The Deft Palate

While biking through Fairbanks the other day, I noticed that Senor Flanigan's Steak Pit (a Mexican restaurant in North Gate Square) has a new name and different look. It is now The Alaska Seafood Company. I guess that's the end of overpriced food and fruity margaritas. Now I'll just have to wait for Chili's to open to get a mango-strawberry margarita.

I'm sure I'm not the only person in Fairbanks who fears the encroaching chain restaurants. I've yet to visit Boston Pizza, nor have I eaten at the new A&W/KFC. It's bad enough that I've gone to the farthest north Denny's.

What this town needs to do is clear out a few of the Thai places (I vote to keep Lemongrass, Thai House and Sweet Basil -- all the others can go) and the Chinese places (only Pagoda in North Pole is worth a visit) and get some good ethnic food up here. Bobby's will reopen soon, but our only Indian food is hidden inside a pizza place and the best sushi in town is from Fred Meyer.

I demand the following:
* a really good sushi restaurant. The kind where the chef will put strange things in rolls, such as goat cheese.
* an Indian restaurant. Dedicated to serving Indian food, preferably with a cheap lunch buffet. If this does happen, I will immediately gain 20 lbs.
* a Middle Eastern restaurant. Shawerma! Shawerma!