When I looked through the various excursions offered by the Cruise line, I was intrigued with this thing called a “Salmon Bake.” I had no idea what to expect. Was it a large kitchen where they baked salmon; taught you how to bake salmon? A couple excursions mentioned “dinner theater” which confused me even more. So, we decided to check it out.
Alaska grills salmon like Americans grill hamburgers, hot dogs and Boston butts. While our “barbeques” take place in back yards or at festivals, Alaskan Salmon Bakes are usually tucked away in the outskirts of a mining camp or at the base of a mountain.
When we arrived, it felt like we had travelled back in time. The rustic site hosted several wooden cabins – one resembling the bar in a saloon and serving wine and beer; another a general store offering tourist items for sale; the third a large kitchen for food preparation; and a kiosk displaying a history of the area. Smaller doghouse size huts mounted on wooden legs served as beverage and trash stations.
Many people huddled around the grill, watched the grill-master flip the salmon and baste it with a birch syrup glaze that reminded me of unsweetened molasses.
We wandered the site as we sipped our wine, shivered briefly in the brisk, fresh air that smelled of pine needles and wood smoke, and heard the crackles from the fire as the salmon cooked on the grill.
Several large off-white tents protected the area from rain. People helped themselves to a long open buffet of fresh green salad, roasted potatoes, baked beans, coleslaw, corn bread and sourdough rolls before heading back to the pit for a healthy serving of salmon. Dessert was a simple blueberry coffee cake that was out of this world.
Everyone could sit family style at long rows of tables covered with red and white checked tablecloths and bright yellow benches or in a secluded corner next to the water garden surrounded by tall trees and branches, greenery and moss.
A musician interacted with everyone and sang popular country songs that people couldn’t resist swaying to the beat or singing along while they ate. A large panning bowl filled with dollar bills served as his tip jar.
An Alaskan Salmon Bake is a trip back to nature and a memory to be treasured.