Gene Thorn’s Showcase Lounge Cajun Prime Rib Bites

Ingredients:

1 cup julienne onion

1 cup julienne tomatoes

1 teaspoon fresh garlic, chopped

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons Cajun or Creole seasoning

2 ounces red wine

10 ounces cubed prime rib

Procedure:

Sauté the onion and garlic in butter until translucent. Add the tomato and seasoning. Stir. Add prime rib and wine. Simmer and reduce until tomatoes are soft.

Serves 1

admin Beef Recipes

Time

capsule

Thorn’s Showcase Lounge a tasty blast from the past

By Mark Bly

In the picturesque city of Seward is an oasis that must be seen to be believed: Thorn’s Showcase Lounge.

A vision of 1971, this place stands timeless and enduring, regardless of the changing word around it. Among other notable items, it is home to one of the nation’s largest collection of Jim Beam bottles on display, over 1,100 at last count. Thorn’s is arguably the best lounge south of Moose Pass.

As you enter, your eyes adjust to the subdued lighting to discover unique surroundings. An unmatched interior just puts a smile on your face. Go ahead, choose a table, relax and take it all in. The service here is great. This is a real slice of old-school Alaska.

The owner, Gene Thorn, has been in the state since 1955. If you get a chance to see him be sure and say hello. I was fortunate enough to spend some time with this great man and let me say the pleasure was all mine. Mr. Thorn enjoys living in Seward.

“The population never changes here. Every time a baby is born some one leaves,” he said with a chuckle.

“Come on down to the Showcase Lounge, we install and feed hangovers,” he said.

The Showcase Lounge feeds more than just hangovers. With a newly expanded menu of Alaska-sized dishes, this is a great place to hang or just watch the outdoor channel on one of the several big screen TV’s.

The menu changes daily and boasts the best halibut it town. It’s more true story than boast; chunks of tasty Alaska halibut delicately coated in a unique and ultra secret batter that gives you more fish and less bread. These bowls are huge. Bring your appetite or be prepared to take some home.

Daily specials include prime rib. Get your cut rare, with Cajun spice or my favorite, Cajun bite size pieces smothered in a spicy wine sauce with onions and tomatoes. Thorn gave me the recipe on one condition: that I share it with you. I told you he was a nice guy.

A soup and sandwich combo is always available and fills the bill for a light bite.

From seafood picata to Swedish meatballs, Thorn’s Showcase Lounge has it going on! All entrees are delicious and filling. Steaks are cut fresh and there are eight kinds of salad dressing to choose from. Three offerings of fries await the hungry traveler: Waffle, shoestring or steak fries. Where else can you get that?

For desert you just have to try Thorn’s favorite, chocolate indulgence. The sweet delight is a flourless chocolate cake with your choice of several toppings (I recommend the strawberry).

Thorn’s Showcase Lounge is also open for the mid-morning breakfast crowd. The fare is broad and unique. From biscuits and gravy to omelets, and for those needing more there is often a meatloaf or salad offered up.

Chef Lastan Williams is the man behind the new menu. Chef Williams has found his mark at the Showcase Lounge. A veteran of the anchorage culinary scene, Lastan has worked with Chef Al Levinston and was the executive chef at the Millennium Hotel. When I asked him why he chose Seward he said:

“It was the prettiest place I could drive to, I liked it so much I just stayed.”

I, for one, am glad he did.

Thirteen beers, several wines and a full bar make this a well-rounded establishment that begs a second visit.

The Showcase is more than just a lounge. Gene Thorne really likes kids and has a moon walk kid bouncer in the backyard. I heard a basketball court is in the works as well.

Gene Thorn’s Showcase Lounge: In my opinion it’s one of the best places to unwind and refuel in Seward. A laid-back and relaxed place that has ignored change and the hectic world around us.

This is now one of my favorite eateries and has made my list of must-see old school Alaskan establishments.

Thorn’s Showcase Lounge

208 4th Ave, Seward

(907) 224-3700

Open seven days a week,

10 a.m. to midnight

Appetizers: $3.95-$19.95

admin Seward

Salmon season coleslaw

Ingredients:

1 cup mayo

2 Tbs vinegar

2 Tbs sugar

3 tsp Old Bay seasoning

2 cups shredded cabbage

1 cup shredded carrots

Procedure:

Shred cabbage and carrots and place in a large bowl. Add mayo, vinegar, sugar and Old Bay. Mix. Chill at least 2 hours and serve.

