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Uptown Playlist Theater - Johnny A Trio - Tomorrow Night
| Johnny A
by Nikki |
 | | Johnny A's Signature Guitar |
Johnny A's instrumental only show is something you will not want to miss. Gibson guitars introduced the Johnny A signature model in 2003, designed from the ground up per Johnny's specs. Gibson has only done this for three guitarists, B.B. King, Les Paul and Johnny A! How incredible that such a legend will be here on Friday, October 15th. This is the last chance to be getting your tickets for Johnny A and his trio. Doors open at 6:30, and the three piece set will begin at 7:30. Please don't hesitate, tickets will most likely sell out
Johnny's Website |
| | Stirring the Pot
by Ray |  You are here reading this probably because you like the Uptown, unless of course you are my competition and then you want to see what I am up to. I think you have an interest in us and you hope that we succeed.
Some people have asked me about the sometime political nature of our newsletter. One of the things your mother probably told you was never to discuss religion or politics in a social setting. Many, if not most of the people who read this have very little exposure to businesses like mine. There are not that many independent businesses my size left. In this economy and political climate, I am very concerned about the well-being of my business, my employees, and my customers. That is why I will sometimes include something that will be of a political nature. Everything I have written has been based on what I feel is good for the business. I try very hard not to let my political leanings get in the way. Simply being an independent business person will make it sound like I lean to one side.
I am also an instigator. Ask any of my employees or friends. I love to "stir the pot". I also think it is important that these things are discussed. If you do not hear about how things like the health care legislation or government spending effect a real world business like mine, where will you hear it? I feel I have reached a point where I am in a position that I am qualified to discuss these things.
Some of my comments on a small business person's view of health insurance reform and government spending have landed me in a little trouble. An article that mentioned the honor rally in Washington D.C. really caused some howls. It was one of the the first articles submitted by a staff member. I would love to have more of my staff involved in the newsletter. I thought it was interesting. I have never known anyone that would take that much time and effort to attend a political event. Those are the reasons I let it be put in. I don't know how things got to the point where anything that is mentioned about public policy or politics offends.
We hope you take things with a grain of salt. Please realize that we don't have any foreign correspondents or economists on our staff. We do not take ourselves that serious and neither should you. I was so embarrassed after one of my rant's because a customer who is an attorney had to correct me. "Torte reform" should have been spelled tort. I guess it is just the restaurateur in me or maybe I just wanted my cake and to eat it too. We do this because we hope it connects you to us. We get more comments and emails from our newsletter than anything else we have ever done. This newsletter is a good place to do it. If I offend, just scroll down but I hope you still patronize us. Over the last few weeks it seems like we have gotten a little gun shy and I think our last couple of newsletters have been a little on the "milk toast" side. When putting together a newsletter for a restaurant I feel you need a little bit of spice, some interesting flavors and by all means, someone has to "stir the pot" |
Around the Industry
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Health Insurance Waiver? They deserve a break today
by Ray
 Last week I happened to catch a news report early in the morning about McDonalds threatening to drop it's health insurance for their employees. The Wall Street Journal said they had a copy of an inter-company memo stating so. I thought to myself "wow that stuff on the shingle is really going to hit the fan". This will not look good a month before the election. By lunch time both the White House and McDonalds were denying the story. A couple of days later, I read that McDonalds along with at least 30 companies and organizations received an exemption from the new law. Apparently the Health and Human Services (HHS) director has the authority to exempt companies and organizations from the new law.
By this time, it was me that needed a little stirring because I was boiling. I thought to myself, the largest restaurant company in the world does not have to follow the same law that I do? How can this be possible? How is this fair? How can one person decide who has to follow the law and who does not? Well apparently it is true. I was really surprised to see how little attention this got.
This is the type of thing that is driving business people nuts. It leads us to our present lack of reinvestment in our businesses and hiring. Thirty companies were granted waivers. It obviously is an effort to avoid news coverage, right before an election, of low wage earners losing the little coverage they had. This is where an abstract theory of things that might sound great at Harvard or Yale meet real life market reality. The promises made and the reality are two completely different things. If you are big enough, contribute enough, can afford lobbyists and legal staffs that can look for all the nooks and crannies in that 2600 page bill, you are going to win. How is this all going to end? Will the insurance companies be the villain? The market? Me? Of course one of the entities that received a waiver was a teachers union and a big supporter of the plan. Either way, several of my competitors now do not have to follow the same law that I have to.
Oddly enough, I think the waiver is a good idea. If they failed to grant it, more people would be completely uninsured. One financial analyst says there will be a 500% increase in insurance costs for the restaurant industry. Another says it is like paying a second franchise fee. Anyone in our business could have told you this is the turmoil you could expect. I understand if you do not agree with me on the issue of health care. Can you really disagree that it is wrong that some businesses get waivers and others do not?
Link to the New York Times - Obama administration grants dozens of insurance waivers
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Hallmark Holiday?
