cheesesteaks in anchorage!!

As I took a walk around the area near the apartment where I was staying the other day, I was surprised to run into a little restaurant named Straight Out of Philly, which claims to have the best cheesesteaks in Anchorage. I can't help but wonder whether they have much cheesesteak competition in this city, but after working at the South Side Soda Shop for years and cooking up 1000s of cheesesteaks, I had togo see what they are all about.

The restaurant has a small dining room and appears to do a lot of to-go and delivery orders. When I was there, most of the tables were full and they seemed to be staying busy with orders being picked up to go as well. I ordered the "North Philly," which features onions, mushrooms, and cheese. When it was brought out to my table it looked pretty legitimate and definitely appetizing - unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me to take a picture. I don't have a lot of

cheesesteak experience, and none in Philly (yet), but I was definitely satisfied with this sandwich. It was cooked well and had plenty of cheese - the only negative was that it was a bit heavy on bun. This may have been different if I had ordered the double steak option. I was also impressed with the staff, as one of the cooks walked out into the dining room as I was finishing up to ask each table how everything tasted. I also had a chance to chat a bit with this cook, who said he was originally from Philadelphia, so I know they have some knowledge of what makes an authentic cheesesteak. Anchorage is a city full of little hole in the wall restaurant and I'll hopefully have the opportunity to visit many of them while I'm here. Yesterday I also had a chance to eat at a Mexican restaurant, which was surprisingly good for Alaska, but didn't compare to some of the Mexican offerings in Goshen, IN.

I also finished my third day of training today with Holland America/Princess Rail Services. So far training has consisted primarily of presentations about company policies and procedures, so it's been a bit boring. We have had an opportunity to be on the train cars that we'll be working on, however, which has made me excited to get moving on the rails. One highlight of training was a fire training in which we got to test out our fire extinguishers on some controlled flames - again, unfortunately, I didn't take any photos.

This week we were also issued our uniforms -

I'll be wearing chef whites in the kitchen, which is a first for me. The photo posted to the right is titled "Look, I was issued my own thermometer!" Not only did I get my own thermometer, but I also now have a personal set of knives, so I guess that should make me feel like a more legitimate cook. Tomorrow morning I report to work at 6:15 am (which is standard reporting time, except for the days when we need to show up at 4:45 am!) and all of the new staff will be departing on a training run up to the Princess Denali Lodge, just outside of Denali National Park. I'm excited to actually be on a moving train, doing some hands on work in the kitchen, and seeing the interior of Alaska. On Sunday we'll depart Denali, visit the McKinley Lodge, which is close to Talkeetna, AK. I'm hoping for some great views of Mt. McKinley - and I'll definitely take my camera along on this trip.

Until my next post and hopefully more pictures, I'll leave this picture of a sunset reflecting off of the Chugach Mountains west of Anchorage that I took a couple of days ago from the balcony of the apartment where I am staying.