Seasonal food spots in Cordova have recently begun to open with their summer hours. Food trucks and cafes with open doors and extended hours are a sure sign of summer coming to town. This year the local food scene welcomes back several favorites as well as new options.
The Whale’s Tale cafe, located at Orca Adventure Lodge, hosted an opening day on June 1 with a full drink menu and baked goods. The cafe also kicked off its popular rotating summer soup menu with chicken noodle soup.
The Whale’s Tale began operating in 2021, and has both indoor and outdoor seating as well as an upstairs play area for children.
Cordovan Haylei Sheldon-Graham enjoyed a coffee and scone at the opening and said it was the highlight of her day.
“One of my favorite things to do is gather with friends, and the Whale’s Tale provides such a warm environment,” she said.
Back in town on Second Street, the Kayak Cafe also opened on June 1, and plans to operate with summer hours through September.
In addition to its regular business hours, The Kayak Cafe offers its space available to rent for parties or meetings. The team is currently recruiting for baristas to work the counter.
There is no shortage of coffee and morning treats in town. Since May 1, a line of cars and trucks has formed in the harbor fill lot to drive through The Jump coffee spot each morning. In addition to breakfast sandwiches and doughnut bites, The Jump also began offering heartier foods for lunch including tuna poke bowls.
On the other side of town, behind the Net Loft, Victory Alday plans to open his spot VicAllys again this year as soon as the outdoor seating area is set up. The truck serves Mexican style food including tortas and chile relleno.
Jen’s Hella Good food truck has been serving hungry customers on Main Street year-round since last May. During the winter months, patrons from the Alaskan Bar next door were able to enjoy take-out from Jen’s late into the evening.
Jennifer Pallas, the owner, says that she is playing it by ear, extending hours to serve the summer traffic as demand increases.
“Now that the sunshine is out especially, it’s really picking up,” Pallas said while serving a long line of customers during lunch hour this past week.
Jen’s is located in the food truck lot on Main Street. Two other trucks have parked on the lot for the summer season as well, but have yet to open or advertise their plans. Food trucks must submit their plans and information to Cordova City Council before operating.
