|
|
|
|
|
|
| On Our Menu | |
Ocktoberfest | |
 For those of you who like to stop in for the Ocktoberfest meal every year, please do not wait! We only have about 35 orders left, and they are sure to go quickly. This delicious plate includes kassler ripschen(smoked pork chop), eisben mit sauerkraut (pork hocks with sauerkraut), leberkaese (German veal loaf), knackwurst (German garlic sausage), bratwurst (mild white veal sausage), sauerkraut, red cabbage, and german potato salad. You don't want to mess up your "gemutlichkeit" by missing this special before it runs out! Available tonight, Tuesdays, and Thursdays while supplies last.
|
The Buzz and About the Buzz
| Show Report on Johnny A
by Ray |  This past Friday we had Johnny A and his trio play at the playlist theater. When ever we have someone new I like to do a little recap of what the show was like. I was very nervous about doing an all instrumental show and how our audience would react. All I can say is that there are no words that would have added a thing to Johnny's Show. It was the most amazing guitar work I have ever had the pleasure to see and hear.
As a show proceeds, I generally watch the reaction of the audience. To me this is the best gauge I can think of. For almost two hours, with out one word being sung (Johnny does speak between songs), I did not see a single person distracted from the music. It was amazing! The comments I got from almost everyone I talked to was they were also nervous about sitting through an all instrumental show, every single song was great, words would have ruined it, and when is he coming back?
Here is a couple of interesting side notes. When I asked Johnny what his last name was he said "A". Ron, his drummer, has been playing with him since he was 13. I am guessing that is over 40 years. Jesse, the bass player, has been with him for about 7 years. Both of them are fantastic musicians. This show was the last day of a 14 day road trip, and Johnny was anxious to get back to Boston. I bet he would be fun to hang with. This also was our first stereo show. Johnny likes to use some effects on guitar that require stereo in the house music as well as the monitors. Without Bernie, I would not even have had a clue where to start. Thanks Bernie it sounded great, other than that buzz.
Speaking of that buzz, I think this was the worst I have heard it. Since the beginning of our series, we have been plagued by some electronics that create a buzz. During Johnny's show, it was not evident during the loud stuff but it was during his quieter songs. Bernie, Tom and I spent almost four hours trying every possible combination of ground lifts and filters we could think of to no avail. Johnny said the show must go on and that he was going to have to be quick on his pedals.
A little insight into our buzz. The electrical grid in downtown LaSalle is very old. We also have some old transformers right behind our building. In order to solve this, we installed a brand new "clean" electrical panel dedicated just for our shows. That did not work. Bernie brought in a battery powered amplifier and single coil guitar. This is a guitar with the type of electronics that will pick up a buzz like we have. We shut off all of the power in the building. The closer we got to the alley the louder the buzz. One musician suggested wrapping the room in lead. Realistically, we do not know what to do next. If there are any electronic or audio experts, we would love to hear some suggestions. |
Advertising
| The Swagger Wagon
by Ryan |  The last few years have given me an opportunity to get my feet wet in the advertising business. Running a restaurant isn't as simple as coming in to work and taking orders and then locking the doors when the last person leaves and you go home. Advertising is just one of the many aspects of this business. We have an ad group that attempts to get together every week and we discuss new ideas, industry trends, our upcoming newsletter and we try to come up with one or two new quirky ideas that we could use for our newspaper ads. Believe me, this isn't always easy.
So when I see creative advertising now, I tend to envy the people that design them. I am in the learning process, but I can't seem to find that creative, artistic flare that you need to have to be great. Stop for a minute and think about all the products in your life that you are loyal to. How did you find these products? Did you just get lucky and pick them off the shelf one day or was it that you saw the product and remembered a creative ad about the product, and now you're hooked.
I mean, who didn't want to "be like mike." And I know I didn't drink Pepsi in college because it was the best soda out there, but they did have Britney Spears as their spokesperson. For some reason that slogan, "the best a man can get" always sticks in my head and i find myself loyal to Gillette products. Sometimes it's a saying, sometimes it's a person, sometimes it's just the creativity that captures my attention and that's the goal of advertising. So, when I was at the movies last week and this ad for the Toyota Sienna came across the screen before the movie started, I was hooked immediately. I have probably watched this ad a dozen times and it's so good I wanted to share it with you. I know that parents out there will enjoy it, but even if you're not a parent, I'm sure you'll enjoy it, probably even laugh. So click the link below and watch "The Swagger Wagon." With a child here now, I am in the market for a new car.
The Swagger Wagon |
On Special
|
Artichokes
by Jim
 An artichoke is probably the most underused vegetable around. When most people think of them, they think artichoke dip. But there are many different ways to prepare them. They can be boiled, steamed, grilled, stuffed and roasted. This week we are are featuring them seasoned, grilled and served with a parmesan garlic sauce.
