grey heading final
May 6, 2009
 On The Menu
Scotch Eggs and Three Way Filet
scotch eggs 1Scotch Eggs
In the movie "So I Married an Axe Murderer" , Mike Myers' character comments that he thinks "most Scottish cuisine is based on a dare." Scottish eggs seem at first glance to fall into that category, but are surprisingly tasty. With the recent resurgence of  "Gastro Pub" fare, the Scottish Egg has been making a hearty comeback. Not for vegetarians, they are hardboiled eggs, wrapped in a cocoon of sausage, rolled in breadcrumbs and deep-fried. Served with a Guiness Stone Ground Mustard cream sauce. $7.75.

                                            3 Way Filet
3 way filet
We had a tough time naming this mixed grill. The candidates were "3 way filet", "tenderloin trio" and "mignon a` trios".  We found these wonderful New Zealand Lamb  tenderloins. Each one is about 10 ounces totals and as tender and tasty as any meat I have ever sampled.   We took 4 ounce pieces of  this lamb filet, filet mignon of beef, and pork filet.  Wrapped them all with applewood smoked bacon and paired them with a Dijon mustard demi-glaze, porcini mushroom wild rice blend and some maple glazed tri colored carrots  $26.50.  Only while supplies last! - Ray
 Up's Emp's
Uptown's Graduating Class of 2009
In an industry that has a large percentage of it's employees from the high school segment of the community, we tend to have a "graduating class" of our own each year.
Here is the Uptown's Graduating Class of 2009.
Congratulations and Good Luck to them all. -- Kris

arickArik Peshel
Graduating from Hall High School
National Honor Society
Football and Track
Will be attending IVCC, pursuing Associates degree in Applied Science


brianBrian Nolasco
Graduating from Hall High School
Football and Baseball
Will be attending Coe College participating in both the Football and Baseball programs.


erickErick Quintana Raya
Graduating from Depue High School
Will be attending IVCC, pursuing a Dental Assistant certification.  Plans on pursuing a Dental degree in the future.


geenaGeena Biccochi
Graduating from Hall High School
Will be attending IVCC, pursuing a Pharmacists Degree.
 Wine Corner
Big Tattoo Wines
big tattoo
As stated in an earlier newsletter, we try to find wines that are a great value, may have scored well in wine magazines or may be the new trend.  Right now on our glass list are two wines, both by the same vintner, that have brought upon their own special reason for staying on our list. We have the 2007 Big Tattoo Riesling and the 2005 Big Tattoo Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva.   The most significant attribute of this winery is related to it's cause. The winery was started by two brothers, one of which is a wine importer and one of which is a tattoo artist (thus the name). In 2000, their mother passed away from cancer. The brothers came together and started this winery in honor of their mother.  As a way to raise money, the brothers donate 50 cents from every bottle sold to hospice care facilities and breast cancer research foundations. As of May 1, 2009, according to the brothers website, they have raised $1,327,906 since the projects beginning in 2002. If you are interested in reading more about Big Tattoo wines, please visit their website. -- Ryan
Two Brothers Big Tattoo Wines
 Around The Valley
Foraging the Woods
ramps
The ramp, sometimes called wild leek, is a wild onion native to North America. Though the bulb resembles that of a scallion, the beautiful flat, broad leaves set it apart. Ramps, in many areas, are considered a spring delicacy. The flavor and odor of ramps is usually compared to a combination of onions and garlic, and the garlic odor is particularly strong. In recent years, celebrity chefs have been promoting ramps as a gourmet food item and "white-table cloth" restaurants have begun serving ramps.
The Illinois Valley is fortunate enough to have Ramps growing wild in the area. Some of our own employees forage the woods this time of year for ramps, morels and fiddleheads. Keep your eye out for upcoming specials that feature these local treasures. -- Rene
 The Patio Is Open
patio set

 Open Every Day

Mon - Thur 11 am to 10pm  - Fri & Sat 11 am to 11 pm
Sun Noon to 10 pm  -  uptowngrill.com
Uptown respects your privacy and will not sell or distribute your personal information.

Hi!
In This Issue
UP's Emp's, Graduating Class
Big Tattoo Wines
Foraging the Woods
UPtown's UPcoming Events
On Our Specials LIst
Playlist Theater, Dan Hicks and The Hot Licks
UPtown's UPcoming Events
Mother's Day, May 10th
Playlist Theater
May 12th, Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks
June 3rd, Terry Evans
June 25th, Bill Kirchen

Uptown's MySpace
 
 On Our Specials List
  • Scotch Eggs
  • Breaded Morel mushrooms and Vidalia onions.
  • Shell Rock Oysters
  • Curry Dusted Calamari
  • Grilled Chicken and Watercress salad
  • Grilled Escolar with Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce and Sauteed Spinach
  • 3 Way Filet
  • Maple Glazed Tri-Colored Carrots
  • Salmon and Porcini Mushroom Risotto
 Playlist Theater
Dan Hicks and
The Hot Licks

dan hicks black and white

"So few truly original figures exist in pop music that Dan Hicks should be a national treasure." -- San Francisco Chronicle
 
Throughout his decades-long career, Dan Hicks stood as one of contemporary music's true eccentrics. While steeped in folk, his acoustic sound knew few musical boundaries, drawing on country, call-and-response vocals, jazz phrasing, and no small amount of humor to create a distinctive, albeit sporadic, body of work which earned him a devoted cult following.
Hicks was born December 9, 1941, to a military family then living in Arkansas, and grew up in California, where he was a drummer in a number of high-school bands. He attended college in San Francisco, where he switched to guitar and began playing folk music. He returned to the drums, however, when he joined the Charlatans, one of the Bay City's first psychedelic bands. Although the Charlatans were short-lived - they issued only one single during their existence - they proved influential throughout the San Francisco musical community and were one of the first acts to play the legendary Family Dog.
Hicks had formed the acoustic group Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks in 1968 as an opener for the Charlatans, but soon the new band became his primary project. After adding a pair of female backing vocalists - "the Lickettes" - the group issued its debut LP, Original Recordings, in 1969. After a pair of 1971 records, Where's the Money? and Striking It Rich, they issued 1973's Last Train to Hicksville, which proved to be the Hot Licks' most successful album yet. At the peak of the group's popularity, however, Hicks dissolved the band and did not resurface until 1978, releasing the solo LP It Happened One Bite, the soundtrack to an uncompleted feature by animator Ralph Bakshi. He then phased in and out of the music industry for more than a decade and did not issue another major recording until 1994's Shootin' Straight, a live recording cut with a new band, the Acoustic Warriors. In 2000, over two decades after the group's dissolution, Hicks re-formed the Hot Licks and issued Beatin' the Heat. Alive and Lickin' arrived a year later, then after another hiatus, this time for eight years, in March of 2009 he resurfaced with Tangled Tales. 
As of today there are only a handful of tickets left. Please act quick if you want to catch this music icon. The show will consist of 6 pieces including 2 Licks and 1 Hicks--Ray

 Tuesday, May 12th. 7:30PM
Doors Open at 6:30PM
Listen to Tangle Tales at Surfdog Records