Robert "RobZilla" P.'s Profile

I must admit, I have drifted away from Yelp for the last few months.  My life has become rather hectic - working late and on weekends.  As a result I have neglected my fellow Yelpers, and for that I sincerely apologize.  This past weekend my wife and tried a new restaurant in Eagle River and my first thought while dining was "I have got to Yelp this place".  So, like an excited school boy, I came running home to tell everyone about my new discovery.  Wasabi Garden is the latest transformation of the cute little restaurant nestled next to the Eagle River Valley Cinema on Business Boulevard.  You might have previously known this place as The Szechuan Restaurant, or more recently as the Bear Paw Buffett.  They have now opened Eagle River's second Sushi Bar, Wasabi Garden.  As you enter, the first thing you notice is that the staff is genuinely happy to see you and glad you picked their restaurant to dine in.  After several poor service experiences at that  other Sushi place in town, this was very refreshing.  We quickly discovered that this is one of those restaurants where you order by saying "bring me something good" -and they will.  They brought us a small plate of seaweed salad and I must say it was the best I have ever eaten.  They then served a small plate of seared tuna that was thinly sliced and presented like Filet Mignon.  The tuna was covered with a very light ginger citrus sauce.  It was outstanding.  I would highly recommend the Eagle River Roll and the Dynamite Roll.  (You will need to overlook the spelling mistakes on the menu.  The Dynamite Roll is listed as the Dynamic Roll,  and yes ... they even spelled "eagle" incorrectly)  Their Menu is a bit different than the traditional Sushi Bar so if you are a Sushi purist, please keep an open mind.  The food appears to have a distinct Korean flavor,  giving a new twist on some old Japanese favorites.  The Chef seems to have a mastery of the use of Sriracha sauce.  Full flavor spice is applied without making the dish overpowering or Hot.  For dessert they brought us each a Tempura Oreo Cookie.  We are looking forward to going again.

Wow, We also just started receiving Full Circle Farm produce boxes. We are on our third box now and have been very happy. I have found the boxes to be even less expensive than Freddie's or Carr's normal produce. It's organic grown so it might not be as pretty as the food in the stores but it is still good stuff. It is also forcing us to eat healthier as well. Not a bad deal.

If you like trying a variety of wines but are not into the whole snooty and sometimes expensive part of wine tasting, check out Wine Styles.  This is a small locally owned franchise that caterers to people that enjoy good wine but are not willing to pay a fortune for it.  The owners are very knowledgeable and friendly.  They have a wine club where you receive two bottles of wine each month.  They purchase the club wines in bulk and pass the savings on to the customers.  It's a pay as you go wine club.  If you want to skip a month you can.  If you don't stop in for a couple months you can pick up your back month wines when you do.  They don't charge you anything unless you pick up your wine.  I have been a club member for about a year now and have been very pleased.  Outside of the club they have a wide selection of on the shelf wines.  Their selection is primarily from smaller privately owned wineries.  All have been very good and priced reasonably.  Their store is located next to the Laser wash on Old Seward and O'Malley.

I totally agree with John's review below.  The wait staff is very new and they appear to have a high turnover.  That is not necessarily a bad thing, everybody needs a start somewhere.  The food is your standard IHOP fair.  I got the chicken fired steak last week and it was huge.  I have a weakness for the "bad for you" comfort foods.  Beware, this place can get very crowded on Sunday mornings.

I am surprised that no one has reviewed the Hilton yet.  We stayed here last weekend during the beer festival.  During the winter you can get a real good deal on rooms.  We were able to secure a large two room corner suite for only $95.00 a night.  During the summer although they stay really busy with all the visitors and of course the price goes up.  The Hilton is perfectly located in the heart of down town Anchorage.  All of the down town attractions are only a short walk away.  Parking can be a pain and/or expensive due to their lack of a garage.  The hotel itself is very nice.  They have a larger than normal fitness center with an indoor heated pool.  They have a small cozy bar, restaurant and even a Starbucks in the lobby.

Jackie's is one of my favorite places for breakfast in Anchorage.  Their menu has a Hawaiian tilt to it.  Hawaiian French toast and Spam brings back memories of the islands.  If you want a good old traditional coffee shop breakfast Jackie's is a good choice.  They have a pretty good Patty Melt for lunch as well.  They are only open for Breakfast and lunch so don't bother stopping by in the evening.  If you are into body building you will also enjoy this restaurant.  They have a whole wall covered with classic body building figures.  Cory Everson, Arnold and such.

Lily's is not bad, I have eaten here many times over the years.  Some time ago it was called the Anchorage Breakfast Club.  It is very basic.  Nothing fancy.  Good breakfast and an ok lunch.

Last weekend we tried Rumrunners again.  The local radio ads claim they are under new ownership and have added several new things to their menu.  Well I am even more disappointed than before.  It was a Saturday night at about 6:00 pm.  The entire bar staff consisted of two bartenders, two cooks and one waitress.  That's right ONE WAITRESS !.  This poor girl was running her ass off.  The tables were not getting cleaned and the service took forever.  Our food was a soggy cold grease ball by time it was served to us.  I can't believe the jerks behind the bar or in the kitchen wouldn't come out and help her.  I only ate a few bites of my food and gave her a large tip since I felt sorry for her.  The owners should be ashamed of themselves.

I attended a conference at this hotel so I can't speak for the rooms but the lobby, meeting rooms and pool area are very nice.  The pool is within an in door atrium that surrounded by the inward facing guest rooms.  The staff was friendly and professional.  They served a catered lunch for about four hundred people and pulled it off very smoothly.  If I ever have the need to stay at a hotel near the airport I just might return to the Marriott.

Brainchild of the famous Don the Beachcomber and his friends, it could be said that the International Market Place was the genesis of the tourist industry in Waikiki.  It is here that Don opened his famous Treehouse and Don the Beachcomber restaurants that launched the Polynesian-style hospitality industry around the world.  Today it is a crowded conglomeration of gift shops that resembles a swap meet but if you look closely you can still see traces of Waikiki's hay day.  On the other hand it is a good place to get cheap souvenirs.