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| Playlist Theater |
Show Notes - Crazy Heart Connections
By Ray
With all the buzz about the movie "Crazy Heart", and it's three Academy Award nominations I started to think about our experience's with the artists and our shows. I have not seen the movie yet. I prefer not go to theaters anymore and would rather watch a movie at home when it becomes available. Just reading about the plot and the music I can not help but think this movie must be beautiful because of it's real life stories and how it brings to the forefront the dedication and sacrifices these artists go thru to purvey their art.
For those of you that have not read about or seen the movie here is a short summary of the plot. Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) is a 57 year-old alcoholic singer/songwriter who was once a star of country music. He now earns a modest living by singing and playing his guitar at one-night stands, in small town bars, in the southwestern United States. Having a history of failed marriages, Bad is without a family. He is mostly on the road performing, staying in cheap motels and traveling in his old car alone. Enter Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a young journalist after a story, divorced and with a 4 year old son Buddy (Jack Nation). She interviews Bad and begins to see the man behind the musician and they are attracted to each other. Jean and her son become a catalyst for Bad getting his life back on track.
 Some of my favorite musicians, including my all time favorite, Greg Brown have songs that are performed in the movie. It is so great to see these artists, most of them placed in the muttly Americana genre, finally appreciated. This is what I consider the most gratifying part of doing the shows we do. The appreciation I see on both sides of the stage is what drives me. Hopefully this movie will only add to that appreciation.
A couple of other things I thought was interesting. Ryan Bingham is up for an Academy Award for best song and just had a several page spread done on him in Rolling Stone magazine. Back in 2007 I had a chance to book him and his "band and a van". I had gotten a promo CD from him and had a date picked in July. I loved his music and really wanted to do this show, but he was relatively unknown and our summer shows had not been drawing very good crowds. I should have gone with my gut.
This brings us to tomorrows Chuck Prophet show. About 8 years ago we experienced Chuck for the first time when he was opening for Lucinda Williams. It wasn't long before we had all of his music up to that point and he became one of my favorites. We started following him around anywhere he would play in the midwest. The first time we saw him was in a smaller venue in Chicago. Always getting to venue early and staying late we watched Chuck and his band as they unloaded and then reloaded an extremely well seasoned van. I would wonder what their life was like. On one hand it made me want to join the circus and on the other how hard their lives must be sometime, especially those nights when you don't feel very appreciated.
 One other thing from that night I will never forget is a love song that Chuck and his wife Stephanie did. During the songs refrain they would sing into the same microphone their lips almost touching showing their love for each other and their love for what they do.
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| On Special |
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Guiness Battered Fish and Chips
By Ryan
 Every year when Lent rolls around I always look forward to our "Fish 'n' Chips." Guinness beer battered and served with malt vinegar, cole slaw, tartar sauce, lemon and potato wedges. I think we offer one of the more authentic "Fish 'n' Chips" around.
Where did the concept of "fish 'n' chips" originate? One would probably guess Britain and you would be correct. Originated around 1860 in the United Kingdom, the British brought this dish with them to every area that they would colonize in the future. Even bringing it to the Faroe Islands during World War II where it is still a popular dish today.
The first "fish n chip" shop was opened right around 1860 in London by a Jewish man named Joseph Malin. He is credited with putting together the combination of "fish fried in the jewish fashion" and chips. The earliest "fish n chip" shops would have to fry their fish over a cauldron of cooking fat which was heated by coal fire. With this cooking method came a very fowl smell of boiling fat, a smell so fowl that the English authorities classified the "fish 'n' chip" trade as an offensive trade. The reputation stuck with the "fish 'n' chip" all the way up until World War II when it was one of the few foods in the UK that was not subject to rationing, and soldiers from across the globe were able to get their first taste of the British delicacy.
While the batter, the breading and even the chips can vary in size, type and preparation, our version of the "Fish 'n' Chips" will always be Guinness beer battered and served all day every Friday during Lent. |
Behind the Bar
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Leese Fitch Merlot -- New featured wine by the glass by Jimmy
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 Even though we already serve a merlot by the glass, once we tried this, we loved it and had to feature it. This months featured red wine is Leese-Fitch Merlot. Leese- Fitch is a part of TOG (The Other Guys) wine company. Children, Mia and August, of the renowned Sebastiani wine family are the owners of the TOG. As 4th generation Sebastiani, they just recently formed the separate entity from the rest of the family. The wines of Leese-Fitch celebrate the restoration of the Leese-Fitch Adobe located in the Sonoma Square. Built in 1836, this historical landmark in Sonoma Plaza was named after Jacob Leese and Henry Fitch, brothers-in-law to General Mariano Vallejo, the founder of the town of Sonoma. It is the family home of Don Sebastiani.
