The humble exterior of Captain Mary's Bar & Grill sits among similarly worn faces on the strip of Fairbanks near I-4. The burgers are the best, the bar is smartly stocked with beer and wine; the feel is always warm.
It's in the kitchen where chef Fred Fausey and partner Rebecca Tex -- a singer/songwriter in her own right -- earn kudos for clever creations like the light and creamy vegetable stroganoff over egg noodles that was a recent special -- lunches run $5-$7, dinners $9-$12.
A few years into the game, they kicked up the menu and wine list, adding popular specials and serious upscale specialties. A terrific fried-green-tomato sandwich with goat cheese is now also presented as an appetizer ($3). And just think about grouper with mandarin-orange citrus glaze or grilled chicken with roasted red peppers and gorgonzola sauce.
Kitchen is open till 10 p.m., except Sundays. And there's a prime rib special on Fridays and Saturdays.
