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August 18, 2010
Around the Area
Wedron Illiinois Connection to History
by Ray

planeA few years ago when I was reading a biography of Charles Lindbergh, I was stunned to find out that less than a year before his famous Trans Atlantic crossing, he had crashed his mail plane in Wedron Illinois. There is a monument commemorating the event. It is a couple of miles west of route 71 and just east of Wedron.

On the night of September 16th, 1926,  unable to land in Chicago due to fog and running on reserve fuel, he headed toward open country. At 5000 feet his engine sputtered and died. He stepped on the cowling and out over the right side of the cockpit pulling the ripcord after a 100 foot fall. He did not take the mail with him figuring that his gas tanks were dry and would negate the chance of an explosion. His parachute functioned perfectly. Suddenly, in the distance, he heard the sound of his abandoned plane engine. Apparently when the ship nosed down, residual gasoline drained into the carburetor. Gradually the paths of their decent diverged and Lindbergh dropped into the fog, into one thousand feet of nothingness. He crossed his legs to keep from hooking a branch or a wire, and he guarded his face with his hands and waited. He landed in cornstalks taller than he. There was enough ground visibility for him to gather his chute and head down one of the rows to a meadow in which he saw wagon tracks that led to a farmyard. There, some locals asked if he had heard an airplane crash. They found the ship two miles away, crushed into a ball, having caused no damage. They then took the mail bags to the Ottawa post office in time for the 3:30 A.M. train to Chicago. A farmer let Lindbergh spend the night, for which he thanked him, enclosing ten dollars for the hospitality - from "Lindbergh" by A Scott Berg

monumentWhat was fascinating to me was the implication on history this might have had. Not only might the Trans Atlantic crossing not have happened for some time, but it might have been done by some one else. After Lindbergh was successful in his crossing, he became what the author referred to as "the most popular person in the history of the world", by the fact he drew the largest crowds ever recorded in humankind. As we were spiraling towards World War II, Lindbergh was probably Hitler's biggest appeaser in the United States. Lindbergh's opinion was highly valued by most of the American population. Shortly before  World War II started, on a visit to Germany, he came to the realization that he was wrong about what the Nazi's intentions were. He forever regretted his political roll in the buildup to war. His reputation was so damaged that FDR did not allow him to participate in the war effort until much later in World War II.

What if something just slightly different had happened in this field less than 20 miles away from here? Could it have changed history forever?
Around the Industry
Aquaculture
by Ryan

fish farmsAquaculture is the process in which freshwater and saltwater organisms and aquatic plants are cultivated under controlled conditions. Almost half of all fish and shellfish consumed by Americans is grown through commercial aquaculture. It began centuries ago simply from flooded lowland fields. When the water would recede, some areas would still contain tiny ponds. Within these ponds would be tiny fish and other aquatic organisms. Eventually, it was learned that by leaving the smallest of the fish in the ponds, they would grow, spawn, and the cycle could be continued until the fish were ready to be harvested.

Today there are many forms of aquaculture:

Sea Ranching:    Several boats get together and capture large schools of high-value fish, such as tuna or salmon. They herd them out to sea into waiting circular nets. The fish are then fed over a period of several months. This is controversial because there is no regard for quotas and many of the fish die in the process.

Raceways:    This is a system in which deep lanes or channels are created on fish farms for the fish to swim. The water used is usually diverted stream or river water. Trout are typically raised in this type of system.

Ponds:   The pond system is popular because it can be used inland or along coastal areas. Usually trout, catfish, shrimp, and tilapia are raised in these systems. The ponds can sometimes become overcrowded and it is critical that a constant supply of fresh water is circulated.

Shrimp Farming:    This type of farming has increased worldwide in recent years. The reasons are low supply of wild shrimp, high profitability, and low start-up costs. Most of the shrimp farms are taken overseas to developing countries such as Indonesia and Thailand, bringing jobs and economic growth. As a result, there are many fears over the economic impact on wetlands and possible disease outbreak to wild shrimp.
On the Menu
Halibut Cheeks
By Kris

Halibut cutWe are always trying to bring in new items that you don't see on many menus.  This helps to keep our menu choices innovative and fresh.  One of the more unusual items that we have had in a while is Halibut Cheeks. Yes, I said cheeks. 

Halibut cheeks are sweet and tender, with a fine, thin flake and a texture similar to lobster; they are so sweet that the simplest preparations are best.  They are considered a delicacy and for good reason.  As you can see from the diagram, there is only a very small portion to each fish.  Making it somewhat scarce.


Halibut CheeksOn the menu this week will be Sauteed Halibut Cheeks.  They are prepared by lightly flouring and  sauteeing the halibut cheeks.  They are topped with lemon and white wine plugra butter and served over angelhair pasta with steamed fresh broccoli and cauliflower.

This is not something that you will find very often.  Take advantage of the opportunity to try something new!
Around the Uptown
Tugging the Line: The Pre-Shift Meeting
by Ray

pre-shift cooks meetingFor the heck of it I just counted how many different food items are on todays menu. There are 122!. With all of these items on the menu, it is very difficult to have every item on a particular order be finished at the same time. To the restaurant outsider this is probably one of the most fascinating things in a restaurant. One of the radio personalities that I listen to often remarks on this. He talks about previous jobs he has held in restaurants and was never able to quite figure out just how this happens. The truth is that there are no set rules, just philosophies. Being prepared for each shift is the most important. 

