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On Our Menu
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Artisanal Cheese Sampler
by Ryan
The cheeses on our cheese sampler changed this week and the result could
very well be the best 5 cheeses we have ever had. The sampler is
available all day every day and the current version would go great with
any of our summer white wines. Enjoy on the patio, at the bar
or at your table. These new cheeses are some of the best
cheeses that I have had yet.
 Coach Triple Crown Round Brie. This
mild, soft and very creamy brie
cheese is from Duchess County, New York. It is an aged triple cream goats milk cheese.
 Taleggio D.O.P. Talleggio is a
classic Italian cheese.
Widely used as a dessert course cheese and can be paired with almost
any wine, fruit or crusty
bread. This is northern Italy cows milk cheese has a full flavor,
similar to brie. The D.O.P stands for denominazione di origine protetta
or a guarantee that everything about the product from ingredients to
handling to aging are handled at the place of origin. Arguably, the best
Italian cheese
we've had on our sampler yet!
 Comte St. Antoine. This hard, raw cows
milk cheese comes from the mountain area of Jura, France. It is a very
hard cheese with a fruity taste. Goes well with fruity white wine or
grapes. This hand made cheese is aged for 14 months in little mountain
factories called fruitiere. The cheese is ripened in Fort St. Antoine,
perhaps the best cheese ripening cave in France. This was my 2nd favorite cheese on
the sampler.
 Widmer Cheddar. With this cheddar cheese, we stay close to home. Made
in Wisconsin, this Cheddar is extra sharp and known as the smoothest
cheddar cheese on the American market. It has an intense, but clean
flavor that pairs well with any wine or beer.  Torta
Gorgonzola. This is the prize cheese of the sampler. Everyone
that has tried this cheese absolutely loves it. Layered with gorgonzola
and mascarpone cheese, it has a sweet flavor with a very creamy, almost
butter like texture that just melts in your mouth. The word Torta, is
the Italian word for torte, pie or cake and if a wheel of a gorgonzola cheese was to
ever be compared to a pie or a cake, this would be the wheel you could
do it with. Excellent with salad, hard salami or crusty bread. An
absolute must try!
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Around the Environment
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Gulf Coast Oil Crisis and Food Costs
by Kris
 The Deepwater Horizon/ BP oil rig has been leaking
for eight weeks and counting, and is already responsible for one of the
worst environmental disasters in our nation's history. The
spill, among other things, highlights our intimate connection to
aquatic ecosystems. The tentacles of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill could reach beyond the coast to just about anyone who drinks coffee, eats shrimp,
likes bananas or plans to buy tires.
Not only has it forced the shutdown of the gulf's rich fishing grounds but it could spread to the busy shipping lanes, tying up the cargo
vessels and driving up the price of many commodities. Though a total shutdown of the shipping lanes is unlikely, there could be long delays if vessels are forced to wait to have their oil-coated hulls power-washed to avoid contaminating the Mississippi. Some cargo ships might choose to unload somewhere else in the U.S.
That could drive up costs of transportation i.e. gasoline which will also be increasing in cost from this same situation.
Food system effects are already rippling through both
coastal
and inland
seafood markets as some brace for potential increases in seafood
prices. Media reports understandably focus on the lives and
futures of Gulf Coast fishermen,
as well as the issue of tightening regulations on offshore drilling. But, aside from the disturbing images seen in the media, many
are wondering how will those of us who do not live near the Gulf be
affected?
One obvious
impact is the supply and cost of seafood. Gulf Coast shrimp landings are
substantial - 188 million pounds in 2008 - and represent
nearly three of every four shrimp caught within the United States. The 90-day shrimp season, which typically starts on June 1, was
opened 10 days early this year with the anticipation that the oil spill
will eventually halt harvesting. While it cannot be overstated how incredibly
important this year's shrimp season is for the day-to-day livelihood of
Gulf fishermen, shrimp have been a longstanding favorite
seafood of Americans - we consume on average 4.1 pounds per person per
year - and due to the spill one
source estimates shrimp prices have increased by 10 percent already. Others
suggest that the real pinch may be felt later this year when last
year's supply of Gulf Coast frozen shrimp runs out. Due to steady importation of shrimp and crabs to US
seafood markets, sadly many consumers may not notice the drop in Gulf
Coast seafood production and its root cause. Because imports will
satisfy our demand for these products, the concern is that if we turn
our backs on the Gulf of Mexico we also turn away from the
responsibility to restore the Gulf back to a productive, if not
pristine, environment.
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In The News
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Vuvuzela
by Ryan
The World Cup is the single biggest sporting event in all of sports.
While soccer may not be that high in the rankings of American sports,
this is THE event in most countries.
While watching the United States
play England last
week, I couldn't help but be annoyed by those horns in the background.
Couple that annoying sound with, what to me is a lack of action on the
field, and it makes for a pretty tough watch. But, that's just me. And
now, the only thing that the news channels
are talking about is that annoying horn in the background.
The sound they're talking about is from an instrument called a Vuvuzela. It is a
stadium horn used by South Africans during football matches (soccer games). The
instrument is about 1 meter in length. They are played by blowing
through compressed lips to create a buzz.
