EXQUISITE CUISINE   100-YEAR-OLD ATMOSPHERE   MEMORIES

             

                                                                       “AALL ABOARD”

 

             …. the ‘Whistle Hill’ TRAINS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wanna enjoy some fine dining in a TOTALLY unique setting? ….. 

Create some memories that’ll last a lifetime? …..

 

… try a 1913 railroad car with its original stained-glass windows!

 

There’s a heckuva story behind “Whistle Hill” –

2 railroad cars, Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, British Columbia,

Canada, and South Dakota, and mines. I’ll get to that in a minute,

but first, let me start your mouth a-waterin' at …

 

…“Station TWO” – the Dinner Menu, (the Conductor calls out.)

 

Now, …..  you’re gonna have a hard time deciding what’s for dinner,

I usually do, ‘cause, ... just look at the choices ….

 

***Espresso-rubbed Ribeye,

***Lamb Tagine,

      

….. or how about my favorite -

***the Sablefish Noodle Bowl,

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or the

***Short Ribs:

          -red wine braise, mushrooms,

          rosemary, potato mash,

          caramelized carrots & chives

 

….. Then of course, there’s the

 

***Chicken Curry or Crab Pasta.

 

(I’m not gonna put in all the ingredients for all the dishes,

I wanna leave some room for your imagination)

 

The choices here on the “Hill” will drive one crazy …

I can NEVER decide between the

***Smoked Salmon Caesar Salad,   

… or the

***Seared Scallop Salad.

 

If you’re vegan, are you vegan? … they have a

***Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Bowl.

 

(OH! and FYI, all their veggies are grown right there

at Whistle Hill in the area known as “Fresh 365”.)

 

This isn’t the entire menu, but you get the idea -

there’s plenty of fine, “not-your-ordinary" food to choose from,

 

with words like –

mimosa, aioli, shakshuka, arugula, and charcuterie.

(I had to GOOGLE some of them up)

 

If you’re tired of the same ol’ menu, this restaurant has a MOST unique offering.

 

“Station THREE coming up” (cries out the Conductor.)

 

If you left room for dessert, (and that’s a BIG “if”) there’s

***Flourless Chocolate Cake

***Peanut Butter Pie

***Butterscotch Bread Pudding

 

and always my favorite –

 

***Fresh Mint Cheesecake .... ooh.!

 

Here’s a helpful hint – ‘bypass’ “Station ONE”,

alias – Appetizers,

– try not to order any of Chef Mary’s appetizers, “I dare ya” … like :

***Station Charcuterie Board:

     -fine cheeses, cured meats, green olives,

      nuts, and artisan crackers

      -serves 2-3

***Conductors Charcuterie Board

      3-foot-long, and twice the size of

      our Station Charcuterie Board

      -serves 4-6

 

***South Dakota Sliders

***Miners Mussels

 

See, it’s hard not to order any appetizers, ‘cause they’re different and tasty,

and you don’t wanna miss out. But,

if you wanna leave room for dessert, … “I’m just saying”.

 

To wash things down, there’s a “fine wine” list, alongside

a great listing of “local, craft-brewed” beer.

 

When your food’s ready, a train bell rings, and the manager, Christina,

she gets a train whistle.

 

I’m telling ya, this restaurant is one-of-a-kind.

 

There’s an awesome weekend brunch menu:

 

***Smoked Salmon Charcuterie-

“whipped herb cream cheese capers, hard-boiled eggs, sliced cucumbers,

pickled shallots, lemon wedges, microgreens, crackers”

 

***the Addie Sammy

***the Benny Sammy

 

One of the Brunch Cocktails is:

***Grapefruit Elderflower Mimosa

 

There’s NOWHERE else on Earth you’re gonna find a drink like that. I don’t know about you, but, I never heard of such a drink.

 

You are NOT gonna find a more unique place to dine, and create some memories with your family or business associates – everyone will remember “Whistle Hill”.

 

If you’re an early bird, you can get some fantastic coffee, and waffles “to die for”

in “Brew-@-602” - the iconic blue & yellow Alaskan railroad car - # 602.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I swear I can smell the coffee aroma driving up the hill, I can “already taste” the waffles.

 

That’s sorta the lowdown on the food and drink.

 

hear what the customers have to say:

 

“… fantastic food, a very different menu …” Jane D.

 

“Never dined in such a place, definitely a one-of-a-kind. The food was awesome 

and really different.” Bill M.

 

“… my family can’t stop talking about ‘train food’ …”

 

“My business brunch was impressive, I don’t think she’ll (my client) be forgetting it any time soon.” Dr. Harry G.

 

_____________________________________________________________

 

Before I forget, Chef Mary is known for her cookbook –

“Alaska from Scratch”.

She has also received mention in

“Kenai Peninsula – Must Places to Visit”,

and an award from South Central Alaska Tourism magazine.

 

Speakin’ o’ Christina – the manager, she makes me proud I can call myself an Alaskan – she is VERY Alaskan-friendly. One night I sat and talked with her about the history behind the trains and the owners,

 

AND …, a little about herself – showed me pics of the 30-inch trout she pulled out of the Kenai River not far from her house. The staff take their cue from her –

friendly as all get out.

 

Now, ….. let me tell you about where you’re gonna be dining -

 

                                        “Addie Camp”

 

                                 – the 106-year-old railroad dining car.

 

The crown jewel of “Whistle Hill” is a railroad car built in 1913 for the Oregon Electric Railway (based out of Portland, OR) as an inter-urban train car – it’s number was #133, still visible above both interior doors.

 

In 1933, #133 was sold to the Skagit River Railway, in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Then, ...

 

in 1954 it was preserved by the Willamette Valley Railway Association. And in 1966 it became part of the Vernonia & South Park & Sunset Steam Railroad.

 

Then in 1970 #133 was sold to the Black Hills Railroad in Hill City, South Dakota,

as a daily tourist train.

 

It was here that #133 was renamed “Addie Camp”, by the miners from the nearby mine

by the same name.

 

She rode the rails for 38 more years before finally retiring.

 

Then, ... in 2017, Henry and Mary Krull, of S. Dakota, bought “Addie Camp”,

and with the help of the Alaska Railroad, moved ‘her’ here to Soldotna, Alaska.

 

She has been lovingly refurbished as a dining car.

SHELDON WOULD GO CRAZY.

 

The complex sits atop a ridge looking out southeast towards the Kenai mountains …

 

                                       in other words, needless-to-say,

                                  THE SCENERY IS SPECTACULAR.

 

I don’t know about you, 

but, after all this “train travel” and talking about food,

I’ve worked up an appetite for some ribeye and a beer.

 

                                                       C’MON.

                                 LET’S GO to the ADDIE CAMP.

 

I’m leaving.

YOU COMING ????

 

“We don’t wanna ‘miss our train’ !!! “

 

P.S. present this flyer at “Whistle Hill” for a 10% discount, what are you waiting for?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

***NOTE - While I was not hired to write this copy, it nonetheless shows the quality of copy you can expect when you hire me.  IA ***