Every place has a different system, as their menus, equipment, layouts, and staff sizes are not all alike. Each person on the line has a different set of responsibilities, and usually one person is in charge of communicating and coordinating. Each department, through the course of a shift, will have a rush and staying "out of the weeds" is the main goal. Talent and experience vary from one staff member to another. When someone falls behind there is always another cook or a manager available to help on the line. There are things that happen during the course of a shift that cannot be controlled. This would include how fast the orders come in, or one of the departments gets a disproportionate amount of orders over another. You just have to deal with it.

in the weedsTo be perfectly honest, almost everything on our menu has to be able to be prepared in less than 15 minutes. If it can't be, we won't put it on the menu because it will disturb the timing on every thing else. We try and prep every menu item as far ahead as we can with out sacrificing quality. We find this out with experimentation and experience.

There is one thing that can be controlled every shift, and that is being prepared. This is where our pre-shift meetings come in. Before every shift, we conduct a pre-shift meeting in the kitchen. It will consist of sharing information on preparing specials, anticipated sales, reservations, sales history for the day, and recent history of how many of a particular item we have been selling. This allows the cooks on that shift to get everything on the line that they think they are going to need. Nothing is more aggravating than needing an item in the middle of a rush that is not there. The middle of the rush is no time to learn how to prepare a special or know where a particular item is stored.  This should be done before the shift even starts. If you just have one item lag behind because of this, we may have to throw out an entire order and start from scratch. This can create a chain reaction and slow down all of the orders behind it.

The crew we have right now is amazing. Through the course of a rush, the managers will monitor tickets times. We sometimes have to make adjustments in the staff or the menu if we feel the average ticket time gets too long. Overall we try to instill in the staff that the most important aspect is that everything come up at once, not that it come up quickly.  Most dishes are so much better if they can go out to the customer at the exact moment that they are done. No one knows this like a restaurant person. Just ask my family what it is like when I cook a meal at home. When I get done cooking it's EAT NOW OR ELSE!. Some how that is how "the line" changes you.


Around the Industry
Food Lover Links
by Ray

food loversCommodities take center stage - Ouch! we don't need this know

The price of wheat futures spiked to their highest levels in two years earlier this month and prices for raw coffee beans began to rise last month, moving the restaurant industry's commodity environment to center stage. Read more; NRN.com


San Francisco measure would limit toy giveaways - Tell me where this ends?

San Francisco's city supervisors are pondering a proposal to prohibit restaurants from including free toys with meals that exceed limits on sugar, fat, salt and calories. The measure would kill toy giveaways on the vast majority of children's meals offered by the city's dozens of quickservice chains. Read more; SF Gate

Plastic's now off the menu, Eateries go cash-only - Is this the next trend with credit card rates going up

While some places are going cashless other are going cardless. One Brooklyn cash-only restaurant owner estimated that 5 percent of his gross sales had been going to the card companies. In many cases the credit card companies are making more than the restaurateur.
Read more: NY Post


Bar Customers: Plenty To Go Around - Interesting demographics on people that drink

Great news if your restaurant sells alcoholic beverages. The latest Gallup poll finds that 67 percent of U.S. adults now drink them - a 25-year high. Even better, the poll's demographic breakdown tells you which group drinks what, enabling operators to fine-tune beverage programs to match likely customer preferences. No wonder savvy mixologists are a hot commodity these days. Read more; Restaurant Hospitality

Hot Waitresses: Misogyny Or Savvy Business Plan? - huh?

Only a fully tenured professor like Cornell's Michael Lynn would dare publish a research paper whose top-line findings show that quality of service has a negligible effect-less than two percent-on a waitress's tip. The actual determinants: bra size (bigger is better), hair color (blonde matters most), and waist-to-hip ratio (i.e., slender and curvaceous prevails). Be sure to consult your company's HR specialist and attorney before bringing this subject up at your next front-of-the-house meeting.  Read more;
Restaurant Hospitality
Not Your "Everyday" Specials

seafood trio newFriday 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








steak diane
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.










weinerstzleWienerschnitzel
Every Wednesday after 4pm, we will be serving authentic German Wienerschnitzel.  Served with roasted asparagus, speatzle and veal demi glaze it is only $11.75.







fajitasSunday, 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! 



On Our Special
Peach, Mango, and Brie Quesadillas with Honey Lime Dipping Sauce
Gooseberry Bay Oysters on the Half Shell
Caprese Salad
Steak and Asian Pear Salad
Panini Sandwich with Prime Rib, Fontina, Sauteed Red Onion and Crimini Mushrooms
Mexican Club
Grilled Mako Shark with Pineapple Chutney
Grilled Escolare Steak Served With a Roasted Red Pepper Butter and Sauteed Spinach
Osso Buco over Flageolet Beans with a Sweet Vermouth Veal Demi Glaze
Casonsei
Broccoli and White Cheddar
Win a Free Lunch


Foodie Fight Free Lunch Contest
by Kris

foodie fightEach 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 vegetable is known as the "pie plant"?
 
2. What is a tastevin?

3. What rustic French dessert is traditionally made with a cake or pudding-like batter topped with cherries?
 
[email protected]

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 boiling point of water at sea level? 212 Degrees Fahrenheit
 
2. What upside down apple tart was named for the French sisters who created the confection? Tarte Tatin

3. What would Champagne, Dubonnet, Lillet or vermouth be called when served as an opening to a meal? Aparitif




Last weeks winner of the free lunch ...  Melinda Scheuneman
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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