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Sweetest Day
by Ryan
 I've often heard the expression that Hallmark created Sweetest Day, but I found that this is not true. Almost all reports on the origin of sweetest day give credit to Cleveland candy company employee Herbert Berch Kingston. However, Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter, Bill Lubinger claims that, "Dozens of Cleveland's top candy makers concocted the promotion 88 years ago and it stuck, although it never became as widely accepted as hoped."While it wasn't Hallmark that created sweetest day it is widely accepted that the owners and employees of candy companies did. The Cleveland based companies started the holiday by bringing boxes of candy to orphans, elderly, newsboys and the poor. They even had help from some of the biggest movie stars of that era, Theda Bera and Ann Pennington. The committee had hoped that the holiday would eventually gain popularity to rival Mother's Day, Father's Day and Valentines Day. Today, Sweetest Day is obviously not as big as it was intended to be and it is truly not a "hallmark holiday". The holiday is more accepted in the great lakes area. According to Retail Confectioners International it is most beneficial/financially lucrative for candy makers in Detroit, Cleveland and Buffalo. The holiday has spread a little bit, gaining popularity in the northeast. In other places like Texas it is observed by making breakfast for your loved ones.There are many people that do and many people that do not observe sweetest day (ask my wife which one I do). If you are one that observes Sweetest Day, you could do so in many ways. Roses, candy, flowers, breakfast in bed or.........................reservations at Uptown! She'll really love you.
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Kettle Corn
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A Fall Treat
by Jim
 As most of you know, this past weekend Utica held its 42nd annual Burgoo festival. Throughout my life living in this area, I have been able to attend this event many times. Although it is great for tourism in our area, I tend to stay away because walking around shopping is one of lesser things in life I like to partake in. The burgoo, however, is definitely an experience, and I did attend this years festivities. As I stood there holding bags and bags of items while my wife and daughter go out for more and more to buy, I found myself staring at the kettle corn stand. I thought to myself, this is a fall tradition. Why? On a beautiful fall day the smell of that kettle corn made me realize it is that time of year. Although kettle corn is available year round, you tend to find them at fairs and other festivities, and the fall is usually the time of year for these events.There are many stories on how this sweet treat was introduced. Most say kettle corn was first introduced in the early 1700's when pioneers would end a day of rendering lard from hogs and using it to pop corn in their large cast iron kettles. They would add honey, molasses or sugar cane to give it that slightly sweet, slightly salty taste that we are all addicted to. Over time, it's been argued that kettle corn cooking is an art and requires extensive knowledge, "secret" recipes and hours of experience to cook the "perfect" batch of corn. The art of making kettle corn was even lost for years. It is said that in the early 1990's it started to resurface again in Missouri and Oklahoma. Well, I am glad it did. Of course, I made my way over to the gentleman dressed in the 18th century period clothing, watched as he mixed up a pot of his sugar corn and enjoyed the fresh batch. We all know there is no grabbing just one handful. You will always go back for another. I continued on, now a smile on my face, and savored the fall feeling in the air.
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On Our Menu
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Thai Peanut Chicken Lollipops
by Nikki
 Right now on special we have Thai peanut chicken lollipops for an appetizer. These chicken lollipops and red curry are breaded with Thai peanut seasoning. This dish is served with rice noodles, micro greens, sesame soy glaze, and also with red and green peppers. The chicken is wrapped in spicy Thai peanut breading and baked. Red curry is a unique fresh, spicy blend of seasonings and herbs. It can be anywhere from mild to red-hot, this one being more on the mild side. It's healthy, hearty, and will awaken your senses and boost your mood. In Thailand, this curry would be simmered in a wok over a stovetop, but in this case it suits cooking methods so it can be baked in an oven. Not only is this meal good, it is also healthy. The vegetables provide a serving that people should be having each day. The micro greens also can provide up to 30% protein for your body. Come "fit" in and try the chicken lollipops today!
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| In October | How to plan a fall festival
by Regina |  A Fall Festival is a celebration that welcomes the change of the seasons to fall. It's a designated time where we can celebrate the changes of nature, upcoming holidays, and nature together as a group. It's a great community social event that when planned effectively, helps bring a community, group, or neighborhood together. And as a master planner of the festival, it can help develop your social, planning and leadership skills.
Decide to plan a fall festival and determine your target audience or the participants at the festival. Will it be your neighbors, people who are frequent at a local park, church members, a community group, a local school? Or another group entirely? Also, determine the number of your target audience. Will it be a small group or large group? Enlist the help of people from your target audience. Fall is usually a good time to celebrate in an outdoor location before it gets too cold.
Consider your audience to plan activities for the festival. For children, consider activities like collecting leaves, story-telling, face painting, coloring; or something fun like riding on the back of a flatbed truck filled with bales of hay Plan to have activities that the entire family will enjoy such as music and theater entertainment. Consider storytelling and theater activities that center around the theme of fall and upcoming holidays.
