Dining review: TurnAgains Fish House could be a Seward Highway essential stop

Food writing — while clearly important journalism of the highest order — is rarely something that’s taken for granted. Recommendations for tacos, pho and gyros don’t often cause anyone to shout “Stop pressing!”

But TurnAgains Fish House is a bit of an exception.

The new roadhouse, on Seward Highway just outside of Indian, occupies a magical building but somehow it’s hard to make a stick on the best stretch of road in the world. It’s only open for a month or so, with limited hours. Normally, I like to let a restaurant find its feet before paying a formal visit and writing it off, but I’m sharing the common Alaskan sickness known as SFB — Summer’s Flying By — and don’t feel like snoozing. anyone’s chance to sit in the sun, drink a cold beer and slurp oysters while looking out over the Turnagain Arm. At the risk of sounding melodramatic, there is no time to lose.

Co-owner Matthew Cronquist is a homegrown chef whose passion for cooking began at King Career Center. He studied further afield, specifically at the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in Boulder but happily brought his talent and love of seafood back home. His partnership with the Cabana family, whose commercial fishing venture will supply the restaurant with fresh local seafood, is a perfect match.

Recently, my daughter and I took a quick trip down the highway for a rather late lunch/early dinner. The space has been remodeled and repurposed, with a gallery/gift shop on the left side of the building. At the time of our visit, this area appeared to be under construction, and plans included a seafood market. A Facebook post this week offered salmon for $45 per pound for king and $25 per pound for sockeye, with a discount for locals.

On the other side of the building is the bright and open dining room and bar. The refreshed interior has a homey, old-school roadhouse feel with a touch of nautical flare. Sadly, it was a blustery day so we opted for indoor seating, cozying up to a high table by a window overlooking a spacious deck with spectacular views beyond. All but the barstools have a similar look.

The menu is limited and focused. Roadhouse classics like fish and chips, seafood chowder and salmon hushpuppies share space with a surprising number of healthy and/or vegetarian options like the Fishermen’s rice bowl, featuring chimichurri brown rice, pinto and black beans , cabbage, roasted sweet potato, edamame and avocado. Bowls can be amped up, so to speak, with proteins including steak, miso cod, salmon and tofu. It’s nice to see this kind of adventure-fuel on the menu.

Of course, our lunch WAS the adventure, so we ordered accordingly. We started with a half-dozen raw oysters ($17) because, well, oysters. During our visit, they were being sourced from Seattle but we were told they would be sourced from Alaska oyster farms soon. Regardless of their origin, they are perfect. Served ice cold, they are tart and bright with a sweet, almost creamy finish. I loved the horseradish dip that came with these little gems but saved it for my french fries. I like my oysters all but naked, with just the lightest drizzle of lemon.

For our main course, my daughter chose the basic smashburger — the Impossible burger could be substituted — and I went with the halibut fish and chips. For sanity’s sake, we decided to split the chopped broccoli salad ($10), which came with kale, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, craisins and pepitas and a bright lemon poppy dressing. This is a hearty, nutritious salad that can perfectly stand in for a main course.

My daughter’s burger ($14) is a simple but well-executed version of the classic. This isn’t one of those giant, stacked burgers, sporting everything but the kitchen sink. This burger can easily be served with one hand. But the patty is flavorful and crunchy from the smash and has a sinfully creamy “special” sauce that I love on almost anything.

My fish and chips ($28) was the dish of the day. A deep golden, crispy batter gives way to the tender, flaky, perfectly cooked fish inside. I used to think that halibut was a poor choice for fish and chips — that the flavor was too delicate for deep frying — but these perfect little nuggets brought me back to my so-called wisdom. This dish is the best of both worlds: the simple joy of a classic fried dish with the integrity of properly cooked halibut. These — and the burger — come with thick slabs of well-seasoned steak fries that are crispy on the outside and soft and meaty on the inside. An added treat are the bottles of locally made malt vinegar from Turnagain Brewing that adorn each table. Who knows?

The service was quick and pleasant, and the room, although not packed, felt lively and alive. The cooks and servers looked as happy as we did.

This beautiful spot has seen more than a few culinary iterations over the past few decades — fine dining, BBQ, and even paella — but I think this is a winning approach. TurnAgains Fish House offers a fun Alaska-themed roadside attraction for out-of-state visitors enjoying their vacation as well as a great mini-break for locals who want to pretend on vacation After all, as all Alaskans know, the days are long, but the summer is short.

If you go:

TurnAgains Fish House

27957 Seward Highway

Indian

www.turnagains.com

907-615-7984

Current hours are Friday – Sunday: 12 – 8 pm (But be sure to check their website and social media for any changes.)

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