Mrs Genes Place - Seward

This restaurant has undergone a change in ownership and is now named Fifth Avenue Bistro and Bar. The hours of operation have also been updated. I learned about these changes from the friendly concierge at my hotel's front desk, who provided straightforward answers regarding Ms. Genes. I decided to take a walk through the bistro, which has a small and cozy atmosphere. The place appears neat, clean, and well-maintained. The menu is quite limited, featuring around six items, but the 14 oz ribeye looks particularly tempting, along with some fish tacos.

There's a cozy patio right outside where you can admire their homegrown vegetables. My husband and I tried the chicken noodle soup, filet mignon, and gorgonzola pasta topped with filet mignon. While it took a little time for our food to arrive, this was because they prepare everything fresh, including chopping the vegetables, only after you place your order. This commitment to freshness really showed in the flavors. You could tell that the couple takes great pride in their cooking, and with good reason. The pasta, made in-house, was cooked perfectly al dente, and the portion of steak on top was generous. My husband was particularly impressed with his filet mignon, which was an incredibly juicy cut cooked to perfection. The mashed potatoes were unique as well, featuring crispy bits of fried potato skin for added texture. Throughout the rest of our stay in Alaska, my husband couldn't stop raving about his meal at Ms. Gene's Place and kept wishing he could enjoy it again.

The restaurant is run by an incredible husband-and-wife team, and Elizabeth was exceptionally attentive, engaging, funny, and kind throughout our visit. We ordered the filet and the Gorgonzola filet pasta, along with some Caesar salads as a starter. Everything is made from scratch here, including the homemade Caesar dressing. We enjoyed the salad so much that we devoured it before even taking a photo—we almost wanted to lick the plate clean! When our main dishes arrived, they were beautifully plated and cooked to perfection. We found ourselves stifling audible moans of satisfaction; everything was just that delicious! And then there was the dessert: the key lime cheesecake. It was unreal—so good that I almost cried after trying it. Honestly, it was the best cheesecake I've ever had. If anyone has anything negative to say about this restaurant, they must be really difficult to please. We can't wait to return for more celebrations in the future!

Wow if you're in the area, please please please come by here for dinner. Heads up: MAKE A RESERVATION. You have to. I was seated and there were a good number of people that came without one and were turned away because the restaurant is only worked by two people (a couple). Food: I must say, during my week in Alaska, this was easily the best meal I had. I was sad at first because they didn't have any salmon or fish dishes, but my mind was changed the moment my food came out. I ordered the chicken noodle soup as an appetizer and I was very happy because you can tell the soup was handmade with a personal recipe, not a can of soup cooked and put in a bowl. The filet mignon... I still think about this chunk of meat. It was so well cooked and seasoned, the best piece of meat I've eaten in my entire life. The potatoes and sauce it comes with compliments the main so well I was speechless. My wife ordered the gorgonzola pasta with filet and that was so delicious too... Service: the service was excellent just like the food. The owner of the place stopped by often and was very kind, asking if we're on vacation and kinda getting to know us without crossing any lines. A very pleasant experience! Food: 10/5 Service: 5/5 Parking: plenty outside!

A for effort, but we unfortunately had some issues with our meal. A note, the dining area is extremely small. I'm talking 5 tables. This isn't very obvious from outside so people walked in/out frequently. Looks like there's an outdoor spot that may be open occasionally but not for our visit. The waitress was rocking it as she was also playing the role of bartender and sous chef. She was super timely and attentive given all she was juggling. The menu is very limited, and they were out of several things at about 6 PM. I got the halibut cheek dish, and my fish was rubbery and undercooked. My husband's rib eye ordered medium rare was just raw. We both sent them back which we never do. They took care of it promptly and comped our drinks. The flavors were unique and promising, just missed the mark. A couple next to us was back for their 3rd dinner in a row and raved about the food, so it's certainly worth a try and we would give it another go if we were in the area.