Mary Pemberton
While many visitors come to Juneau in the summer to whale-watch, hike, kayak and sport fish, the city's emerging food scene is connecting them to what Juneau has to offer all year round.
"There is a lot going on," said Liz Perry, president and CEO of Travel Juneau, of the scenic city situated between sea and mountains that has a professional theater, a symphony, a lyric opera, two dance companies and two music festivals. "We are making a big push to get Juneau recognized as a year-round destination."
The food scene in Alaska's capital city began heating up a few years ago and now is sizzling with new food tours, restaurants and breweries drawing upon Juneau's interesting history, diverse cultures and abundance of fresh, locally sourced food.
The food scene is being driven by locals with Alaska's entrepreneurial spirit.
The historic Jorgenson House -- already known for its always-available fresh cookies and scones -- is a family-run boutique hotel. In January, it will open the Jorgenson House Cooking School where chefs will teach both public and private classes.
Also on tap for 2017 are two small, breweries that will be within walking distance of each other in downtown Juneau. Barnaby Brewing Co. will be opening in early 2017 and Devil's Club Brewery will open just down the street in the Palace Theater later in the spring. Another highly anticipated newcomer to Juneau is Amalga Distillery, which will be creating its own gin, vodka and whiskey.
Juneau's food truck scene is growing, as well. One of the new seasonal trucks serves up seafood and fish tacos. The other, open year-round, specializes in gourmet burgers. And, Juneau has two roasting companies and coffee shops on just about every corner.
Cruise ship tour operators are increasingly asking for more on-shore dining experiences for passengers, Perry said.
"They may end their day with a very high-quality restaurant experience with wine tasting, and we have restaurants that can absolutely provide that experience," she said.