Anchorage Crush for Lunch
Crush in downtown Anchorage is generally one of my favorite places to go to hang out with a glass of wine or to get a small nibble (especially when going to a show at the PAC). This time around I went in for lunch, which is rare for me, but I was at Nordstrom on a Saturday and was trying to figure out where to go.
Lest it be said, parking downtown can be a nightmare. Spaces are limited on the street and there are pay lots, but instead of being the ones that you pay a dollar and hour, it's five dollars for 0-2 hours. Another option is to park in the JCPenny parking garage, which I tend to do in winter. Crush is attached to the 5th Avenue mall, so if you are shopping, there is also the B street parking garage.
Crush is owned by a group of guys that are very knowledgeable and you can see them variably every day you come in to the place. The decor is sleek and they are part of the Friday art walk so you can check out the new work every month. The tables are one side booth other side chairs, and there are outside tables for the summer time. (It is interesting to note here that though you may see the entire outside is packed the inside is generally slower in the summer. So, if you are like me and cannot have sun in your eyes, you will have more selection.) There is a bar that in center back with the entrance to the kitchen. (My favorite bar tender is Johnny.) All of the chairs are aligned a bit crooked, which annoys me when trying to sit and not have to straighten multiple chairs to get my legs in.
This visit for lunch as I mentioned previously was a change for me. I am usually in the the after work crowd or meeting up in the evening. One small change that actually is not my favorite is that on the lunch service they give you paper napkins and then dinner you get cloth napkins. I would suggest they stick with cloth for the upscale look they are going for. The paper napkins just seemed cheap and out of place. There is a separate menu for lunch which included some very nice options from veggie to meat eater. This day they had a brunch special, which I ordered, that was an omelet with brie, bacon, and spinach. I also added the soup of the day which was an asparagus soup. I note here that the service was excellent and the server was pleasant, smiled, and made sure that you had everything. (This was a major improvement over my takeout lunch I had previously with a girl that looked frantic and out of control. She had also told me that my lunch came without a side when it plainly did on the menu.)
The soup came first and was a beautiful shade of green. The taste was definitely asparagus, uncomplicated, clean, and not overly salty. My omelet came and looked lovely. There were sliced pear on the sides with what seemed to be a honey sauce drizzled on it. The omelet was a bit shiny which scared me a bit. The taste was excellent. The omelet was perfectly cooked and the brie with the bacon and spinach was a great flavor combo. About half of the way through, it was becoming a bit much and the fattiness of it was weighing me down. I ended up leaving about a third of the omelet on the plate. A bit greasy, but tasty and worth an extra pound on my hips.
Though I may not come in here very often for lunch, it was a nice change from the usual routine. I still prefer my evenings but recommend anyone to stop by. There is also a wine store upstairs for you to whisk away a new favorite or try something new.
I will later edit this entry to contain the pictures that were taken. Please comment any questions that you might have.
Lest it be said, parking downtown can be a nightmare. Spaces are limited on the street and there are pay lots, but instead of being the ones that you pay a dollar and hour, it's five dollars for 0-2 hours. Another option is to park in the JCPenny parking garage, which I tend to do in winter. Crush is attached to the 5th Avenue mall, so if you are shopping, there is also the B street parking garage.
Crush is owned by a group of guys that are very knowledgeable and you can see them variably every day you come in to the place. The decor is sleek and they are part of the Friday art walk so you can check out the new work every month. The tables are one side booth other side chairs, and there are outside tables for the summer time. (It is interesting to note here that though you may see the entire outside is packed the inside is generally slower in the summer. So, if you are like me and cannot have sun in your eyes, you will have more selection.) There is a bar that in center back with the entrance to the kitchen. (My favorite bar tender is Johnny.) All of the chairs are aligned a bit crooked, which annoys me when trying to sit and not have to straighten multiple chairs to get my legs in.
This visit for lunch as I mentioned previously was a change for me. I am usually in the the after work crowd or meeting up in the evening. One small change that actually is not my favorite is that on the lunch service they give you paper napkins and then dinner you get cloth napkins. I would suggest they stick with cloth for the upscale look they are going for. The paper napkins just seemed cheap and out of place. There is a separate menu for lunch which included some very nice options from veggie to meat eater. This day they had a brunch special, which I ordered, that was an omelet with brie, bacon, and spinach. I also added the soup of the day which was an asparagus soup. I note here that the service was excellent and the server was pleasant, smiled, and made sure that you had everything. (This was a major improvement over my takeout lunch I had previously with a girl that looked frantic and out of control. She had also told me that my lunch came without a side when it plainly did on the menu.)
The soup came first and was a beautiful shade of green. The taste was definitely asparagus, uncomplicated, clean, and not overly salty. My omelet came and looked lovely. There were sliced pear on the sides with what seemed to be a honey sauce drizzled on it. The omelet was a bit shiny which scared me a bit. The taste was excellent. The omelet was perfectly cooked and the brie with the bacon and spinach was a great flavor combo. About half of the way through, it was becoming a bit much and the fattiness of it was weighing me down. I ended up leaving about a third of the omelet on the plate. A bit greasy, but tasty and worth an extra pound on my hips.
Though I may not come in here very often for lunch, it was a nice change from the usual routine. I still prefer my evenings but recommend anyone to stop by. There is also a wine store upstairs for you to whisk away a new favorite or try something new.
I will later edit this entry to contain the pictures that were taken. Please comment any questions that you might have.
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