For a different flavor add a chopped green onion and a small amount of ginger to kick it up a bit.

admin Salmon Recipes

Fish camp king steaks

Smuggled out of Bristol Bay in an empty coffee can, this recipe is not a hard and fast guide. Many substitutions of ingredients can be made for a zippier flavor or for whatever you have on hand. It works just as good on silvers, too.

Ingredients

Salmon, cut in to steaks

¼ cup olive oil

2 Tbs Old Bay seasoning

4 Tbs Tony’s salmon and seafood seasoning*

2Tbs Worcestershire sauce*

A-1 Steak Sauce*

2 eggs

1 cup flour

1 cup breadcrumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

Cut salmon in to two-inch-thick steaks. Place in a plastic bag or container. Add olive oil, Old Bay and 2 Tbs of seafood seasoning, cover and place in fridge overnight.

When ready, whisk the eggs and add remainder of seafood seasoning, Worcestershire and A-1, dredge in a mix of flour and breadcrumbs. Heat a skillet with oil on the stove over medium high heat. Cook approximately 3 minutes a side. When done the fish should be firm to a fork

* These ingredients can be substituted with whatever is on hand. A seasoning salt or perhaps spicy barbecue sauces add a nice variation to your soon to be favorite recipe.

admin Salmon Recipes

Setnets and sunsets

Working up an appetite in Naknek

By Mark Bly

As an Alaskan, a big part of every summer is always spent gathering food for the cold, dark nights that lay ahead. This sort of behavior seems to be second nature in the great white north. Gathering activities range from chasing caribou to picking berries, and tends to consume every waking moment in the field.

My latest endeavor was to stalk the wily red salmon, and for this I decided to go downstream. Downstream you ask? Yep, all the way to the mouth of the richest fishing ground in Alaska, Bristol Bay.

My friend Don and I boarded a flight in Anchorage filled with fishermen of many nationalities all hoping for that one big catch. Once under way I learned their dreams and aspirations where filled with lodges and float trips, fine and dandy for the visitor but we where here to fill a freezer.

Arriving in King Salmon, we headed in the other direction and purchased a ride to South Naknek. Not too many people were going our way, just a local named Mike and us.

A short, eight-minute flight — complete with a low pass of the fish camp — put us at the water’s edge.

The gated community of South Naknek lies 14 miles to the south and west of the bustling town of King Salmon.

Our host John greets us and we take up seat on the front porch of the fish camp to assess the situation. The fishing has been good and seems to be picking up as of late. This is no rod and reel stuff, we will be using a setnet to trap our winter’s supply of reds.

After a short rest and an outgoing tide we set up our gear on the beach. A 10 fathom gillnet will do our bidding for us. Consisting of a net with floats anchored on the deep end and tied to the shore on the other, this tried-and-true technique will do in hours what takes the average Kenai River angler weeks to accomplish. Yes, dipnetting also fills the freezer, but wouldn’t you rather be sitting on shore enjoying a frosty beverage while the work is done for you?

With everything in place we retreat back to the front porch of the camp. From there we had a comfortable view the incoming tide. The nets go wet, raising with the rush of water — and with it the promise of a bountiful catch. It is exciting to watch as the net fills up, one salmon after another are snared in this most efficient method of gathering.

We know we are doing well because the seals are now taking great interest in our day’s snare. It’s time to rest because when the tide goes out again it will be time to pick the net and clean our winter’s stash.

Our good friends Dan and Mary arrive and we are up to a full complement ready to start the production line. As the tide ebbs the water recedes to reveal that we have a lot of work to do. A lot of work, yes, but with a smile. This is what we came here for and the gift the ocean brought us makes each one aglow.

A stocker, cutter, washer and packer: we all work together for about four hours filleting and packing our fish in tubs for the journey to the freezer back home.

Exhausted and content, we break for dinner of fresh king salmon steaks from the day’s haul, tater tots and coleslaw. Man, fish never tasted so good. Food is always better at camp. I managed to sneak the salmon recipe out of the kitchen without detection so keep this one under your hat.

After another great nap between tides we repeated the process several more times. Soon had all the fish we needed.

With one full day left before a flight home and not being able to sit idly about, we took advantage of the next minus tide to do some recreational clamming.

Could some one remind me why this is fun? Digging and groveling in the mud for a tasty morsel of clam is a lot of work, but hey, it beats the office.

