Day 37 Ends @ the Pump House

Mui chipped a tooth while we were @ Denali NP. Nothing serious, but he wanted to have it checked out to make sure there wasn’t an underlying issue that needed to be looked at.

This morning was his appointment, so we set the day aside for further provisioning, chores, and errands, including a haircut for me. The wait at the barber was too long, so Mui’s going to try again for his cut tomorrow when the shop opens up.

The weather was overcast and much cooler today ... with occasional rain showers ... one of which started just as we arrived at the Pump House for dinner. No al fresco dining on the terrace as planned.

The restaurant is housed in a reconstructed pump house associated with gold mining operations in the area ... with an ambiance reminiscent of “... an 1890s Gold Rush motif and atmosphere which was associated with the ‘Rip Roaring’ but still Victorian Era in Fairbanks.” The place was hopping — especially the Oyster Bar in the Senator’s Saloon. Glad we had a reservation ... sorry we didn’t get to dine with a view of the Chena River.

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For those interested in such things ... Mui ordered a red Zinfandel from Oregon; I ordered the Kassik’s Beaver Tail blonde beer. We shared an order of Fried Alaskan Barley-Coated Calamari served with two sauces ... marinara and lemon butter. My main course was an herb-crusted halibut with pan fried potatoes, spinach, portobello mushrooms, apples, grape tomatoes, asparagus ... in a lemon butter sauce. It was good, but I’ve had better halibut elsewhere. Mui was very pleased with his reindeer medallions, served with a berry demi-glaze, polenta, and chef’s veggies. For dessert, we shared a chocolate mousse ... tasty, but the portion was too big for just the two of us.Read more