A great meal is so much better when it’s not just about the food.
Recently I had the thrill of traveling through Alaska (I had a wonderful visit at the Great Harvest in Anchorage) and the treat of an unforgettable experience at the Talkeetna Roadhouse.
When I stepped into the circa 1917 Roadhouse, the firs
t thing I came face to face with was a big old fashion curved-glass dessert case. This was my kind of place. The case was filled with goodies like big buttery cinnamon rolls, powdery Russian teacakes, Granny’s Chocolate Potato Cake, and Blueberry Rhubarb Pie. I wanted to try everything!
Off to the right was the entrance to the dining room and a large communal table with three seats available on the far corner where my husband, son and I settled in for breakfast.
Breakfast was amazing, but it wasn’t just about the big-as-your-plate raspberry walnut sourdough pancakes slathered in butter and syrup…it was equally because breakfast was enjoyed with families from four foreign countries, Talkeetna locals and two men who looked like mountain climbers.
There we all were in a room filled with artifacts from McKinley expeditions, including pictures of famous climbers like Reinhold Messner, bush pilot Don Sheldon and photographer Bradford Washburn.
Just when I thought this couldn’t get any better, I saw a stack of Roadhouse cookbooks for sale on the windowsill. The recipes made me think of Great Harvest’s devotion to fresh, made-from-scratch breads and sweets, and how special that is in our cookie-cutter world. I’ve come to expect nothing less, and maybe that’s why the Talkeetna Roadhouse experience was so memorable. It was a reminder of what inspires us to buy our wheat from family-owned farms, to grind our wheat daily, and to be a truly family-friendly destination.
Have you ever eaten at a cool old American roadhouse? What do you remember about the experience?