Before we knew it our quota was reached and our ride back to town was ready. Content and exhausted, I fell asleep in the back of Dan’s Cessna 206, secure in the knowledge that my freezer was full and the salmon were on their way.

Summer gathering is a way of life in Alaska and I’m thankful I am a part of this seasonal tradition.

admin Naknek

It’s worth the trip!

The Apollo Restaurant

229 4^th Avenue

Seward Alaska 99664

2 blocks north of the Seward Sea-life Center

(907) 224-3902

Hours: 11:00 am to 11:00 pm seven days a week

Appetizers: $8.95- $13.95

Entrees: $10.95- $24.95

Pizza: $9.95- $24.95

www.apollorestaurantak.com

At the end of the Seward highway lays a destination worth the trip.

This story really began 13 years ago. But it was not until this summer in preparation for the Kayak symposium, that I discovered one of the finest Greek restaurants in Alaska, the Apollo Restaurant in Seward.

The owner, and Chef, Costa, a proud Spartan, grew up in Greece. As a young man he attended the Gastronomic Academy of Athens. Like many Alaskans his story is love at first sight. Traveling on a guided tour from his homeland, he made his way to Seward to visit his childhood friend, Art Pakanos, who at the time owned Apollo’s. Making land fall in New York and with a right turn at Seattle, Costa rolled in to Seward on a tour bus in the spring of 1994. He immediately had an ardor to the North Country. The beauty had him at hello. He was offered gainful employment by his old friend and Costa never got back on the bus, he was in Alaska to stay.

With a great passion for food and taking pride in his work, he had found a new home. Zooming ahead 11 years we are now in 2004 and find Art and Costa working side by side. Art heads outside for a vacation in Seattle and phones Costa from the Emerald city,

“I am selling the business and I am not coming back”

Said   Art.

And after for a short pause

“I am selling The Apollo Restaurant to you. “

Astounded and honored that his life long friend and mentor would entrust him with such an offer, Costa took his passion for food and responsibility for quality seriously.

“If you love food you can create great things.”

Said Costa

“Cooking is imagination.”

He continued.

I have to tell you that in the opinion of The Trailside Gourmet, this guy is the “real Deal” it is not often you find a person with such enthusiasm and zest so as to take the quality of your dining experience personally.

I could not wait to eat.

My dining partner and I started with tomato bisque soup. Smooth and creamy, this soup awakens your taste buds with an aromatic flavor and prepares you for the feast to come.

Next to arrive was Shrimp Saganaki, wow, if you love garlic I highly recommend this succulent dish. Perfectly cooked large shrimp in a gloriously decadent sauce with olive oil, wine and feta cheese accentuated with garlic and served with warm and oh so tasty freshly baked bread sticks. This is lip smacking good!

Our epicurean tour of the Greek Isles Continued. Subsequently we thoroughly enjoyed the Brushetta. In a word, “unreal”. This ingeniously simple recipe adds a wonderful complex blending of flavors to jump start even the most finicky of appetites. I got this recipe straight up from Costa who proudly wanted to share it with you, the reader. If you want to steal the spotlight of any summer bbq even before the grill is fired than this is the dish. Accompanied by a nice dry white wine this will take best of show with little to no effort on your part. Give it a try.

For an entrée we enjoyed the Lamb chops. They came char-broiled and prepared with Mediterranean herbs, olive oil and lemon sauce. This dish was outstanding to say the least. Delicious and succulent, the way lamb should be.

The Halibut Calabrese is superior. Baked halibut stuffed with crab, shrimp and scallops; wrapped in a  Filo dough and laced with lobster sauce it came accompanied by flavorsome parmesan pasta and a light “Village Salad”.

This selection alone will point your vehicle towards Seward.

I you are not sure what to order, try the Geek Combo. It serves two and is a gold mine of flavors; it is a good way to become acquainted with Apollo’s.

For a great complement to your outstanding meal try a dry white Greek wine. All wines on the list are of reasonable price and selection. A variety of Alaskan, domestic and imported beers are available for your enjoyment.

Here is a cool idea; you are probably going to Seward to fish anyway. Why not treat your out of town guests to the ultimate fishing après’ experience. Bring some of your freshly caught fish in to The Apollo Restaurant and they will cook it for you. I think that is just the perfect ending to a day of jigging at sea. Add that gourmet punctuation to your outing that will be talked about for years to come.

