A secret steak marinade, an all-female social club and a signature cocktail: The bygone restaurants and recipes of Anchorage

Part of a continuing weekly series on Alaska history by local historian David Reamer. Have a question about Anchorage or Alaska history or an idea for a future article? Go to the form at the bottom of this story.

Some of our most intense memories are of food. The sharpness of pain fades, and faces in our mind blur, details are lost to time. But flavors of meals from decades ago can be as evocative now as they were then. Remember your favorite dessert from childhood, the way it tasted when the sugar hit your tongue? Close your eyes and think about it. Did you salivate? Do you have a craving now? More importantly, are you happier now than you were a moment ago, wrapped in the warmth of nostalgia?

Susan Whitborne, a professor of psychological and brain sciences at the University of Massachusetts, once explained, “Food memories are more sensory than other memories in that they involve really all five senses, so when you’re that thoroughly engaged with the stimulus, it has a more powerful effect.” In this way, the memory of your favorite treat as a child includes the taste, associated smells, the heat of a kitchen, the sounds of utensils at work and chattering adults, and the relative comfort of the seat. The memory of a cake then is not just the memory of a cake but of everything around you, perhaps the family member who baked it and every memory associated with that person. The act of recollection recovers the pleasures of the past.

So it’s not surprising that the strongest reactions to columns in this series came when they touched on former Anchorage restaurants, from Nikko Garden to the Garden of Eatin’. It does not matter how long they have been closed. For example, the Pagoda at the corner of Fifth Avenue and A Street opened in 1950 and closed in 1969, but longtime residents still fondly recall its signature dish.

As the name suggests, the Pagoda offered a variety of Asian fare, but it wasn’t exactly an authentic experience. The owner and head chef was Palestinian. Abraham “Abe” Houssien (1895-1981) and his wife Violet moved to Alaska in 1948 and lived behind the restaurant, which was actually more of a steakhouse. Their steaks were their claim to fame, specifically their secret marinade recipe. Customers tried spying on the kitchen. They pleaded with the chef, all to no avail.

Howard Dahl, a longtime friend of the Houssiens, told the Daily News in 1983, “Visiting celebrities, bishops, generals, everyone went there. They loved his steaks. He would never let them have the recipe. When Duncan Hines came to town and ate there, he rated it as one of the best filet mignons he ever ate.” A side note, before he became the namesake for a line of cake mixes, Duncan Hines was a hotel and restaurant critic best known for his travel guides.

The Houssiens closed the still-popular Pagoda after Abe suffered a severe heart attack in 1969. His heart stopped beating for several minutes, a story he repeatedly shared during his retirement. The restaurant, complete with its sign, remained intact and empty for 34 years. Violet refused to sell or lease the property, believing it would have been disrespectful to allow another business into the space where her husband’s spirit still roamed. The property was finally sold after her 1998 death and, in 2003, reopened as the Tundra Espresso Café. In more recent years, the lot was empty before the construction of a new and currently empty office building.

The recipe for the steak marinade was never publicly shared. As it has been 25 years since Violet died, Alaskans will probably never know its exact ingredients. The only known detail is that it included papaya juice. Unlike the Houssiens, the owner of Club 25 did reveal her signature secret recipe, though she waited until retirement for the unveiling, a reasonable decision.

Anton “Tony” Wendler (1868-1935), German immigrant and Wendler Middle School namesake, arrived in Anchorage on July 5, 1915. Only five days later, he and a partner bought a lot of land on the southwest corner of Fourth Avenue and I Street, the latter often spelled out as Eye Street in the early decades of Anchorage. On that site, they built what became known as the Wendler Building, a grocery store from 1915 to 1920 and an apartment building from 1920 to 1948. The Wendlers themselves lived on the second floor.

In 1948, the Wendlers converted the building into Club 25, a female-only social club designed for “respectable women,” the type who wore white gloves for lunch outings. After an open house on Dec. 11, regular service began on Dec. 13. While it targeted women, the club was “open not only to women members, but also their husbands and escorts.” The restriction was short-lived. After 20 days, the membership voted to admit men. As one member said, “It was really no fun not having men around.” Memberships, which cost $10, about $125 in 2023 money, were also soon abandoned.

For most of its run, Myrtle Wendler Stalnaker (1906-1990), daughter of Anton, ran the club. From 1915 to 1982, she lived there. During the 1964 earthquake, she was, in her own words, “bouncing around upstairs.” Most other days, she was downstairs behind the bar, offering her signature drink, a Golden Comet.

After a long life by restaurant standards, Club 25 finally closed its doors after Stalnaker sold the site to politician and developer Wally Hickel in November 1982. Hickel owned the neighboring Hotel Captain Cook and had tried to buy the property for years. Gracious in his eventual victory, he allowed the historic building to be relocated elsewhere and preserved. In August 1984, the building was moved to its current location at Fourth Avenue and D Street.

Now retired, Stalnaker finally revealed the ingredients for her version of a Golden Comet. A Myrtle’s Golden Comet consists of the following:

One jigger lime juice

One jigger orange curacao

One jigger vodka

Mix ingredients in a blender with ice “until frothy.” Rub the rim of your martini glass with an orange slice, then use it as a garnish. Your mileage will vary on much ice you like in a cocktail.

