Sitzmark Bar & Grill

Girdwood

The feel

The Sitz is the apres-ski bar at the base of Alyeska, at the top of Olympic Mountain Loop in Girdwood. Big windows look out on the beginner ski hill, and the back room has foosball and a pool table. Look up and you will find the Sitztine Chapel ceiling, painted with the northern lights, a wolf howling and a skier in powder.

The menu runs to burgers, grilled sandwiches and over a dozen local beers on tap, and the sun decks and ski boots are part of the bar's pitch. The deck is pet-friendly for leashed dogs. After dark it turns into a 21-and-over music room, with live shows, trivia, open mics and karaoke, and the younger crowd heads out by 8 p.m.

What to expect

Setting: Slope-side bar and grill at the base of Chair 3, with big windows onto the beginner hill, a back room with foosball and a pool table, and a pet-friendly deck.
Hours: A winter-season venue, closed in summer. Kitchen noon to 8pm and bar noon to 1am, though hours change frequently.
Food and drink: Burgers, grilled sandwiches and over a dozen local beers on tap.
Music and events: Live music in ski season, with trivia, a Wednesday film series, a Thursday town league, acoustic Monday and Industry Sunday open mics and karaoke.
Crowds and best time: Live music runs Friday and Saturday in ski season, and the kitchen closes at 8 p.m.
Kids: The bar turns 21 and over in the evening, and younger guests must leave by 8 p.m.
Dogs: Leashed dogs are welcome on the deck.
Season and access: Open in winter, closed in summer. It sits 40 minutes from Anchorage at 100 Olympic Ave, Girdwood.

Mingo says

Come in ski season, since the Sitz closes for summer. Plan around the 8 p.m. kitchen close and the 21-and-over evening, and check the live music nights, which run Friday and Saturday.