Hey if that is not enough to get you going, Apollo has excellent pizza. A nice selection awaits the hungry angler and runs the gamut from the Veggie to Chicken Pesto and of course The Meat Lovers pizza. You can even order most selections with a garlic butter crust.

Give your self a treat and put the everyday behind you. Just a pleasant drive to Seward stands between you and one of my new favorite restaurants. When you think about it, people commuting to work in large cities spend more time in their cars each day than you will driving to Resurrection Bay, and work is not on the menu. There is a special treat waiting for you in Seward. The Apollo Restaurant is worth the trip.

admin Seward

Beer-Butt Chicken

A beer-butt chicken rack sure is handy but not completely necessary, put one on your birthday wish list.

Ingredients:

Dry rub:                                        Basting juice:

1 tsp brown sugar                                                     ½ can beer

1 tsp garlic powder                                                     1 cup apple cider

1 tsp oregano                                                               2 TBS olive oil

½ tsp cayenne pepper                                                2 TBS balsamic vinegar

1 tsp dry mustard                                                        1 TBS of your favorite

1 tsp paprika                                                                 hot sauce

Procedure:

Mix up your dry rub. Wash and pat your chicken dry. Season the bird with your dry rub inside and out working the seasoning under the skin whenever possible. Place in a bowl and cover and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

Ok now that you have had half a can of beer its time to fire up the Barbie. Charcoal or gas it makes no difference. The only thing you need to keep in mind is that you want to cook the chicken with indirect heat. Move your hot coals to one side and put the bird on the other. With a gas grill just turn on one burner. This chicken is going to be juicy and you do not want the fat that drips away to catch fire and ruin your epicurean delight.

Ok, grab another beer, I told you this was fun. Pour half of it in to a spray bottle. Add the rest of your basting ingredients and set by the grill. If you do not have a spray bottle a small bowl and a brush will work. Hmm, no brush, a wadded paper  towel work in a pinch, just tell worried on lookers that you are “mopping” the chicken and take a sip of your favorite beverage. This usually leads to an “ah” and a blank stare. That should keep everyone out of your hair for the rest of the procedure.

Now back to that half empty beer. Place the can on the grill and slide the chicken over it. The steaming beer keeps your bird moist during the process.

Cook for almost 2 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees. Baste every 20 minutes or so. You want the finished product to be golden brown.

When your bird is done carefully remove from grill and extricate the can. Be very careful, the can will be hot and can lead to some nasty burns. I recommend wearing oven mitts. Let the chicken sit for about 10 minutes and then carve it up. Enjoy

admin Chicken Recipes

Blue Water Shrimp & Seafood Company

Kuhio Ave, between Launiu and Kaiolu Streets

Honolulu, Hawaii

10:00 AM- 10:00PM Daily

Entrees: $6.95- $39.95

Often times, there is great discovery on the path less traveled.  This day it led me to a local’s secret in Honolulu, The Blue Water Shrimp & Seafood Company.

On a non -descript lot just off the North end of Kuhio Avenue sits a mobile food wagon in a fixed position. An itinerant kitchen adorned in a bright blue collage of sea life surrounded by picnic tables and several welcome awnings to shield you from the hot Pacific sun.  Don’t let this unassuming venue fool you; it conceals one of the best seafood deals in Waikiki.

The creation of long time Hawaiian enterepanure, Gilbert Sakaguchi, Blue water Shrimp and sister company Magoos’s pizza, encircle the island of Oahu with portable locations  serving up some of the best and most reasonably priced gastronomic delights the Aloha state has to offer.

Blue Water Shrimp & Seafood is a real slice. Sitting in the soft afternoon trade wind while dining on fresh seafood is what you travel here for. Add a few of your favorite beverages form the nearest ABC Store and you have your self a feast fit for a king.

Just seven items on the menu and everyone a winner, you can’t go wrong here. My favorite is the #6, Stir Fry Sizzling Seafood. Consisting of shrimp, Scallops, and Blackened Ahi, served atop a bed of salad it is an unbelievable indulgence of fresh mouthwatering seafood.  Priced at $11.95 it is a real value. The portions are large and the quality consistent, superlative.

Like your shrimp spicy? Give the #1 a go, Really Garlic Shrimp. You can request this meal with as much heat as you want. An outstanding selection of spicy shrimp accompanied by light cabbage salad rice, garlic bread, and half an ear of corn. How can you beat that for the same $11.95?

