New eatery works to re-brand its image

WASILLA — Are you looking to relax and eat a steak by some still waters with a spectacular Mountain View?

The North Shore Ale House and Grill opened its steak house in the main dining room of the former Mat-Su Resort on June 12; the last time the dining room was open for service was more than six years ago. The steak and ale house located off Bogard is situated on seven acres along the beautiful north shore of Wasilla Lake. The steak house, open from 4 to 11 p.m. daily, hopes to draw a local fine dining client base.

“We are so excited, the dining room hasn’t been opened in years,” says new general manager of the North Shore Ale House and Grill, Aubry Okayama. “There are no steak houses in the Valley, and we are all meat eaters out here,” Okayama said. “We would love to see a full dining room. Let me clarify: we would love to see a full waiting room and smiling faces walking out the door.”

Jason Anglin, the chef for the lounge and the steak house says, “We just wanted to offer what the public is asking for. They’ve always asked to have the steak house back the way it was 20 years ago,” Anglin said. “That is what everyone remembers and what everyone wanted.”

The list of entrée’s on the menu includes two steaks: a ribeye served to order on a bed of roasted baby reds topped with a cilantro salsa for $39; and a New York sirloin finished with a burgundy mushroom reduction for $42.

“We are serving certified Angus beef. It is grain-fed and all-natural. All of our sauces are made from scratch. We are definitely trying to run a premium product at an affordable price,” Okayama said.

If you hunger for something other than a steak, the rest of the menu includes Cornish game hen, Mediterranean chicken, and black and blue fettuccine, all in the $30 range.

There are also a number of appetizers and desserts to go with your meal. Plans are underway to expand the steak house menu later in the summer.

“We have the luxury of being able to run two menus. You can’t necessarily afford to eat a $30 or $40 dinner every night of the week. You can go sit in the ale house and have a burger with your kid, and shoot some pool,” Okayama said.

Opening the steak house represents part of the re-branding of their image by the management team of Okayama, Anglin and new owner Kevin Dykman. They have been taking steps to rebrand themselves since opening in January, after the troubled resort changed ownership and management several times in recent years.

Toward that end, Okayama said the night club area was converted to an arcade, and no alcohol is allowed in that area.

“We don’t do the dance clubby-type music; we do live bands,” she said. “We close early, to ensure our guests aren’t coming in contact with rowdy behavior.”

For more information, visit the North Shore Ale House on Facebook.