AS WE NAVIGATED Anchorage’s dark, icy commuter-hour streets, heading vaguely west in the vicinity of the airport and shanty Spenard Road businesses, my boyfriend said, “Where in the hell are we going?”
You’ll feel like that, picking through an aging neighborhood off of one of Anchorage’s most storied roads, stumbling suddenly and surprisingly upon Fiori d’Italia. The restaurant has stood sentinel for decades, known for its almost ridiculously expansive bar, rich homestyle Italian meals, and old-school Anchorage charm.
Cocktails here come with surprising craftsmanship and attention to detail. My gin-and-champagne concoction was delicious, bubbly and decadent. For food, I went with carbonara, a creamy, layered, delectable dish punctuated with chewy mushrooms, salty shavings of ham, soft bites of chicken and slices of black olive lending that little bit of perfecting acidity. My boyfriend’s stuffed chicken came alongside tender tubes of pasta in white sauce. We left happy and already looking forward to next time. The broad menu included pizzas of varying sizes, salads, pasta dishes, lamb and seafood entrees, succulent steaks, and more.
There’s something about places like Fiori. You feel like you’ve found a secret, yet also like you’ve stepped into something so longstanding and decidedly local that you can’t imagine how you ever overlooked it. We will definitely be back.
