Vegan Options in Anchorage, Alaska
If it seems like all we did in Anchorage was eat, that’s because it’s mostly true. And eating vegan in Anchorage was pretty easy!
Paul was out of town, Kevin was getting sick, and the weather was rainy most of the time. So we caught up on errands and work. And we ate food.
Eating vegan in Anchorage
MyThai
MyThai in Anchorage has a separate vegetarian menu. And there was plenty to choose from! We enjoyed everything we had.
Fresh tofu rolls.
Corn cakes.
Sweet & sour tofu.
Pad Thai.
I can’t remember what these were.
Namaste Shangri-La
Namaste Shangri-La is Nepalese, Indian, and fusion cuisine. It’s not vegan or vegetarian, but they have a vegetarian and a vegan thali on the menu. Plus they can tell you which of the dishes are suitable for vegans. We each got a different main dish in our thali.
Kevin got the Aloo Gobi (potatoes & cauliflower.)
I got the Kadai Sabzi (vegetables in a spiced tomato gravy.)
And Lorena got the Bhindi Masala (spicy okra.)
It also came with rice, salad, vegetable pakoras (fritters), dal (lentil soup), chana masala (chickpeas), and coconut ice cream for dessert. The spicing was pretty mild, and this would be a good introduction for someone not used to this style of food.
Hearth Artisan Pizza
We loved Hearth Artisan Pizza and visited a couple of times. Again, not a vegetarian restaurant but they had tasty vegan options on the appetizer, pizza, and dessert menus. The menu changes seasonally. If you’re around long enough, you’ll get to try different things. We were able to visit for their summer and fall menus.
Roasted cauliflower appetizer.
Woodfired vegetables.
Voodoo child pizza.
Pumpkin cheesecake.
Blueberry tortoni.
Hearth is an example of an omnivore’s restaurant with spectacular vegan options. They made eating vegan in Anchorage a joy. No, we don’t always want hummus and black bean burgers, if we’re lucky enough to be offered those options.
49th State Brewing
We liked the atmosphere at the Healy location better, but the food at the Anchorage outpost of 49th State Brewing was still good.
There aren’t tons of vegan options, but the main dishes offered are delicious. It’s worth a visit for their vegan chicken Philly cheesesteak. It reminded me of Govinda’s in Philly.
The vegan pizza was also tasty and made with a cashew based cheese rather than one of the commercial brands like Daiya.
One fail was their fried avocado. The avocado wasn’t ripe and was kind of crunchy. We rarely send back food, but that one went right on back. If your avocados aren’t ripe, then you’re out of them for the evening. Don’t serve crunchy avocados.
Oh, and beer. The brewery has beer too, oddly enough. I enjoyed the saisson I had at the Healy location. Eating vegan in Anchorage with local beer options is pretty sweet.
Farmer’s Markets
We spent a Saturday hitting up a bunch of farmer’s markets. There are a ton in Anchorage including one right next to Centennial Campground. Late summer you’ll have loads of choices unlike early in the season when we were in Fairbanks when nothing was in season yet.
Have you ever had brussels sprouts tops? They’re leaves that taste like brussels sprouts! Cook like you would collards or tougher kale.
Some sightseeing in Anchorage
Alaska Native Heritage Center
We skipped it the first time through Anchorage, so this time once the rain stopped we checked out the Alaska Native Heritage Center. I didn’t take any video there but do have a few stills.
The center has different styles of traditional native houses set up, and you walk around to tour them. Each home will have a native person there to tell you about it and answer any questions. Many seemed to be from the high school down the street.
Then inside they have programs all day with traditional dancing, storytelling, and more.
Plan on being here a few hours to a half day to take in all that the center has to offer. Tickets are $24.95 for adults.
Odds and Ends
Look at this fat rainbow!
Kevin was getting silly downtown.
Centennial Campground
There aren’t a ton of options for camping in Anchorage. Centennial Campground itself was okay and pretty conveniently located. The bathrooms were the worst though. You will not want to count on showering in them.
Dry camping is $25/night, and with electricity, it’s $35/night. The campground also offers free wi-fi which isn’t terrible if you’re not too far from the office.
While we were there, it rained quite a bit, and the mushroom population exploded! Look at these cuties.
While we mostly used Anchorage as a place to recharge, we did manage to get out and see a few of the sights. And eating vegan in Anchorage was pretty easy. We didn’t even hit up all the options.
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