Fancy Bracket Final: (1) Simon and Seafort's vs. (3) Club Paris

Here it is...the Fancy Bracket final. It pits the #1 remaining seed Simon and Seafort's against downtown rival for high end dining Club Paris. They both have their advantages, but who earns my dollar when the time comes for reservations? You'll find out below.

Simon and Seafort's: Simon's is the 800 pound gorilla of this bracket, as it carries with significant history, a great location and view, a really nice menu, a bar that is superb, and one of the best happy hours in town. I mean, this place brings it in every facet a restaurant can bring it in. It's earned the praise it has gotten throughout the years and has managed to treat customers with respect even with the towering praise (that was half a Simon's compliment and half a Marx Brothers slam).

But at the same time, their signature dish is the macademia encrusted, crab stuffed halibut...very good, but does it top Club Paris?

Club Paris: Steeped in a history that goes back to the yesteryear of Anchorage, Club Paris has stayed old school as everyone around them has amped up the modern appeal.  It works for them, as the dimly lit dining area, classic bar, and throwback menu (meat...and various forms of it) really accentuates their greatness. I mean, this is a place that just feels like something out of a movie, and it's appeal is entirely understood by yours truly.

Plus, they make the meanest steak in the city as well as the only burger that rivals Tommy's (and possibly surpasses it on some days) with their filet mignon burgers. Sure it's dimly lit, but it is also incredibly delicious.

The Showdown: All around goodness or doing two things really well? It's a toss up, but I'm going to go on the same idea that the actual NCAA tournament goes off of: if you can do one or two things extremely well, odds are you'll win. While Simon's brings B+ game across the board, Club Paris and their two big A+'s make this an easy decision for me.

Fancy Bracket Winner: Club Paris

Fancy Bracket (Round 2): (1) Simon and Seafort's vs. (4) Orso Ristorante

Two of the absolute titans of Anchorage dining square off today, as Simon and Seafort's bring their historic greatness up against Orso Ristorante and their hip mix of the new and old classics. Who will win this battle for the ages? Let's break down the advantages each restaurant brings to the equation.

Simon and Seafort's:
Advantages

• Go to meal in the crab stuffed, macademia encrusted halibut
• Better Happy Hour
• Fantastic View
• Slightly better parking situation
• More seating (arguably)
• More expansive menu

Orso Ristorante:
Advantages

• Better overall atmosphere
• Less stodgy
• Better desserts
• Slightly better bar
• Better wait staff (aka cuter)

The Showdown: Each restaurant brings their own advantages to the table that makes them good options for the discerning restauranteer (I may have just invented that word), but it's a simple fact to me: Simon's makes better food. While Orso is perhaps better for drinks and dessert and extremely casual meals, if I have a hankering for a damn tasty meal that only Chad Ochocinco dollars can handle, Simon's is near the top of my list.

Fancy Bracket: (1) Simon and Seafort's vs. (8) Ginger

Today we have the first round matchup between 1 seed Simon and Seafort's and 8 seed Ginger in the Fancy bracket, and I'm not going to lie, Vegas has put the odds way in the favor of Simon and Seafort's. Let's go to the tale of the tape and check out our matchup.

Simon and Seafort's: This restaurant has long been a favorite of the classier diners in Alaska, providing a beautiful view of Cook Inlet, quality service, excellent food, and for those that are so inclined, a phenomenal Happy Hour. This is the 2009-2010 Kansas Jayhawks of the tourney - sure, it's the same ol', same ol', but when it works, it works. Just like that team and its pick and roll featuring Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich, Simon's rolls out their perpetual special of macademia encrusted, crab stuffed halibut to constant success. We know it's coming, but we just can't stop it.

Ginger: Ginger is relatively new to the scene, so they're the perfect contender to be a Cinderella story like Gonzaga always is. Buzz was thunderous upon opening, but since has worked its way into the every day conversation of high quality Anchorage restaurants with their fusion menu and pseudo hip design. While a lot of visitors have labeled it with the dreaded "inconsistent" label, in my experiences I've found it to be delightful, particularly the Baked Sea Scallops Mac and Cheese and the Tom Kha soup. They are like the lineage of effective points that have come out of the Zags, with the Tom Kha soup being the John Stockton of the bunch and the Mac and Cheese being the Dan Dickau.

The Showdown: As much as you want to see the underdog take the win here, when you get down to it good point guard play can never take down a balanced team like the one Simon and Seafort's rolls out. Sorry Ginger, you just happened to get in the way of Alaska's proverbial freight train.