Chef Renee Jakaitis Trafton stands at the ready in the kitchen of her restaurant, Beak. Warm afternoon sunshine spills through a window onto the counter of neatly organized ingredients and cooking supplies. Bite-sized pieces of raw fish are on a cutting board, which Jakaitis Trafton will soon prepare into one of Beak’s trademark dishes: chili-crisp marinated Black Cod Tips.
Located at the end of Lincoln Street in downtown Sitka, Beak has become a beloved staple for many Sitkans since it opened nearly a decade ago. And now, the rest of the country might be catching on too. Back in December, a representative from USA Today emailed Jakaitis Trafton, informing her that she is one of 10 Alaska restaurants nominated for the Best Restaurants in Alaska list for 2026. Jakaitis Trafton says that Beak’s high social media engagement probably played a partial role in its nomination. But, also being one of the few restaurants open in Sitka year-round creates unique opportunities for connection.
“In the summer, it’s thrilling, because we have all these tourists and you might really make someone’s day if they’ve never had king salmon before, or black cod or rockfish, and they have a great experience. They might remember Sitka and their meal forever, which is really special,” said Jakaitis Trafton. “But then the winter is like, really quality, because sometimes you just know everyone in the dining room and you’re like, ‘Oh, hey, friends!’ It’s [like] a great hangout.”
When the newspaper’s list was first published in late January, readers were able to vote as to which of the 10 restaurants would earn the number one spot. The results were officially announced on Feb. 25, and Beak ended up in second place. And it’s not the only Sitka restaurant on the list. Ludvig’s Bistro, a Mediterranean-Alaska fusion restaurant, garnered enough votes to end up in fourth place. Owner and chef Edith Johnson says she feels incredibly proud that both restaurants made the top 5.
“It just shows that Sitka is on the right trajectory, that we’re in just this culinary hub that maybe people don’t even realize. There are so many talented chefs on this island, and there’s so many amazing female chefs on this island,” said Johnson. “I just think it’s really special that with our lower population compared to Anchorage, that we could have two [Sitka restaurants] in the top five.”
Of course, one cannot describe Sitka’s food scene without bringing up seafood. Johnson takes great pride in how Ludvig’s is able to source native Alaska ingredients in cooking up iconic Mediterranean dishes, from weathervane tuscan scallops to paella made entirely from local seafood. But beyond the food itself, Johnson says that a unique aspect of Sitka’s dining culture is the relationships built between local fishermen and customers.
“[Customers] want to see fishermen’s names on the menu. They want to know where their food has come from,” said Johnson. “This sea-to-table and this farm-to-table movement is not only just for people’s health. It’s also just to support your local community and everyone else that’s in it, and to be able to say, ‘I know who caught my spot prawns. I know where my clams came from. I know where my scouts came from.’ It’s so special and very uniquely Southeast Alaska.”
Back at the Beak kitchen, Jakaitis Trafton plates the cooked black cod tips, with baby bok choi and rice that is pressed together in the shape of a star.
The restaurant is downstairs of Raven Radio. So, I head back up to HQ to dig into the meal. Offering to share my food with whoever at the station is interested, I am shortly joined at the table by Lakota Harden, who is in the middle of her popular radio show, “Indigenous and Other Expressions.”
“The tips have, well, of course, you can’t ruin tips, right? But they’re so good,” said Harden. “And I love the extra zing that’s in there is a bit of a bite, which I love. It’s so cool because I didn’t expect it when I first sat down, I thought, ‘Oh, wow, that was a good surprise in my mouth, the bok choy is still crispy and yet, well cooked.'”
It’s safe to say that Harden loves Beak. She says she directed tourists to visit the restaurant back when she worked for the Greater Sitka Chamber of Commerce, and even “bugged” anybody who would listen to vote for Beak in the USA Today competition. Ultimately, what drives Harden to be so passionate about uplifting local restaurants like Beak and Ludvig’s is their commitment to serving the larger Sitka community, from Beak providing free meals in 2020 during the pandemic to Johnson cooking school lunches as part of Sitka Conservation Society’s Fish-to-Schools program. As she heads back into the live studio, she puts on her headphones, fades out the end of the song and turns up her microphone.
“I think that that’s what I love the most about these restaurants, is they really do try to care for the community,” said Harden. “So I just want to say congratulations to them, and we’re really proud of our Sitkan family.”
With their shared accomplishment under their belts, Jakaitis Trafton and Johnson remain focused on preparing their restaurants for the upcoming summer season, eager to give visitors and locals alike a taste of what makes their community special.
Editor’s Note (3-13-26): Beak Restaurant is housed in the Cable House which is owned by KCAW
