packed with frames displaying Wine Spectator's prestigious Best of Award of Excellence (shared by Haven, the Columbia Restaurant and other Bay area cellars) assures me I made a wise choice.
Fourteen tables are spread out in three different dining areas. We snag a two top by the fireplace. The table features beautiful off-white leaf-patterned damask linens and sterling flatware. The crystal stemware sparkles, and the leather-bound menu (embossed with elaborate calligraphy of the cafe's logo) supports a napkin billowing out each side of a handsome silver ring.
Despite the sophisticated table accoutrements, the vibe is decidedly casual, so I remove my sports jacket. Our server delivers a shiny linen-lined bowl with warm house-made rolls that turn out to be stunning. The plain white and olive varieties delight, but the shiny-glazed brioche is swoon-worthy. There's some grand fresh butter for the yummy rolls and delish mixed olives, which we nosh on while sipping flutes of splendid Duval-Leroy Champagne. A great restaurant always has glasses of premium bubbles to begin a memorable meal.
The starters are fabulous. A glistening slice of cross-hatched seared foie gras is served with a trio of grilled sweet pineapple crescents and a thick pineapple gastrique. Even better is the special house-cured Yukon River sockeye salmon gravlax with buckwheat blini, crème fraîche, salmon caviar and a honey-mustard dill sauce that zig-zags across the beautiful plate.
Not to be outdone, the entrees are just as well-thought-out, balanced and perfectly prepared. The roasted rack of venison is tender and juicy. It sits on a bed of earthy morel mushroom risotto and absolutely delicious carrots and asparagus. It's topped with a decadent slice of summer truffle and surrounded by a pool of heavenly brandy demi-glacé.
This being Alaska, the fresh halibut fillet is stunning. It's got a macadamia crust, with subtle coconut curry, mango salsa and spicy eggplant, plus a molded mound of black forbidden rice. What's amazing is the synchronicity of flavors that enhance, rather than overwhelm, the fish.
Likewise, the restaurant's desserts are entrancing. A ramekin of warm berry crisp overflows with flavors of the freshest strawberries, blackberry and raspberries baked with a crumb topping — and super-creamy birch syrup-butter pecan ice cream. But my favorite is its version of Maida Heatter's walnut tart from Saint-Paul-de-Vence. I recognize it immediately because I've made this dessert for years; it's a sweet pastry crust filled with caramel and walnuts, then inverted and coated with a dark chocolate ganache. This one's a spot-on tribute and made even more sumptuous by the addition of breath-taking salted caramel ice cream.
Our wonderful meal is a throwback to an earlier time, before the innovation of modernist cuisine. The Marx Bros. Cafe's style reminds me of Dunedin's The Black Pearl. The best ingredients are prepared with impeccable technique for a evening that will linger in my memory. Chef Amon's crackerjack team, led by young sous chef Michael Adlam, rocks the small kitchen with thrilling care. But the whole attentive service team is well-drilled and a quick look out back reveals a garden filled with herbs, lettuces and flowers. Freshness reveals itself on the plate.
From first to last, this is a great feast. It doesn't cut the few corners that marred Holland America's Le Cirque tribute. Take note if you've got northern exposure on your bucket list. Tomorrow, Alaska is a fond memory. It's off to Seattle and the wonders of the legendary Canlis before heading home.
This article appears in Aug 4-11, 2016.