Bears Den Restaurant and Bakery … with Chef Ernie’s Familiar Menu

Bears Den Restaurant and Bakery’s Chef Ernie continues to offer his delectable maple cream crepes. The Bear’s Den is new, but Chef Ernie – and his menus – aren’t. Many of the Bears Den menu items are strikingly familiar to dishes recently served at the Riverside House.

When I see a restaurant advertising a “chef,” it tells me the place thinks it is better than cafes or dinner clubs with regular cooks. It also tells me I’d better be prepared to pay a premium price. In this regard, Bears Den is right on target. The hostess beamed as she told me how proud she was of the chef’s buffet creations.

And the prices – well, if you’ve heard restaurants are expensive in Alaska, Bears Den Restaurant and Bakery proves it. Breakfast for two was over $26.00. I doubt that we could go there for a full dinner with appetizers, dessert, and beverages and get by for less than $100.

Our first trip to the Bears Den Restaurant was for breakfast. Frankly, we were disappointed. I ordered one of the house designed omelets, one described as having Cajun spiced prime beef, green peppers, onions, and Swiss cheese. I didn’t find any onions in it. I’m positive it had no Swiss cheese. My breakfast, as most others on the menu, did not include toast. Bob’s “over medium” eggs were runny. The biscuit gravy was barely warm.

We returned later in the week for the lunch buffet. It is not the typical buffet with a stack of plates, where you go through picking and choosing as often as you like.

The Bears Den and Bakery buffet luncheon includes only one trip through the food line. We were limited to one soup cup and one plate per person. I put chowder in my soup cup. That meant my salad shared the plate with the hot foods.

The salad bar was fresh and well stocked. It looked clean and appetizing. It included assorted raw vegetables, prepared salads, fruits, and toppings. It also had chopped hard cooked eggs, pepperoni, and imitation crabmeat.

The buffet featured creamy foods: creamy potato chowder; fettuccini noodles in creamy Alfredo style sauce; chicken breast with lemon cream sauce; creamy smooth mashed potatoes; cream style gravy; and mini cornbread muffins with creamy honey butter.

The dinner menu included a variety of steaks, Alaskan seafood, and pasta dishes.

The Bears Den also advertises catering.

Bears Den Restaurant and Bakery, is located in the old Kenai Peninsula Steakhouse building. It is on the corner of Kalifornsky (K-Beach) Road and the Sterling Highway, at the bridge, in Soldotna, AK. The phone number for the Bears Den Restaurant is 907-262-6545.

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