In order for a wine to be classified as a certain varietal, it must be made with 75% of that particular grape. In the case of Leese-Fitch merlot, it is made with 80% merlot but also 15% syrah and 5% zinfandel. This medium bodied wine displays prominent smokey merlot characteristics with compliments from both the syrah and zinfandel grapes. The overall blend of this wine has great flavors to appeal to all sorts of merlot fans. |
Behind the Kitchen Door
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Running the Line by Crystal
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 This past Valentine's Day weekend we served well over 1000 guests. As a guest in the restaurant, you may see in the front of he house some of the hustle it takes to have a successful service. However, what happens in the back of the house is just as important. Sometimes I think if there were arial shots of this dance, it would be hypnotic. However, successful service is not just your server getting the food to the table. Although service starts the moment you pull up to the restaurant, there is true magic that happens in the kitchen. To "run the line" may mean nothing to those that have never worked in a restaurant. To those that have, it means action! The line is where it all happens. Several stations make up the line - salad,sautee, grill, broil, fryers - and to organize it, takes skill. Calling out orders to all stations and assuring each station gets the plate to the service window are also key. One of the most important qualities is being mentally prepared. The pressure is on during the rush and you have to be able to concentrate on the tasks at hand. When running the line you may have your wait staff asking questions, managers or a chef asking for things, with 2 or 3 things of your own going on and trying to sync all of your stations so that each order comes to the window on time. The stress of everything happening at once can be a challenge and composure is a must. Sometimes it can get a little heated - and I'm not talking temperature here. Maybe this is where "if ya can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen" was coined. When all is said and done, there are no complaints, food goes out on time, customers are happy and there is even a few compliments. Then it's clean up, make prep lists and get ready to do it again the next day. Everyone gets a pat on the back for a job well done. So is this a job for everyone? No! But I think some of the best kitchen staff is right here in our own kitchen! |
| Around the Industry |
Restaurant Design and Customer Comfort By Ray
As we are starting to make plans for a major remodel I could not have helped but notice the change in designs of newer restaurants. It seem like increasingly there there are fewer soft surfaces, more hard ones, tables are closer together and more noise. While this new look is clean and contemporary it does little to provide comfort. I recently read an article in the Wall Street Journal that touches on exactly this.
As we are considering our options in a remodel, a cleaner more contemporary look is what we will be after, but comfort has to remain top priority. We are lucky in that our real estate is no where near city prices and have the luxury of nicely spread out seating. Personally I like tables at 45 degree angles because it deflects other peoples conversation. I hate long banquets where you sit twelve inches away from the next guest and feel like your eating with a neighbor.
While music can be distracting it does provide a shield to avoid listening to the table next to you as long as it is tasteful, not overly loud and you add the proper soft surfaces. Our lighting dominantly needs to be improved. When we moved in to this building in 1996 we did not have near as many options for direct and indirect lighting.
While the final design for our remodel is still up in the air, as is the time line for it, I can promise you this. The lighting will improve, the seating will be much more comfortable, the look will be updated, but the service and familiarity will remain the same. We will still greet you with a smile, (many of you by first name) and our standard of service will remain at the level that is always has.
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| Moon Report |
Full Moon Report
By Kris
 The full moon will rise on Sunday, February, 28th at 11:38 A.M. Usually the heaviest snows fall in February. Hunting becomes very difficult, and hence to some Native American tribes this was the Hunger Moon or Full Snow Moon. It can also be called the Chaste Moon -The antiquated word for pure reflects the custom of greeting the new year with a clear soul. |
Win a Free Lunch
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Foodie Fight Free Lunch Contest
by Kris
 Each week in the newsletter we will ask 3 questions from the Foodie Fight cards. The first person to email us (see link below) the correct answers to all three questions will receive a complimentary free lunch. The winner has to have the correct answer for all three questions, no exceptions. The following week we will publish the correct answers and the winner from the previous week. So come on in and have a drink, study the cards, test each other and have fun. Good Luck!
This weeks questions are...
1. In what state was the Toll House Inn, where Ruth Wakefield invented the chocolate chip cookies in 1937, located.
2. What kind of flour is used to make the thin East Indian bread called pappadam?
3. What is schmaltz?
foodiefight@uptowngrill.com
Fine Print...
You must be the first person to respond with all three correct answers.
The response must go to the email address in the above link.
You must reply within 24 hours from the time the newsletter is published.
Last Week questions and answers....
1. What is Jonathan Swift referring to as the source of "sweetness and light"? Behives.
2. What book states "There is death in the pot"? The Bible.
3. What is the name of the tall, white hat worn by chefs since the 1820's? Toque.
This weeks winner of the free lunch ... Jessica Bernabei. |
| Lent Specials |
Guinness Battered Fish and chips $9.75
Homemade Tortelacci $15.50
White Wine Cream Sauce
Fish Tacos $9.75
Soft flour tortilla shells with battered whitefish, red cabbage, fresh mango black bean salsa and avocado lime sour cream.
Fajita Fridays $20
Fajita Fridays will take a little bit of a twist during lent as we will be serving your choice of our usual chicken fajitas or a lent option of shrimp fajitas. As always, Fajitas for two, served with a 64 oz pitcher of margaritas.
Mixed Seafood Grill $19.75
4 ounce lobster tail, whitefish parma, grilled salmon.
Served with a trio of sauces. We will be serving these "Lent Specials" all day, every Friday during lent.
Who said you had to give up all of the good stuff for Lent?
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| On Our Special |
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Country Pate
Pizza Caprese
Malpque Oysters on the Half Shell
Panini - Roasted Pork Loin with Caramelized Red Onion and Aged Gruyere Cheese
Open Faced Sirloin Steak Sandwich
Mexican Club
Smokey Shrimp Cobb Salad
Broiled Haddock with Swiss Chard
Proscuitto Stuffed Chicken Breast over Fettucini Alfredo
Top Sirloin and Sauteed Shiitake Mushrooms
Braised Lamb Shank with Flageolet Beans
Honey Dijon Glazed Infused Chicken Breasts
Miso Glazed Sugar Snap Peas
Sauteed Shiitake Mushrooms
Margarita Mousse Torte
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Uptown Grill
601 First St.
La Salle, Il 61301
815-224-4545
Mon - Thur 11 am to 10pm - Fri & Sat 11 am to 11 pm
Sun Noon to 10 pm
Uptowngrill.com
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Chuck Prophet
Alejandro Escovedo
Martin Zellar
