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From the Wine Cellar
| Fuente Elvira Verdejo
By Jimmy
 Our goal when choosing wines to feature, is to
introduce our
area to interesting and up and coming
varietals. In reviewing the trade magazines and wine
newsletters each month, we try to bring in the new
trends and show customers that there
are more to wines than chardonnay, reisling, cabernet and merlot. Our
new
featured wine by the glass is Fuente Elvira Verdejo. Pronounced
"vair-day- yo",
it is a Spanish grape that has long been grown in the great wine
producing
Rueda region of Spain. Wines have been produced from this region as far
back as the 11th century. It contains 52 wineries and produces 36
million
liters of wine annually. The soil in this region consists of gravel and
sand
over red clay to produce clean, crisp wine. Verdejo is often
labeled Spain's finest white wine varietal.  Often blended with
sauvignon blanc to add body and richness, the verdejo wine is soft and
aromatic with full body. Fuente Elvira produces this wine from vines
with an average age of 40 years. An interesting note I found
about verdejo grapes, is that they are generally harvested at night.
The lower night time temperature when the grapes enter the cellar means
less
oxidation or browning of the juice. Come down and try something new.
This
is a perfect spring white. |
Behind the Bar
| Arnold Palmer
By Ryan
 As we approach the spring our customers
have slowly
begun to order a few more "Arnold Palmers" every week. When making a
couple of
these last week it made me think how the drink was originated and if it
was
really named after the golfing legend Arnold Palmer. As it turns out,
this is
the tea mixture that Arnold Palmer was privately brewing in his home
trying to perfect. Once at a bar, in the late 60's, Arnold order a
drink that was a mixture of lemonade and and unsweetened iced tea. A
lady that had overheard Arnold order the drink asked if she could have
"that
Palmer drink?" Soon, the drink became known as the Arnold Palmer around
the
golfing world and it only spread from there.
For those of you that do not know what
an "Arnold Palmer" is, it is a drink
made of half lemonade and half unsweetened iced tea. A drink that is
very
refreshing and one that, quite honestly, I don't order near enough.
Even
Arnolds wife, Winnie has a drink named after her. Similar to the "Arnold
Palmer"
is the "Winnie Palmer," which is half lemonade and half sweetened iced
tea. The
drink has recently been licensed to the manufacturer Arizona Tea Company
and is
distributed in grocery stores and supermarkets. A drink that was
mostly made in golf clubhouses and restaurants is starting to pop up
everywhere.
If you have never had an Arnold Palmer and enjoy refreshing
summer
beverages, this is the drink for you. Unlike the mass produced product that is on the grocery shelves, we make each one to order, starting with our lemon shakeup and adding our fresh brewed ice tea. Arnold Palmer Tee |
Trends in Cooking
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Maple Syrup
By Kris  It's not just for pancakes anymore. Maple syrup, once relegated to the breakfast table,
is showing up in recipes for everything from appetizers to entrees, as
local food fans rediscover the flavor and
versatility of the uniquely North American product. "Demand for maple syrup
is just staggering," said Michael Goering, one of Indiana's largest maple syrup
producers, who attributes much of the growth to
consumers' rejection of high-fructose corn syrup and their increasing
desire for local foods. But
for chefs, the appeal is all about flavor. They like the flavor that it adds to everything from
salad dressings to sauces to desserts. The flavor is more complex than just sugar. It adds much more diversity when you use maple syrup -- as long as
it's a good one. We're not talking
pancake syrup. Most national brands are made of corn syrup, often with
artificial coloring and imitation maple flavor. Pure maple syrup
contains no other ingredients; it's made by boiling the sap of sugar
maple trees.  Vermont
produced more than 900,000 gallons last year, more than twice as much
as Maine, for example, its closest U.S. competitor. That's a lot of syrup when you realize that it takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup! Indiana does not
rank among the top 10 syrup-producing states; it produced nearly 8,500
gallons of maple syrup last year. However, it's Canada that produces most of
the world's maple
syrup, about 80 percent, mostly in the province of Quebec. But whatever
its origin, pure maple syrup adds an appealing layer of flavor to
recipes. Many cooks prefer the darker grade syrup, which has a
stronger maple flavor, to the light amber syrup. Either type will
work fine in recipes. Dishes that range from a maple-ginger
vinaigrette and Maple-Cured Salmon to a Butternut Squash Puree. We will be featuring our Maple Glazed Carrots on our Easter menu and on our cheese sampler you will find Northern Michigans' Blis Small Batch Maple Syrup in lieu of honey. This product is
amazing. Pure maple syrup aged for over a year in bourbon casks. How to Make Maple Syrup Video |
Holiday Hours and Specials
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Easter Sunday Specials
by Kris |
We will be serving Easter Sunday from 11 am to 8pm. Make your reservations soon.
Brown Sugar and Mustard Glazed Ham
Crab and Shrimp Stuffed Tilapia
Beef Short Ribs over Spaetzle with Veal Demi Glaze
Pasta Primavera
with Garlic Chicken
Slow Roasted Herb
Crusted Prime Rib
Asian Chicken Chop Salad
California Cheesecake
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| Moon Report |
March Full Moon
by
KrisTuesday, March
30th
02:28
Maple Sugar
Moon, Worm Moon  WORM MOON
As the temperature becomes warmer and the ground begins to thaw,
earthworm casts reappear along with the return of robins. The northern
Indian tribes called this the Crow Moon, with the cawing of crows signaling the
end of winter. Also known as the Crust Moon because the snow becomes
crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night. The Sap Moon (Maple Sugar Moon) marked
the time of tapping maple trees. Settlers also knew this as the Lenten
Moon. A biblical name referring to the last full Moon of winter.
The Moon will take on hints of orange and reds as it rises above
the horizon. This is caused by dust, pollution and the light traveling
through more atmosphere. It will also look larger because of the
refractive properties of the atmosphere. |
| 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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Oysters Rockefeller
Blackberry Point Oysters on the Half Shell
Grilled and Chilled Asparagus
Panini - Imported French Madrange Ham with Brie and Honey Mango Spread
Blackened Duck Breast, Salemville Bleu and Pear Salad
Orange Roughy Etouffee
Artichoke Stuffed Beef Tenderloin
Pesto Infused Chicken Breasts
Smoked Sausage and Roasted Vegetable Penne
Roasted Cauliflower Parmesan
Key Lime Cheese Cake
Chocolate Flourless Mousse Torte
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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!
1. What rustic French dessert is traditionally made with a cake or pudding like batter topped with cherries?
2. Who is "The Man Who Ate Everything"?
3. What is the name of the root vegetable that is also known as "oyster plant" due to its oysterlike flavor?
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. Which French
Impressionist painter was a gourmand and an avid recipe collector who
cooked from his farmyard, pond, and kitchen gardens in Giverny? Claude Monet
2.
What is the name for a stemmed, wide-bowled dish used to serve ice
cream sundaes? Coupe 3. What "Cuban" drink,
made popular by Ernest Hemingway, is said to have been invented in 1896
by an American working in Cuba? Daiquiri
This weeks winner of the free lunch ... No Winner
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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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Alejandro Escovedo
Martin Zellar