In a 1978 interview with the Daily News, she admitted that she no longer knew the origin of the name. She was likely influenced by a traditional Golden Comet, typically made with gin rather than vodka, shaken instead of blended, and a lime garnish. Some versions add a dash of simple syrup, sweetening an already sweet cocktail.

In more recent decades, restaurant signature recipes have become less of a state secret or family heirloom. Though some establishments hold to the old ways, it has since become more common for chefs to publicize their unique takes on dishes or even publish them. When the Fifth Avenue Mall opened on Aug. 1, 1987, it only had 10 tenants, three of which sold jewelry. Dimattia’s Pizza and Pasta was one of the next additions, opening in October. Though they only lasted a few years, they did share the recipe for their antipasto salad.

Green leaf lettuce

Iceberg head lettuce

2 slices mozzarella cheese

2 slices cotto salami

2 slices mortadella

2 slices pepperoni

2 cherry tomatoes

2 Spanish queen olives

2 black olives

Pepperoncini to taste

Per their instructions, “Tear the lettuce as base for salad. Top with meats and cheeses, which have been cut into julienne strips. Top with hot peppers, cherry tomatoes and two kinds of olives.” Then, “lavish on” Italian dressing.

The Downtown Deli was open from 1976 to about 2011, on Fourth Avenue between E and F streets, and across from the old Anchorage City Hall. For most of its existence, Tony Knowles, an Anchorage mayor (1982-1987) and Alaska governor (1994-2002), was a part owner. So, the restaurant was sometimes dragged into political battles, like a 1983 incident involving the homeless population and gift certificates, though that is a story for a future article.

Other than politics, the Downtown Deli was best known for its reindeer stew. When President Bill Clinton visited Anchorage on Nov. 11, 1994, he paused his motorcade for an unscheduled stop at the restaurant where he tried the stew, which he declared “delicious.” Per a source of admittedly unknown worth, the basis for the reindeer stew called for:

1 pound cubed reindeer meat

3 1/2 cups beef stock

2 1/2 cups cubed potatoes

1 cup sliced carrots

1/4 cup chopped onions

2 tablespoons cooking oil

2 tablespoons flour

Flour the meat and brown it in hot oil. Add the stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow it to simmer under cover until tender, perhaps an hour or a little more. Add the vegetables. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Skim the fat and serve. Makes four servings. Mix in your preferred seasonings along the way to make the recipe your own.

For most of its run, from December 2005 to 2018, Doriola’s was one of Anchorage’s great hidden gems. Tucked away in the West Tudor Road strip mall with a scenic view of a parking lot, the soup, salad, and sandwich shop is one of many lamented eateries. Founded by sisters Janet and Vivian Hickock, the restaurant was named for their mother and based on her recipes, which conveniently survive in a cookbook, Doriola’s Soups and More. The quiche Lorraine was one of their signature dishes.

12 eggs

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1 pinch nutmeg

2 cups half and half

3 cups heavy cream

1 cup cooked and chopped bacon

2 blind-baked pie shells

8 cups of cheese, chef’s choice

Puree the ingredients minus the bacon and cheese together — or carefully in separate batches — until the ingredients are “finely minced and smoothly combined.” Divide the cheese between the two pre-baked pie shells. Toss the bacon and cheese together to mix. Pour the pureed ingredients until the crust is full. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, then bake for another 45 minutes at 250 degrees, then bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 200 degrees. Remove from oven and allow to set for an additional 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Serves 20.

More restaurant articles are yet to come. If you have a favorite deceased Anchorage restaurant, let me know about your experiences.

Key sources:

Chandonnet, Ann. “Dimattia’s Pizza and Pasta Stresses a Friendly Atmosphere.” Anchorage Times, September 7, 1988, F-1.

“Club for Women Opens Saturday with Public Party.” Anchorage Daily Times, December 9, 1948, 4.

Erickson, Jim. “Mall Opens Today.” Anchorage Daily News, August 1, 1987, A-1, A-12.

Gold, Julie Anne. “Chef Made Pagoda’s Reputation.” Anchorage Daily News, May 15, 1951, C-1.

Hickock, Janet C. Doriola’s Soups and More. Anchorage: AT Publishing and Printing, Inc., 2010.

Kizzia, Tom. “Anchorage Takes Its Hat Off to Myrtle.” Anchorage Daily News, March 26, 1983, B-1, B-2.

Nightingale, Suzan. “History on the Corner.” Anchorage Daily News, March 9, 1978, 14.

Parham, Bruce. “Wendler, Anton J. ‘A.J.’ or ‘Tony.’” Cook Inlet Historical Society, Legends & Legacies, Anchorage, 1910-1940.

Thomson, Julie R. “Psychologists Explain Why Food Memories Can Feel So Powerful.” May 10, 2017, HuffPost.

Toomey, Sheila. “Pagoda Awakes.” Anchorage Daily News, July 28, 2003, B-1, B-2.