Food and Drink

Brewery tasting rooms and food trucks are the perfect summer pairing

Alaskans learn to live without.

For some, it's Trader Joe's. For others, it might be foreign films, In-N-Out Burger or a major sports team.

As for me? I've been craving a proper chocolate souffle since 1999. But forgoing these pleasures is a small price to pay for Alaska's spectacular scenery, wide open spaces and outdoor adventures. We've made our bargain and are content to make a few sacrifices. But there is one thing that Alaskans will not go without: good beer. Alaskans love their beer.

Little surprise then that small, local breweries with cozy little tasting rooms have been popping up all over town. Anchorage's answer to the speakeasy, these watering holes are hidden away in off-the-beaten-track areas and have mysterious rules like limited days/hours and a 36-ounce serving limit per visit. Opening a nondescript door in an industrial park after hours to reveal a cheerful, sometimes raucous crowd of imbibers makes you feel pleasantly in the know — like you're in on a secret handshake.

A get-together over a couple of craft beers in a cool venue: What more could you ask for? Short answer: food. Unlike some of the larger breweries in town, these smaller facilities don't have kitchens.

Enter the cavalry: a small army of food trucks that make regular rounds to these watering holes during peak mealtimes. If taprooms are bars without kitchens, then food trucks are kitchens without a set venue. It's a marriage made in heaven, if your marriage features constantly rotating partners. Or maybe it's more like a slot machine — lots of combinations, but in this case you always win.

I met my friend Sue at Double Shovel Cider Co. This is an appealing taproom with a bar, long, community-style tables, a garage door that opens onto the parking lot in good weather and a friendly brewery dog that was busy assisting the staff. We each did a tasting of four ciders and managed to work our way through most of the menu. These are tart, dry, thirst-quenching ciders — perfect for summer.

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And, of course, the perfect summer food is a good hot dog. Anchor Town Dogs was at the ready. I ordered a reindeer sausage ($6.50) topped generously with a heap of soft, buttery, Coke-braised onions and peppers. I doctored my dog with a heap of jalapeno peppers from the condiment bar (which also includes cheese, fresh tomatoes and pickle spears). Anchor Town isn't reinventing the wheel but they are turning out juicy, perfectly grilled, high-quality dogs with a smile. And I won't frown at that.

The following week, my husband and I returned to Double Shovel Cider to try Main Street Catering. They have the system on lock. Menus are inside the bar with instructions to text your order. A prompt response asked for my location. In a few short minutes they were delivering our meals, with a professional flourish, condiments and a bill. Nice. The truck features grilled sandwiches, signature burgers and a variety of loaded tots. My husband opted for a grilled turkey, guacamole, bacon and provolone sandwich ($10), while I went with the Reuben burger ($12). His sandwich was toasty, melty and satisfying. My burger was a hit. The classic corned beef, Russian dressing, slaw combination is heaped on top of a nicely charred patty with lots of smokiness from the grill. We split an order of Italian tots ($10) topped with sausage, bell peppers, cheese and onions.

The tasting room at Anchorage Brewing Co. is closest in atmosphere to a traditional commercial bar. On the larger side, with sleek, trendy decor and music in the foreground. There's even an outdoor seating area with gas-fueled fire pits. It hosts newcomer Tasty Traveler, which serves up classic tacos and burritos. I ordered lemon pepper chicken and steak chimichurri tacos. These were well constructed and flavorful, with a perfect shell that was crisp at the edges, pliant in the middle and not too greasy. At $5 each with a side of chips and truly hot salsa, these were a pretty good bargain and held up nicely to the bitterness of my IPA.

King Street Brewing Co. has a laid-back, rough-around-the-edges rec room vibe that I really love. Stacks of old board games on the shelves, a few books and indoor patio furniture make for a welcoming, come-as-you-are atmosphere. Extra points for two husky puppies wrestling at the front door near a bowl of water that could have easily held them both. I was there to try the beer, pet the dogs and to try Bear Mace Bites — a food truck that has been on my radar for a while now. Unfortunately, the truck didn't turn up due to technical difficulties but I enjoyed a flight of excellent beers — my favorites being a tart hefeweizen and a chocolaty, creamy stout.

I chased Bear Mace down for lunch a few days later at Cuddy Family Midtown Park. I ordered their buzzed-about hot chicken sandwich ($9) and one of my favorite dishes, kimchi fried rice ($12).