Personally, I would call it more than a buzz. The instrument is
controversial because it is harmful to unprotected ears.The sound level
of the instrument has been recorded at 127 decibals. If you haven't
watched a World Cup match yet, I
recommend you do. USA plays Slovenia this Friday, June 18th and Algeria on Wednesday, June 23rd. However, you might want to hit the mute button!
Listen to Vuvezela from Wikimedia.
Make sure you play it over and over and over again!
Vuvezela Video
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Behind the Bar
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Sangria
By Crystal
 Back in 1985, we made popular the housemade wine coolers. From what I'm told they were
quite the "buzz". Although I never had one, I am able to speak on
today's sensation..... housemade Sangria! In recent years, we have seen
Sangria grow in popularity. Since we had great success with our wine
coolers back in the day, we knew that Sangria would be a breeze.
Making
Sangria our way for a few years now, we found that it was very simple.
Although I can't give you our secret recipe, I can tell you it is the
perfect blend of fruit and wine.
The term Sangria is Spanish, meaning
bloodletting and is a wine punch typical of Spain. We have our own twist of flavors sure
to please the pallet.
Today's flavor is White Peach Sangria. My
perfect recipe is patio+sangria+our cheese sampler=good times! Taste summer!
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Around the Industry
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Clickjacking
by Jimmy Computers are a wonderful thing. Over the course of the last 30 years,
they have evolved so much that we wonder what life would be without
them. Everyday tasks usually involve numerous encounters with some sort
of computer. They have made our lives so much easier.
However, they
cause headaches when they don't run properly, run slow, or even freeze
up. We've all been there before, but that pales in comparison to the bigger problem. The ultimate
threat with our computers, as we all know, is the danger of "hacking". This threat has been around just as long as the computer itself. It's
unfortunate we have to be so careful with doing anything personal over
the internet. I wanted to inform you about the next generation
of hacking. It is called "clickjacking." A clickjacked page tricks a user
into performing
undesired actions by
clicking on a concealed link. For example, say you receive an
email with a link to a video about an event in the news, but another
valid page (lets say a product page on amazon.com)
can be "hidden" either on top or underneath the "PLAY" button of the
news video. You as a user try to play the video but actually you buy a
product from Amazon. Other clickjacking examples include:
tricking users to enable their webcam or microphone through Adobe Flash, tricking
users to make their social networking profile information public or share
links on Facebook etc. You get the picture. Clickjacking
became well known in 2008 after researchers Robert Hansen and Jeremiah
Grossman discovered an incident where the attacker had remote access to
the victim's web camera
through Adobe Flash. (They say the program has been fixed to protect
against this happening again.)Although many websites and browsers
have been working to improve their defenses against the possible use of
their sites as clickjacking sites, many still remain unprotected.
Clickjacking is the worst case of security risk - it's transparent to
the user, simple to implement and difficult to stop.Clickjacking Video |
| Not Your "Everyday" Specials |
 Friday Nights, Seafood Mixed Grill
It
includes
a 4 oz lobster tail with
drawn butter, 4 oz salmon filet with basil
cream and 4 oz whitefish parmesan with lemon caper
butter. All for only $19.75
Monday Nights, Steak Diane
Every Monday after 4 pm, we will be serving Steak Diane for $13.75. This will be just like the Red Door Inn. With Victor's stamp of approval.
 Sunday, All Day,
Sizzling Sunday Fajita and Margaritas
You
get a chicken
fajita for two with a 64 ounce pitcher of margaritas for only $20! Imagine this on a Sunday afternoon on the patio or at a sidewalk table
with the sunshine and a nice breeze! No, your not in Cabo, but it sure
feels like it!
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| On Our Special | |
Blackberry Point Oysters on the Half Shell
Caprese Salad
Curry Dusted Calamari
Panini Sandwich with Roasted Pork Loin, Caramelized Onions and Manchego Cheese
Antipasto Salad
La Quercia Proscuitto Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
Grilled Mahi Mahi with Mango Pineapple Chutney
Pearl Fresh Mozzarella with Asparagus and Fusilli Pasta
Sauteed Carrots, Zucchini and Squash
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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 is another name for the Chinese wok-skimmer made of woven brass wire and a bamboo handle?
2. What kind of foods are listed as "crudo" on an Italian menu?
3. What vegetable is sometimes referred to as "Swiss" after a 16th century botanist?
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.
Participants are eligible to win a limit of 3 times a year.
Last Week questions and answers....
1. What is the more
common name for a beefsteak cut regionally known as Delmonico, Market or
Country club steak? Ribeye
2. Who is the Roman
mythological goddess of abundance that carries a horn of plenty? Copia
3. What kind of pie is
"brighter than a silver spoon" and a term of endearment in a 1988 James
Taylor tune, recoded as a duet with Ray Charles in 2004? Sweet Potato Pie
Last weeks winner of the free lunch ... NO WINNER
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| Playlist Theater | |
Tickets on sale now.
Upcoming Shows
 Roy Davis
Friday
August 13th
Tickets on sale now
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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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