Owner/Chef
Reuben Gerber
With decades of fine dining experience, former Chef de Cuisine of the Crow’s Nest brings white-tablecloth standards to drive-thru.
Finding Mountains
Reuben was raised to spend as much time as possible in the outdoors. As a boy growing up in New York and California, that often meant sleeping in the backseat of the station wagon on Friday nights as his dad drove for hours to take him fishing and backpacking in the Catskills and Sierras. Those days were early lessons in respecting nature and making a commitment to the people and experiences that you love. By his early 20s Reuben became a devoted athlete, racing and wrenching bicycles during the week, then spending weekends traveling to climb. Eventually it was Reuben’s turn behind the wheel, taking his father on road trips in Alaska for fishing and camping adventures. It was during his first trip north that he knew Alaska would one day be home.
Finding His Craft
His curiosity for producing and creating with food grew along with his love for the outdoors. Following his father from the garden to the kitchen from an early age, he made the connection that great food starts with the farmer. This inspired Reuben to study organic farming in Israel, and later to pursue a classical culinary education in California, France and Italy. In California he trained at Laguna Culinary Arts, an academy led by Chef Laurent Brazier. He later earned an award of excellence at the Italian Culinary Institute in Calabria. His interest in learning the modern and traditional culinary techniques of France brought him to Paris, where he worked directly under Chef Dominique Cecillon. Together they created fine dining events throughout Paris. He then forged his skills in fine dining restaurants in Southern California. He was on the opening team of Andrea at the Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach with Chef Jean Pierre Dubray, and Motif at the St. Regis in Monarch Beach; both restaurants are rated AAA five-star, five-diamond. Over the years he has continued his education with a culinary stage at the legendary 3-star Michelin restaurant, Arzak, in San Sebastian, Spain, sommelier courses with WSET, and charcuterie studies with Master Salumier Francois Vecchio. He continues to learn as much as he can about the Alaska food system, foraging, and sourcing.
Finding Home
In 2010 Reuben and Christina followed their dream to move north to Alaska; away from the frantic pace of California and closer to the outdoors. No more driving on sixteen lane freeways to climb the mountains they love. As an outdoorsman, chef, and fisher, Reuben was drawn to Alaska’s beauty, the access to sustainable seafood, clean air and water, and a healthy environment to raise a family. His first position in Alaska was as Chef de Cuisine at Jack Sprat in Girdwood. He quickly fell in love with the communities of Girdwood, Bird, and Indian, found his happy place in the Chugach Mountain Range, and marveled at the the abundance Alaska has to offer. He mentored a great staff at Jack Sprat for a few years until the Hotel Captain Cook hired him as Chef de Cuisine of the Crow’s Nest, an award winning fine dining restaurant in Anchorage. He led a talented team there for nearly ten years before venturing out to start Birch & Alder.
Finding Purpose
Creating Birch & Alder was a complete departure from fine dining at a radical time for hospitality and food and beverage. During the pandemic Reuben’s position at the Crow’s Nest was always secure, even during the brutal downturn in the industry and multiple long shutdowns. But as food outlets started reopening and he was juggling life as a homeschool dad by day and a chef by night, with an uncertain outlook for the restaurant industry, the entrepreneurial vision that Reuben and Christina long held on the back burner became a reality. For years he had admired this rustic building in Indian right off the Seward Highway as the perfect location for a pandemic-proof drive-thru and the flexibility of having a business that could involve his wife and son. Surrounded by natural beauty and linked to a very special community, that vision is now a reality. Reuben has a strong sense of purpose. He believes that no matter what you do, the path to excellence is to be a student for life, and to share your knowledge. He keeps no culinary secrets; instead, he loves to pass his along to others and inspire his team to keep learning. “The greatest gift in my life has been the opportunity to learn from great mentors. The greatest gift I can give back to aspiring chefs is to be that mentor in return.”