When this Muldoon bakery expanded to a sit-down dining room, the Hawaiian theme that colored its pastry selection found full voice on lunch and dinner plates.
But you know you've stepped to the metaphorical border between the 49th and 50th states as soon as you arrive at Island Plate at Oven Fresh, where the diner decor dances wildly between Alaska and Hawaii: Handsome prints of bald eagles vie with big fans sporting shrieking sunsets and impossibly blue skies that would have done Don Ho proud.
Such fantasy notions, of course, are what lure Alaskans to the islands in droves, and the Hawaiian punch from the walls has some appeal as we shake off the winter doldrums here.
There are plenty of tasty morsels on the menu, which can also be ordered as take-out and even delivered.
Our fave: The Lau Lau and Kalua Pig plate ($12.50), a combo that's a pork-butt double dip. Lau Lau is a pleasantly savory concoction that is wrapped in taro leaf and "steamed to perfection," or as close as we can hope to come in this life. Kalua pig, which our server suggested was the rock star of the menu and pops up in half a dozen combination platters, is a sweeter bite of backside, slow-roasted and then sauteed with cabbage and onion. (You can order it alone for $9.)
Other options include barbecue chicken, pork cutlet, fried mahi mahi, barbecue short ribs and katsu pork or chicken. The last is a pair of fried pork loin cuts or boneless chicken thighs with a sauce that was fine but less interesting than the Kalua preparation. And lest you think that's incipient alcoholism showing: Kalua in this case is a regional name and not a nip from the bar.
These offerings are generally $9; combination plates run $10.50 to $12.50.
Most plates present themselves as a meat-carbo divide, with your entree shored up by two snow-white sides: two mounds of steamed white rice and a scoop of macaroni salad.
Sandwich items include several burgers, including a tasty teriyaki version ($6.25) and a mahi mahi burger ($6.50) that was cooked too long on our visit.
Though the new menu has been on offer for several months, service on the dining-room side can charitably be described as spotty. On one visit we apparently turned invisible for a while; we got no service despite being the only diners in the place. On a busier occasion, service was more attentive, but it wasn't the quick lunch we'd hoped for.
Beverages include two tropical temptations: Hawaiian Sun brand juices in guava and passion orange flavors.
Breakfast seems better managed by the kitchen and the plates are hearty and satisfying. A three-egg combo with your choice of two meats ($8.50) was a good deal -- though we flinched at the mac salad offered as a side and went for perfectly cooked hash browns instead. The French toast combo was a winner, too: Slices of egg-dipped sweet bread were lightly toasted and served with your choice of bacon, Canadian bacon, Spam ham or a Portuguese sausage. The linguica was such a treat that we struggled to imagine choosing Spam instead.
• Play dining reviewer Mike Peters can be reached at mpeters@adn.com.
Island Plate at Oven Fresh
Location: 500 Muldoon Road
Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday
Phone: 337-2575
By Mike Peters
mpeters@adn.com