Take some time, get off the beach and explore Honolulu. The road less traveled can lead to some wonderful things, The Blue Water Shrimp and Seafood Company is one of those. If you get a chance, tell them I said hello, I can’t wait to go back.

Mahalo

admin Honolulu

Café puts the sizzle in summer

Downtown Anchorage eatery masters light and tasty fare

Sizzlin’ Café

523 West 3^rd Ave.

Anchorage, Alaska 99501

(907) 929-5400

Hours: 6:00am-2:00pm

7 days a week

5:00pm-10:00pm

Tuesday Thru Saturday

Appetizers: $7.50- $15.00

Entrees: $7.00- $24.00

www.sizzlincafe.com

Summer is in full swing and our welcome guest from outside are here. Downtown Anchorage can be daunting this time of year. Don’t let the fleets of rental cars and seemingly mountains of luggage that fill our streets cloud your thoughts.

Get on down and enjoy the happenings in our great city.  There are some new places that are starting to blossom like the fireweed in August. Here is my pick for a pleasant dining experience this month. Sizzlin’ Café.

Tucked away on 3^rd avenue on the very edge of downtown it is surprisingly easy to navigate to and parking abounds on surrounding streets. Just down the block from the Wood Shed and across the street from the Hilton.  I found it interesting that visitors knew more about this place than the average local.  Surprising in light of the delicious fare served here.

Sizzlin’ Café is owned and operated by Chef Rob Obermann.  Rob is a recipient of the Alaskan Culinary Association Chef of the year award. With and impressive resume beginning with The Culinary Institute Of America in New York, Rob’s career and experiences shot skyward and reads like the who’s who of the cooking  elite. Blazing a path through the lower 48 and to the top of the Anchorage scene you might remember him from the Hilton or perhaps Seven Glaciers. Although large venues are great, Chef Rob Obermann always wanted to open his own establishment. I, for one, am glad he did.

My first visit was for lunch.  A Panini sandwich and salad was ready in ten minutes and was in a word, tasty. Sizzlin’ Cafe makes its own bread for the ultimate Panini experience. It just begs to be tried.

Dinner here was appetizing. I started with Kachemak Bay Stuffed Mushrooms, a great way to begin. Mushrooms stuffed with crab, red pepper, Jalapeno and parmesan accompanied by a mouth watering sauce. Not to spicy, a tantalizing flavor that wakes you up.

Next to arrive was the salad. This is a hard choice and greatly contested among regular patrons as to which is the best. The Sizzlin’ Salad is delicious and consists of mixed greens, almond, feta cheese and a Key Lime Vinaigrette dressing, Yummy. The Freshly prepared Cesar is also a winner. It is light and airy with a little bit of a zip to finish. The homemade crotons really add to this. It is my personal favorite. The portions are a great size. Give it a try and let me know what your favorite is.

For an entrée I just had to sample the stuffed TRI-Tip. An often overlooked cut of meat, when properly prepared this can be tender, moist and full of flavor.

Chef Rob hit the mark with this one. Tri-Tip with a roasted garlic marinade, Cabernet Demi Glace, Parmesan – garlic roasted red potatoes and steamed baby bok choy topped off with and aromatic sprig of fresh rosemary.

A wonderful exchange of flavors, the meat was moist and tender. The edge of the Blue Cheese tang blended seamlessly with the Cabernet Demi-Glace and when added to the garlic potatoes it made for a mouth-watering meal.

Save some room for dessert. My pick is the Chocolate lovers Sundae. Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate and white chocolate chips all in a brownie served with Vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, Carmel and whipped cream. Need I say more?

I asked Sizzlin’ Café owner Rob Obermann to sum it all up.

“This is where you can find good quality food and drink at a reasonable price” Said Rob.

“You can come on in and try different things without having to leave your wallet here.” He continued with a smile.

Prices are reasonable here and of special note to Airline Crew. Bring your I.D. for a discount on your food items.

Ask about delivery in the downtown area.

On my visit the daily specials included a variety of fresh fish and pasta dishes. In addition to a great menu selection you will find several local

admin Anchorage

Ingredients:
5 ripe avocados
1 ripe tomato
1/2 cup cilantro
1/2 chopped onion
1 tsp granulated garlic
A pinch of black pepper for flavor
A pinch of salt for flavor
1 cube powdered chicken bouillon
A dash of Cumin
1/2 lemon for juice

Procedure:
Smash avocado
Add remaining ingredients and mix.
Chill and serve.

admin Misc Recipes