Consider your food options. For a smaller festival consider offering appetizers and drinks. Hot drinks such as hot apple cider and hot chocolate are excellent choices for this time of year. For a larger festival, consider a pot luck where everyone brings a dish to share or consider asking food venders to set up stands to offer their food for sale. Ask people to donate food, drinks, utensils etc. Decorate your space for the festival. Whether your fall festival is indoors or outdoors, consider using traditional fall colors to decorate the space. Colors such as orange, gold, brown, red and green are reflective in fall. Consider decorating with items such as pumpkins, bales of hay, and corn maze.
Announce the fall festival. Get the word out! Print out signs and advertisements and place them around in your local area. Notify community leaders and ask your festival to be announced publicly. Announcements can be placed in community newspapers or newsletters, on the radio, at schools, churches and any other public places that participants of the festival will frequent. Make sure the festival space is properly set up and decorated. Enjoy your festival!!
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Employee Updates | |
Birthdays and Anniversaries
Melinda Andreoni- October 13th
Kristen Eustis- October 8th
Sarah Miklavcic- October 21st
Chuck Messino- 15 years
Jenny Heagy- 6 years
Andrew Kamphaus- 8 years
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Around the Industry
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Food Lover Links
by Ray
The strange, sad world of restaurant auctions- This is exactly how it is
In this second piece in a series of articles chronicling chef Sara Jenkins' process of opening her new restaurant Porsena, Jenkins writes about her experience at a restaurant auction.
Read more ; theatlantic.com
Oysters come back in vogue - Oyster lovers unite!
In the ebb and flow of popular food culture, oysters are once again enjoying a renaissance. Read more ; wsj.com
Chefs revive the dying art of butchery - Seems like every week there is an article on this
Chef Frank Bonanno says understanding how your meat gets to your table, how an animal is raised, who raised it, where it's killed and how it's cut lets people fully appreciate their food. Read more ; foxnews.com
A (Polish) bagel by any other name - Can you say.....obwarzanek krakowski?
Several bakers in Krakow, Poland, are on a quest to win international recognition and acclaim for their regional specialty, called the obwarzanek krakowski. One major stumbling block -- most people look at the baked round of dough with a hole in the center and automatically think "bagel." Read More ; wsj.comMole, a complex sauce making headway in the U.S. - Holy Mole
Mole sauce is a staple at special events in Mexico but is still little known in the U.S., largely because of its labor-intensive nature. Cooks work for days to find and prepare just the right ingredients for the sauce, which dates to Aztec times and combines chocolate, anise and chili peppers as a base. Still, virtually all Mexican citizens have tried the sauce at least once or eat it regularly, according to one survey . Read More ; mcclatchydc.com |
| 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.
 Wienerschnitzel Wednesday
Every Wednesday after 4pm, we will be serving authentic German Wienerschnitzel. Served with roasted asparagus, spaetzel and veal demi glaze it is only $11.75.
 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!
 A Lamb Lovers Delight
Every Saturday night after 4pm we will be serving slow roasted herb crusted leg of lamb with mint demi glaze. It will be served with our mashed potato of the day and roasted cauliflower topped with parmesan cheese. $19.50 Prime Rib
Available after 4pm every Friday and Saturday night is our herb crusted prime rib of beef. Our prime rib is slow roasted for several hours in our 1980's alto shaam. It is served with au jus, mushrooms and your choice of side dish.
Available in 12oz $19.75 or 16oz $22.75
Oktoberfe st
Available after 4pm every Tuesday and Thursday in October we will have kassler ripschen (smoked pork chop), eisbien (smoked ham hock) mit sauerkraut, leberkaese (bavarian style meatloaf), knackwurst (mild german garlic sausage), bratwurst (white veal bratwurst), sauerkraut-red cabbage-german potato salad. While supplies last. $15.50
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| On Special This Week | |
Thai Peanut Chicken Lollipops
Blackberry Point Oysters on the Half Shell
Wurstsalat
Panini Sandwich with Cuban Marinated Beef, Gouda Cheese and Black Bean Aioli
Butterfly Grilled Pork Chop Sandwich
BBQ Meatloaf Sandwich
Great Lakes Whitefish
Curried Shrimp and Asian Rice Noodles
Sauteed Broccolini With Asiago Cheese
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| Win a Free Lunch | |
Foodie Fight Free Lunch Contest
 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 3 questions will receive a complimentary lunch. The winner has to have the correct answer for all 3 questions, no exceptions! The following week we will publish the correct answers and the winner of the previous week. So come in and have a drink, study the cards, test each other and have fun. Good Luck!
1. What cutting tool is made of piano wire?
2. What is another name for a service plate?
3. What is Thailand's well-known rice noodle dish of tofu, shrimp, crushed peanuts, bean sprouts, garlic, chiles, and eggs?
email your answers to 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 a bar or small restaurant that serves simple dishes called in France? A BISTRO
2. What is the name of Germany's traditional dried-fruit-filled Christmas yeast bread? STOLLEN
3. About how many hors d-oeuvres per guest is the rule of thumb when served before a dinner? ABOUT FIVE
Last 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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You can read all of our past UPtown UPdates by clicking the link below.
UPtown UPdate Archives |
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Uptown respects your privacy and will not sell or distribute your personal information.
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