I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that everybody thinks they’re also a foodie. I often sink deep into the ravine of my mental recesses and think, “When did it become cool to like food?” Sure, we’ve all loved food since first leaving the hospital, but what makes a foodie a foodie? It’s how they showcase their love for food; the communities that provide that food; the liberal and physical sciences that bind food with culture; and the cyclical economy that keeps these businesses running. The occasional smile doesn’t hurt, either.
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The state of Alaska is currently ranked 11th in cultural diversity and 1st in economic diversity in the United States. It would behoove us to assume our restaurant industry and food culture plays a magnificent part in influencing the former and maintaining the latter. Though 2020 tried its damndest to keep authentic eats from the mouths of justifiably frightened civilians, some Alaskan restaurants found ways to stay afloat by being exceptionally creative without putting their loyal customers at risk.
As for me, well, I just started eating in the car.
My journey to being an economic stimulus for the Alaska restaurant and food truck industry began in 2020 when I finally grew tired of having fast food delivered home every night. I didn’t want to eat like that anymore, and I didn’t want my daughter Diana too, either. I was encouraged by Diana’s mother to provide video footage of my favorite restaurants in the city, and the combination of those two surges of inspiration prompted me to show the city what my favorite burger in the whole state was. A simple video became the cause to make a video series, and that series garnered the attention of up-and-coming restaurants, one of which saw a 200% surge in sales as a result of my review for their food.
Since then, I’ve had the immense pleasure of showcasing my favorite restaurants in Alaska, hoping to gather some PNW attention to The Last Frontier’s restaurant scene. If you ever find your way here, do not pass up the chance to experience these delicacies:
1) The Kenai Burger, Arctic Roadrunner: A 1 lb double-burger with all the fixings to keep warm during the winter.
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2) Spicy Pepperoni, Moose’s Tooth: You have to try this nation-renowned pizzeria’s banana peppers stacked on their thin-crust pizza.
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3) The K-Town Wings, Seoul Casa: With the sweet and spicy fire sauce, you won’t find a crunchier or more flavorful wing than at this Korean-Mexican fusion restaurant.
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4) Rib Tips, Mr. Darryl’s Southern BBQ: The best BBQ in the state simply has the best not-on-the-menu, hands down. Thank me later.
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5) Strawberry Rhubarb Gelato, Gelatte: the state’s greatest dessert is extremely flavorful, made with homegrown ingredients, and outdoes ice cream by a mile.
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Take it from the freshest foodie: Alaska’s food scene is not to be overlooked. We’re coming for you!
About the author
How did the Freshest Foodie become the Freshest Foodie? On accident, really.
It all started with a TikTok video, without a real goal or a purpose, except to let people know what my favorite burger in all of Alaska (my home state) was.
COVID just hit. I lost my full-time job at an ophthalmology clinic. I was Doordashing fast food almost every day, setting the example for my daughter that this was the only option we had. It wasn’t. Thanks to her mother’s extreme support and encouragement, I decided to let people know they could get out of their houses safely and responsibly, and discover Alaska’s best eats, starting with the city of Anchorage. Though it wasn’t a huge blast on TikTok, it sure did blow up on Facebook. So I did another.
And another. And another.
Finally, a local husband-and-wife team of business owners reached out to me, told me they saw what I was doing, and asked me to review their coming-up restaurant.
That review boosted their revenue by some 200%.
Then news stations started calling. Insider Magazine called. More chefs wanted their food on display in a way that, for whatever reason, other COVID-era people simply weren’t doing. A young, charming, exuberant, black man promoting local restaurants and supporting their owners’ dreams and their customer’s stomachs?
Outrageous!
But here we are. This is what I do. It’s a good thing I’m always hungry.
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