The Orchard House Goes Fishing…in Alaska

High school acquaintances Pat Robbins and Kris Thompson

If the concept of fresh caught salmon from Sunnyslope seems a bit incongruous, allow us to introduce you to Pat Robbins — the man who brings Alaska’s Alsek River to Caldwell, Idaho…and to The Orchard House restaurant.

When Orchard House owners Kris Thompson and Sheri McCoy were looking to upgrade their menu, they decided that NOT knowing where the items on it came from was unacceptable — especially with regards to their highly popular honey glazed salmon. Their decision to find a “local” source led Kris to an old high school acquaintance whose family had fished Alaska’s Alsek River for many years.

In this Behind the Menu podcast episode, we’ll learn about Pat Robbin’s family-run fishing operation in Yakutat, Alaska, and what it takes to get a wild salmon from the largest glacier-fed river feeding the Pacific Ocean from net to plate in 48 hours.