The hype is earned. The chicken is impressively crispy. Its fiery crust has a pleasing smokiness that lingers on your tongue. It's nicely balanced, with crispy lettuce, a swipe of mayonnaise and a layer of sweet pickles. The kimchi fried rice was a hefty plateful with lots of cabbage, fat chunks of pork and a creamy fried egg on top. High heat softened the tangy acid of the kimchi, leaving it with a mellow, pleasantly funky flavor. But the spice in the rice was assertive and bright. This heat-filled dish hit the spot on a breezy, overcast day in May. On a cold day in mid-winter it would be the cure for what ails you.

Cynosure Brewing Co. is the most serene and elegant of the four taprooms I visited. Despite the open space and high ceilings, the acoustics are soft and the atmosphere is peaceful. Leather armchairs and a sofa invite you to kick your feet up and stay awhile. Seating is spaced out for greater privacy and less jostling. This would be a good spot for a first date.

On my first visit, Wicked Wahine's street pizza truck was in residence. We dropped our order and the friendly server said she would text when it was ready. In the end, she sweetly delivered the pizzas herself. My friend Dave and I shared a sausage, onion and mushroom pie ($10) and Sue opted for the day's special — a barbecue Kalua pork with bacon and pineapple on a gluten-free crust ($18).

I know that pizza and beer is a classic combo, but I often think it's a heavy food for a heavy beverage. But, happily, this was a fresh and light pie. The crust is thin and crisp enough that the slices hold their shape and are easy to manage as finger food. The toppings were generous but not excessive and the pork special was unique and well conceived — slightly savory, slightly sweet with an assertive smokiness that stood up well to my subtly sweet saison brew.

I returned the following week and dropped by Phat Kid Food Truck on my way in to order a Cubano sandwich ($8.50). It was a knockout: tender, flavorful shreds of slow-cooked pork, a generous blanket of ham, tomato, cheese, pickle spears and a strong, country-style mustard. It was the perfect match for my malty, German-style black lager. I was only able to eat half of it, but hours later, it was still a sandwich to be reckoned with. It hadn't gotten soggy or started to fall apart, and the second half made a perfect midnight snack.

I had planned to create a taproom/food truck schedule, but with so many moving parts your best bet is to contact the breweries directly or to follow your favorite food trucks on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Sadly, I missed a few intriguing food trucks on the circuit, including Pikiniki Alaska Food Truck, A Slice of Heaven, Yeti Dogs, and Sugar House Waffles, which, intriguingly, serves brunch at the Double Shovel with accompanying "cidermosas."

I want to say that I have concluded my, ahem, "research," but with four different taprooms and more than twice that number of participating food trucks, discovering new food and beer pairings could be an almost limitless life mission. So I'll be back to drink more beers and eat more hot dogs. And so should you. Because the summer is young and a cold beer in the hot sun will make you feel young too.

If you go (all are on Facebook):

Breweries:

Double Shovel Cider Co.

Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 4-8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 12-8 p.m. Sunday, 12-6 p.m.

Location: 502 W. 58th St., Units C and D

Contact: 907-562-1100, www.doubleshovelcider.co

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King Street Brewing

Hours: Monday-Thursday, 2-8 p.m. Friday-Sunday, 12-8 p.m.

Location: 7924 King St.

Contact: 907-336-KING, www.kingstreetbrewing.com

Anchorage Brewing Co.

Hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 2-8 p.m.

Location: 148 W. 91st Ave.

Contact: 907-360-5104, www.anchoragebrewingcompany.com

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Cynosure Brewing Co.

Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 3-8 p.m.

Location: 144 E. Potter Dr., Unit E

Contact: 907-563-2966, Cynosure Facebook page 

Food trucks:

Bear Mace Bites

Contact: 907-297-8095, Bear Mace Facebook page

Anchor Town Dogs

Contact: 907-441-6388, Anchor Town Dogs Facebook page

Tasty Traveler

Contact: 907-980-0293, aactastytraveler.com

Main Event Catering

Contact: 907-677-6888, maineventcateringak.com

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Phat Kid Food Truck

Contact: Phat Kid Facebook page

Wicked Wahine Pizza

Contact: 619-376-6733, Wicked Wahine Facebook page

Mara Severin | Eating out

Mara Severin is a food writer who writes about restaurants in Southcentral Alaska. Want to respond to a column or suggest a restaurant for review? Reach her at dining@adn.com.

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