Jessie Royer at the Burled Arch March 13, 2019
Veteran Iditarod XLVIII musher Jessie Royer (bib #31), of Fairbanks, Alaska, is the first to arrive at the Ruby checkpoint at 6:37 a.m. with 14 dogs in harness.
In doing so, Royer claims The Lakefront Anchorage First Musher to the Yukon Award. The award consists of a five-course meal prepared by The Lakefront Anchorage executive chef Roberto Sidro. The menu features:
- Lobster bisque served with rosemary crostini;
- Blackened spot prawns, roasted pear and aged gorgonzola tossed in an arugula salad with sherry vinaigrette;
- Seared, marinated duck breast wrapped in bacon and drizzled with orange glaze served on a bed of lightly sautéed bok choy;
- Espresso-rubbed, bone-in, ribeye steak with bourbon sauce, seared and flambeed, paired with roasted, mashed celery root and sautéed baby carrots;
- Homemade wild berry cheesecake garnished with chocolate-dipped strawberries.
“We’ve been presenting this award for 34 years running and continue to support all of the great athletes who seek to win the ‘race within the race’ and make it to the Yukon first,” said The Lakefront Anchorage General Manager Greg Beltz. “We’ve come to recognize the fun and rewarding aspect of delivering such a spectacular culinary feast by our award-winning executive chef in a remote checkpoint on the trail. The musher who gets there first won’t be disappointed and is sure to leave the checkpoint with a full stomach.”
Royer also receives an “After Dinner Mint” of $3,500 in neatly stacked one-dollar bills along with a bottle of Dom Pérignon. Heather Jarvis, the food and beverage director of The Lakefront Anchorage, and chef Sidro will serve the “mint” on a commemorative Alaska gold pan.
The Lakefront Anchorage First Musher to the Yukon Award will be re-presented to Royer at a later date at the Iditarod awards banquet.
