Bridging Heritage and Legacy: Salmon Culture and Gourmet Dining on Alaska’s Ship Creek
Bridging Heritage and Legacy: Salmon Culture and Gourmet Dining on Alaska’s Ship Creek
and Chef Al Levinsohn (right).
Photo Credit: Bridge Seafood Restaurant & Catering]
by covagabond.
Wednesday, 13 May 2020
221 W Ship Creek Avenue, Anchorage, AK, USA:
From 1915 to 1923 the Alaskan Engineering Commission, charged by President Woodrow Wilson with the undertaking, sent thousands of laborers wielding spike mauls, pickaxes, and dynamite to carve rail access into Alaska’s vast interior.
Little did they know that at the same time they were quite literally laying the foundation for some of the world’s best dining… a century later.
Along the trail they encountered multitudes of obstacles in the forms of waterways, gullies, and canyons.
They solved these challenges by building hundreds upon hundreds of timber trestle bridges along the path of least resistance dictated by Alaska’s rugged landscape.
Two of these structures dating back to 1916 still stand at 221 W Ship Creek Avenue just off of Anchorage’s thriving downtown. One has been converted into a pedestrian bridge and incorporated into the network of the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail system, while the other hosts Chefs Patrick Hoogerhyde and Lexa Gokey at Anchorage’s premier downtown venue, Bridge Seafood Restaurant.
Sitting on the reinforced bridge, the locally owned, farm-to-table focused restaurant boasts an open air kitchen, outdoor dining, sunlit atriums, and stunning views of Ship Creek and the Chugach Mountains beyond in addition to its innovative menu.
Raised in King Salmon, Chef Patrick grew up hunting and fishing Alaska’s majestic sweeps, where his love of cooking and serving his community would lead him to rise to the top of his industry.
Upon entry to the Bridge guests are greeted by a unique daily display of Bridge’s finest offerings on ice, and a world class hosting staff. They are then led to the starter bar, an array of seven fresh, bottomless salads, standing across from a well appointed bar featuring local brews and food-friendly wines in their spacious commons and ranging from smoked salmon farfalle to delicately minted watermelon salad, before being seated.
Sourced from Alaska’s legendary Matanuska Valley, fresh vegetables prepared to highlight and complement native flavors add complexity to the world’s finest seafood.
Rainbow sprays of cruciferous veggies, grilled potatoes, and pungent peppers nestle around Alaskan king crab, salmon, halibut, and perfectly grilled steaks, creating colorful entrees whose presentations are as much art as they are nourishment.
However, community means more than just local rhubarb to the Bridge family. Alongside Zonta International, the Red Cross, the American Cancer Society, Bean’s Cafe (a local community kitchen providing meals to the needy in downtown Anchorage), and dozens of others, Bridge Seafood has spearheaded efforts that have raised millions of dollars to benefit those around them.
“I think that the only way to make a community better … is by being part of the solution,” Head Chef Lexa told me during our interview. “[Chef] Patrick started the Zonta program with the Yellow Rose Foundation,” she continued. “[They’ve raised] over $100k in scholarships for local girls that are going to college here in Alaska.”
Hailing from Roseburg, OR, Gokey has been with Bridge for six years.
“I really like what we do [here]. I like that during the catering season we get a chance to exercise our [culinary] creativity.”
Ship Creek boasts a tidal flux of approximately thirty feet (the second highest in the world) and is home to several of Alaska’s salmon runs.
Salmon hatch far upstream in freshwater before migrating to the open ocean, yet they unerringly return to their own birthplace to spawn.
https://www.redoubtlodge.com/
Grizzly tours, fishing and much more.]
This makes Alaska’s fishing industry a key pioneer in sustainable practices as they husband Alaska’s pristine waterways and resources for future generations.
“The restaurant [is] very much about supporting local businesses and supporting the environment. I think that that’s a really great thing and it speaks to me personally,” Gokey told me, her warmth and passion for her art and community easy to see.
For those vagabonds who like a more hands-on approach to Alaskan seafood, The Bait Shack (Bridge’s next door neighbor and partner-in-crime) is waiting. The full service fishing stop is ready to outfit anyone and everyone who can hold a fishing pole, providing everything from license and waders to rod and reel. The yearly King Salmon Derby is always good fun.
Be prepared to abandon your seat to watch anglers from around the world reel in 30, 40, and even 50 pound specimens through the picture windows or from the shade of deck dining. Or gear up after dessert and ply the waters for your own next big catch.
After the kings have come and gone between late May and mid July, the coho (or silver, depending on who you ask) salmon make their run from mid-to-late July through the end of September.
Ship Creek’s history is a beautiful part of Alaska’s profile, and holds valuable lessons for those looking to its future. Visit May through August in order to take advantage of Bridge’s Restaurant Season, and year round to enjoy their catering. Then drop by The Bait Shack for all your fishing needs while enjoying the world’s only urban King Salmon Fishery.
Writing to you from Anchorage, AK
As always,
Your covagabond.
~
“If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime.”
-Lao Tzu
~
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