Week 35: The Elf's Den

Believe it or not, this week we found ourselves in the North Pole across the street from Santa’s House at the Elf’s Den.  While this might seem like a complete lie, the truth is our family was in Alaska this last week on vacation.  Although we might have been far away from Texas, we didn’t miss a chance to try a new pizza.  

In a tiny town 10 miles from Fairbanks, AK called North Pole, AK, the Elf’s Den is one of the only “non-chain” pizza restaurants around.  We had a 30 foot RV filled with 7 hungry people.  After a short drive from Santa’s House (www.santaclaushouse.com), we pulled into the Elf’s Den.  

The restaurant was exactly what we expected to see in a town of 2,226 people 3,800 miles from Dallas.  The interior design needed a few upgrades, but overall provided a warm atmosphere for our weary travelers.  Our eyes proved to be bigger than our stomachs when we ordered two 18” pies to-go.  We ordered 1/2 Cheese, 1/2 Hawaiian Deli, 1/2 Meatlovers, 1/2 Frosty Combo (Grilled Chicken, Mushrooms, Alfredo Sauce).  The pizzas were $26.50 a piece, which would be considered high-end, except for the fact we were in the middle of nowhere.  As it turned out we would have enough pizza for the following 4 days...

There was a small mix up on the pizza order and we were about to pack up the RV for our next destination when we realized we only got the Frosty Combo and Meatlovers.  I went back into the “Den” and the waitress apologized for the mixup and cooked us an additional cheese pizza at no cost!  Needless to say we had enough pizza to feed the entire town.  While waiting for the 3rd pizza, I uncovered the true gem that is the Elf’s Den.  Downstairs, below the dining room, was a small lounge/bar filled with local patrons sipping cold drinks while watching our beloved Dallas Cowboys.  So, while we didn’t eat at a local Dallas Pizza restaurant, the Elf’s Den made me feel at home while I watched the hometown football team.

While you will almost certainly never eat a pizza at Elf’s Den in North Pole, AK, it was a delicious break from the standard camping food we had been eating.  The crust was homemade from scratch and the toppings were plentiful.  To give you a real glimpse of the Elf’s Den check out the video Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives on Food Network (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_z9QqsoNMQ).

The Final Report: 5.5 out of 10

If the Elf’s Den was located in Dallas/Ft. Worth it probably wouldn’t measure up to most of the restaurants we have visited this year.  However, while on our family vacation we enjoyed trying some Alaskan local pizza and staying on track with our 52 week pizza adventure!  We are back in Dallas next week and looking forward to being home...