The word is out about Familia.
Chefs Heather Cuedek and Jorge Garcia work with just two line cooks and three servers to make the distinctly colorful, single-dish menu operation come to life.
The restaurant has a “cult following,” according to its website, where it posts the rotating menu for the week, in addition to on its popular Instagram page. Many Anchorage residents choose to pay them a visit while they sip local brews, as Familia’s order and pickup counter are located in the front corner of Anchorage Brewing Company — though you don’t need to be an ABC lover to enjoy their food.
“We like to Introduce people to something they may not normally be able to get their hands on in Alaska,” said Chef Heather. “It really does bring people together, especially with the changing menu. People will say, ‘we gotta’ go for this one’ in our comments, which is cool to see.”
The rotating menu is based on what the weather is doing, what’s happening in Anchorage, what products are available, and what they feel like making that week, according to Chef Heather. Sourcing is a big part of that as well.
“We try really hard to use quality ingredients. If we get an ingredient that isn’t great, we don’t use it. We will return it and alter our menu if we can’t get something that’s quality,” she said.
My partner and I stopped by on a Thursday evening recently to try that week’s menu: rice bowls with lots of colorful, texture-rich toppings, choice of sauce, and three protein options. He ordered seared Alaska scallops with Hawaiian chili sauce and added extra pickled daikon and carrot. I chose woodfired Alaska brown butter sablefish with bang-bang sauce and added kimchi. We also got the white chocolate macadamia cookie, which arrived warm, soft, was devoured instantly and was literally finger-licking good.
We settled into the open end of a long table in the back corner of Anchorage Brewing Company. Ten or so minutes later, the server brought out two large, paper bowls that showed off Familia’s signature colors and texture. The bowls made my eyes feel good, especially when the majority of what we’re looking at lately are either screens (indoors) or brown (outdoors).
Chef Heather and Jorge lived and cooked in Hawaii for several years before landing in Anchorage, which she cited as a reason they enjoy using flavors and techniques from Asian cuisines.
“We put a lot of heart and soul into the few items that we put out. There aren’t a lot of modifications for a reason. We want you guys to try the food we’re putting out as it is.”
Our taste experience was superb. The pickled daikon and carrot in particular were a noteworthy addition — super crunchy and just a little sweet. The sauces added depth to the veggies and rice. But my goodness, I could write a song about the sablefish, which is always to die for, and they did it justice. Buttery, umami, tender. 10/10. Similar feedback about the scallops, but it’s hard to compete with butter of the sea, in my humble opinion.
All that raving about the proteins aside, Chef Heather wants to nudge visitors to try the vegetarian option, which is always available.
“We put a lot of effort into making the veg option as enjoyable, if not better, than the meat option,” she said.
As we scraped the insides of our now-empty bowls, dotting up crumbs of our macadamia cookie with our fingertips, my partner and I discussed how Familia is, above all, reliable. You can easily spend $70 on a dinner for two at other places in town, but it’ll often be a gamble if the food will be good. Familia takes the gamble out of the equation.
And that’s the point. Chefs Heather and Jorge say that food brings their family and friends together, and now they’re working hard to do the same for Anchorage.
“We’re not doing this for tourists. We do it for Anchorage and people in Alaska,” she said.
Familia is open Thursday from 2 p.m. – 8 p.m.; Friday: p.m. – 9 p.m; and Saturday 4 p.m. until sold out, and operates within Anchorage Brewing Company at 148 W. 91st Ave. If you’re someone who likes to customize every element of your dish, Familia might not be the spot for you. But if you’re after elevated veggie options, or colorful, well-executed and texture rich foods I’d peep the Instagram and head over this weekend.
Jenny Weis writes for a variety of Alaska nonprofits and causes in between keeping up on Alaska's doughnut scene, sliding on snow, and gawking at cool plants and rocks along local trails.
