Rachel Carrillo Barril, chef de cuisine at In Bocca al Lupo, tosses dough for a pizza Tuesday evening. The downtown restaurant was named by the New York Times on Monday as one of “the 50 places in the United States that we’re most excited about right now.” It is the first time a restaurant in Alaska has earned a spot on the annual list that debuted in 2021. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Rachel Carrillo Barril, chef de cuisine at In Bocca al Lupo, tosses dough for a pizza Tuesday evening. The downtown restaurant was named by the New York Times on Monday as one of “the 50 places in the United States that we’re most excited about right now.” It is the first time a restaurant in Alaska has earned a spot on the annual list that debuted in 2021. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

In Bocca al Lupo named one of top 50 U.S. restaurants by the New York Times

Italian establishment in downtown Juneau is first Alaska eatery to make newspaper’s annual list.

Walking into In Bocca al Lupo as dinner service begins, there’s nothing to suggest it was just named one of the 50 top restaurants in the U.S. by the New York Times. Or any of the restaurant’s other nationwide acclaim, including yet again being a semifinalist for this year’s James Beard Awards.

A sheet of paper taped unpretentiously to a front display counter showed a lunch menu from earlier in the day consisting of four sandwiches (ham, turkey, roast beef, or grinder) for $14 each, roughly in line with other cafes and food stands in downtown Juneau. There was no line of diners waiting at 5 p.m. on Tuesday and in the kitchen the staff was going about their prep work at a quick-but-not-rushed pace.

Chef Beau Schooler attends to business as well as the upcoming dinner service Tuesday evening at In Bocca al Lupo. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Chef Beau Schooler attends to business as well as the upcoming dinner service Tuesday evening at In Bocca al Lupo. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

“I think that’s the thing that excites people about here that gets us on these lists is the fact that they come to this really casual place and then they get this food that surprises them a little bit,” said Beau Schooler, chef and co-owner of the restaurant that opened in 2016 in the Silverbow Inn’s dining space, the day after the New York Times prominently announced its third annual 50 places in the United States that we’re most excited about right now.”

It is the first time an Alaska establishment has made what the Times calls “The Restaurant List.”

The narrative for In Bocca al Lupo written by Julia O’Malley, one of about a dozen reporters credited for the list, says the Juneau restaurant’s influences go beyond what its Italian name might suggest.

“If you find your way to this 100-year-old bakery building, you might think, eyeing the menu, that it’s just a wood-fired pizza place,” she wrote. “But it’s the sophisticated, deeply Alaskan specials — usually announced on Instagram — that have brought the chef Beau Schooler a half-dozen James Beard award nominations. Mr. Schooler trained in Italy, but the menu also reflects the influence of the chef de cuisine, Rachel Carrillo Barril, whose Filipino family came to Alaska’s capital generations ago. Mr. Schooler fishes commercially and shows a wild creativity when it comes to salmon — wood-firing Chinook off-cuts, grinding bones to salt, curing fish into mortadella, painting smoked salmon with a candy shell. Expect a casual dining room, gorgeous Filipino-influenced pastries and plenty of ’90s hip-hop.”

A screenshot shows the New York Times’ writeup for Juneau’s In Bocca al Lupo, which was named to the newspaper’s “The Restaurant List” for 2023 featuring “50 places in the United States that we’re most excited about right now.”

A screenshot shows the New York Times’ writeup for Juneau’s In Bocca al Lupo, which was named to the newspaper’s “The Restaurant List” for 2023 featuring “50 places in the United States that we’re most excited about right now.”

Barril, who was spending the early part of Tuesday’s dinner service making meatballs and then tossing pizza dough, said there are some overlapping influences of Filipino and Italian food, so it’s not as eclectic a match as it might sound on a menu. But she also said the menu planning and general concept for the restaurant is more collaborative among those working there than in some other eateries she’s worked.

“We try to do high-quality food, but to not take ourselves too seriously,” she said.

Schooler said he was told about the Times’ award a couple of months ago, but had to keep quiet about it while the newspaper sent a photographer and then prepared the feature for publication. He said it wasn’t a surprise to end up being among the restaurants considered, despite Juneau’s low profile compared to bigger cities with more famous eateries, largely due to past acclaim such as the James Beard nominations.

“We kind of have a good reputation nationally, especially in the restaurant industry itself,” he said. “Maybe not to the general public, but as far as industrywide we kind of have a good reputation and are well-known, so you know it’s not too surprising these days anymore when we have people reach out to us.”

The restaurant has managed to retain fairly steady staffing and businesses coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, Schooler said. But while Juneau is seeing a record cruise tourism year this summer, he said the customers at his restaurant remain largely what they have been in the past.

“We’ve always kind of tried to cater more towards the locals than tourists, and I think that pays off for us in the shoulder seasons and in the winter,” he said, although he added there has been a notable amount of walk-in traffic from visitors this year.

• Contact Mark Sabbatini at mark.sabbatini@juneauempire.com or (907) 957-2306.

More in News

(Juneau Empire File)
Aurora forecast for the week of Nov. 27

These forecasts are courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Geophysical Institute… Continue reading

Even the Grinch got into the holiday spirit at last year’s Gallery Walk on Friday, Dec. 2, 2022. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire File)
An abundance of traditional and new ways to capitalize on this year’s Gallery Walk

More than 50 events scheduled Friday afternoon and evening from downtown to Douglas.

This view is from Wrangell on Sept. 11, 2022. (Photo by Joaqlin Estus/ICT)
Conservation group supports formation of new Alaska Native corporations

The conservation group the Wilderness Society has changed its position and now… Continue reading

From her hospital bed on Friday, Nov. 24, Christina Florschutz demonstrates how she pulled pajama bottoms that she found in the landslide debris over her legs, arms and head to keep warm. Her house was destroyed in the landslide, and after spending the night in the wreckage, she was rescued the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 21. (Caroleine James / Wrangell Sentinel)
Elementary school aide who survived Wrangell landslide calls circumstances a miracle

Christina Florschutz trapped overnight by landslide that killed at least 4 people, with 2 missing.

Lylah Habeger (left) and Jaila Ramirez lead the Konfeta Corps during a rehearsal of Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” at Juneau Dance Theatre. The ballet will be performed in the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.At.Kalé auditorium Friday through Sunday. (Photo courtesy of Juneau Dance Theatre)
‘Nutcracker’ tradition, with a twirl of new choreography

This year’s performances feature a cast of 93, ages 5 to 78

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)
Police calls for Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)
Police calls for Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

Rain at the National Weather Service Juneau station on Nov. 11 doesn’t exist as snow until hits the upper portion of nearby Thunder Mountain. So far this November has been both warmer and wetter than normal. (Photo by National Weather Service Juneau)
El Niño playing outsize role in Juneau’s warmer temperatures, according to National Weather Service

Early peek at numbers shows Juneau is 4.9 degrees warmer than average this November.

An emergency rescue vehicle parks in front of the Riverview Senior Living center at midday Monday after resident Nathan Bishop, 58, was discovered in the attic about 40 hours after he was reported missing. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Nathan Bishop found alive in attic of Riverview Senior Living complex after 40-hour search

Family members say they remain supportive of facility’s locally available assisted living services.

Most Read