With about two weeks left before Christmas, it's likely you'll have to venture out into the madness that is mall shopping to find the last minute gifts for friends and family. It's a mad, mad, mad mall world out there -- crying kids, long lines, packed parking lots -- and the dulcet tones of Wham's "Last Christmas" can only calm your nerves so much.
Best bet: Take a break, get off your feet and grab a bite to eat. Mall food isn't glamorous but there are some good offerings out there.
Here's a quick guide to potential mall meals:
Dimond Center
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Places you should already know: Subway, Arby's, Fruitland Fresh Smoothies
• Pho Saigon ($7-$10) serves up piping-hot Vietnamese soup and fresh rolls and does brisk business despite being tucked away on the quieter west end of the mall.
• The combination Dairy Queen/Orange Julius ($6-$7) across from Old Navy might not seem like much but if you start you're shopping day early all smoothies are 50% off before 11 a.m.
• The smell alone may be all you need from Auntie Annie's Pretzels ($3-$7) and Baskin Robbins ($1.50-$7) where you can indulge in the unhealthiest of treats to reward a well-behaved child.
• Perfect Cup ($1.75-$13) has been a Dimond Center institution for as long as I can remember. With a wide variety of burgers, sandwiches, wraps and soups, it's a lunch and dinner destination for non-mall shoppers, which is a good sign. I grabbed a curry chicken wrap and chose chicken dumpling soup as my side. Neither disappointed, although the wrap stood out for its spice and excellent construction. My Americano was ready as fast as any I've ever ordered, helping calm the jitters brought on by the mall hordes.
• Burger Express ($2.50-$10) is another long-time tenant, situated across from the theater upstairs. Typical American diner food here. For a quick and affordable bite it's hard to beat a corn dog.
• Umi Sushi Express ($4-$9) has pre-packaged sushi meals ready to go for reasonable prices. It seems to be run by Famous Wok ($10-$11.50), which has an assortment of other Asian dishes available.
• Louie's Place ($3-$14) offers Greek favorites like gyros and baklava along with burgers and pizza. For $14, a large pepperoni could help sate a family on a shopping foray.
• L&L Hawaiian Barbecue ($3-$12), a chain based out of Honolulu has a truly island inspired menu with chicken katsu, spam musubi and kalua pork.
• Thai Place ($8-$10) has the typical spate of offerings including curry dishes and pad Thai.
• Amigo's Fresh Baja Grill ($6-$10) is the only Mexican food in the mall, if an enchilada or a taco is what you crave.
• Round Table Pizza ($6-$25) has a big seating area and, as far as I can tell, is the only mall restaurant with windows. Important to note that they only serve pizza by the slice until 2:30 p.m.
• With buttery-sweet aromas filling the general area around it, Mrs. Fields Cookies ($1.50-$4) seems like more trouble for your waistline than anything else. But the Santa in your life would be jollier if you left a few of these by the tree.
Mall at Sears
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday Noon-6 p.m.
• Places you should already know: Fruitland Fresh Smoothies, Carr's deli
• Adrien's Kitchen ($8.50-$13.50) has an extensive Chinese cuisine menu with more than 60 choices. Note that the more affordable lunch menu that ends at 2:30 p.m.
• Jasmine Thai ($8-$15) has all your Thai favorites and then some. I had a tasty appetizer twosome of satay chicken ($8.95) and papaya salad ($7.95). The marinated chicken was grilled but tender and the accompanying peanut sauce had a spicy kick. The papaya salad, touted as a house special, was fresh and the sauce had an amazing balance of sweet, sour, spicy and salty.
• Yummy Yummy ($6-$11) features Korean barbecue and Japanese cuisine and when I stopped through, it had the longest line in the food court by far. For a departure from the norm, the order of bibimbap ($10.95) I saw looked tasty. Note: kid's meals available.
• Pho Super Bowl ($7-$13) has more than just Thai soup and seems to be a direct competitor to Jasmine Thai given their menu selections.
• Café Elegante, situated in booth along the main walkway, brews with Kaladi coffee, so if you need your caffeine fix, you'll be covered.
The 5th Avenue Mall
Hours: Mon.-Fri.10 a.m.-9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Places you should already know: Auntie Annie's, Subway, Famous Wok, Arby's, Fruitland Fresh Smoothies, L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, Hot Dog-on-a-Stick
• Café Nordstrom ($4-$11.50) is often forgotten due to its location on the second floor of the department store but is worth a stop for tasty food and sit-down service. A kid's menu in the $5 range is also a plus.
• The top-floor food court offers 14 options. Among them: Zack's Famous Frozen Yogurt ($1.50-$5), Taco Palace ($1.50-$9.50), Souper Bowl ($4-$11), Wings & Things ($8-$13), Villa Pizza ($3-$32), Chopsticks ($6-$12), Thai Garden ($8-$11), 5th Avenue Deli ($6-$11). The 5th Avenue Deli has breakfast on the menu all day long and features the friendliest counter man in the mall.
Tikhatnu Commons
Hours: vary by establishment
• Places you should already know: Subway, Fruitland Fresh Smoothies, IHOP, McDonald's, Red Robin
• Others: Kenny's Kitchen ($2-$16), Pho Saigon ($7-$12), Marble Slab Creamery ($5-$10)
• Unlike other locations, the Tikhatnu Fruitland also offers a small Korean menu. Curious and always hungry for Korean favorites, a buddy and I shared the kalbi ribs and bulgogi pork plates when we stopped in. Besides the restaurant not having knives, our meal was gone quickly. The sweet and salty ribs didn't have too much fat and the bulgogi, while a bit greasy, was full of piquancy.
By Barry Piser
Anchorage Daily News