For those of you that have never eaten these funny looking vegetables, there is a certain way to eat them and our servers are trained to give instructions for those of you that want to try them for the first time. First of all, the outer petals are not entirely edible. For these you need to pull off and place in your mouth with the white flesh side down, and pull through your teeth to remove the soft, pulpy meat of the petal. Once you have cleaned the petal, it will be discarded. Once all of the petals are eaten, the next step is to scrape out and discard the inedible fuzzy part (called the "choke") covering the artichoke heart. The remaining bottom of the artichoke is the heart. Cut into pieces and dip into sauce to eat. As you can see, there does involve some work to prepare these vegetables. A little patience in getting to the "heart" of the plant, provides not only a good flavor treat but it is also good for you.The origin of the artichoke is unknown, however, many say it was found in North Africa and was cultivated and brought to the rest of the world. They were brought to the United States in the 19th century. Today, the growing of artichokes is concentrated in the countries around the Mediterranean Sea. The main country producers are Italy, Spain and France. On this side of the globe, California provides nearly all of the United States crop with Monterey County growing 80% of it. The city of Castroville proclaims itself to be "The Artichoke Center of the World" while holding an annual artichoke festival. In 1947, Marilyn Monroe was crowned the first Queen of Artichokes, apparently she loved them.Also, what many people don't know is that artichokes are one of the most nutrient dense vegetables. They are very low in saturated fat and cholesterol. They provide a good source of vitamin C, K and B6. They are also high in niacin, iron and are a good source of fiber.
Click here for steps on how to eat an artichoke.
|
| Industry Information | BioDiesel Fuel
by Ryan | |
 By now, most of you are probably aware of the effort to create biodiesel fuel. What you may not know is that restaurant grease is a major part of this process. Every few days restaurants all over the world change the grease from their fryers and replace it with fresh cooking oil. Over time, the grease turns dark and we are just not able to use it if we want to serve you a nice product. This old grease goes to a storage container in the alleys of most restaurants and a waste management company comes by to pick up the waste. The waste management company actually pays us for the grease. It's not much, about 7 cents a pound, but to get money for something you are throwing away is a pretty good deal. From there the waste goes to a facility that processes the waste with other elements to create bio-diesel fuel. We have a facility near us in Seneca.
With the ever increasing effort for a greener America and anything that will decrease our dependency on oil, the biodiesel industry is making strides to be the next major source of fuel. It is made by fats and oils which are converted into biodiesel through a process known as transesterification, in which an alcohol combined with a catalyst break the material into methyl esters (biodiesel) and glycerin, a biodiesel co-product. It has a number of environmental benefits such as; being made from renewable resources, it is biodegradable and non-toxic, biodiesel combustion emits 40-60% less greenhouse gas, biodiesel can also extend the life of engine components due to an increase in the lubricity of the fuel.
3 articles about thieves stealing restaurant grease:
nytimes.com
postandcourier.com
environmentalleader.com
Biodiesel myth or fact
biodiesel.org
Interested in learning more about biodiesel?
sccd.org
By Ray
 | The taxi drivers and their vehicles
|
I kind of got a kick when I read this article from Ryan because I just had an experience with exactly this. When coming home from vacation a few weeks ago Rita and I took the Eco-Taxi (see link below). Me being the eternal skeptic, I wanted to see how this worked. All I could think of was I better not miss my plane. First thing when he pulled up I noticed was the smell of french fries. Steven, the owner of the company picked us up and I immediately went on the attack. I know grease! By the time our half hour taxi ride was finished I was converted and I am now looking for my own diesel because I have an inexhaustible supply of fuel. The IRS better not find out.
Just a few minutes into the ride Steven reaches down and flips a switch. I ask "OK Steven whats going on? What was that switch you just flipped?". He told me he just switched over to the grease. He went on to tell me it is best to get the engine good and hot using diesel fuel before switching to the vegetable oil. We were his first ride of the morning. He said he uses about 40$ worth of diesel a month for his full time taxi service. Other things I found out were he prefers to use the oil from a couple of the local sushi restaraunts. It is cleaner. All you need is a secondary fuel system to store, filter, and switch to once the engine gets hot. There are no modifications to the engine at all. The noise and the power were no different than any other deisel powered vehicle. Just the french fry smell. They are based in Truckee California. This is true mountain, 4x4, deep snow driving. Now this is common sense green energy even some one like me could love.
Link to Eco-Taxi Site
Watch a video on the Eco Taxi from sucking up his grease to dropping of his customers. Click Here
|
Pasta Parade
|
Which shape for which pasta?
by Regina
 Pasta comes in a tongue-twisting variety of shapes and sizes, from huge to tiny, skinny to fat, curvy to blocky. Why? Because pasta sauces also come in many varieties. The key to matching shape to sauce is in the shape itself. The basic principle? Like goes with like.
Thin pastas, are best with thin sauces; the sauces slide easily over the smooth pasta surfaces. Hollow or twisty shapes, on the other hand, are great with chunkier sauces, because the saucy bits can nest inside or get caught in the ridges. And thick pastas go best with thick sauces.
To keep dried pasta from sticking to itself while cooking, (Even if you forget this step, don't toss olive oil into the pasta-cooking water; the oil will prevent the pasta from absorbing the sauce. Do add salt, however, to the water for more flavor.) If you're simmering a fairly liquid sauce to go with the pasta, consider removing the pasta from its water before it's done and finishing the cooking in the sauce itself; the pasta will absorb even more flavor this way. And be sure to cook the pasta al dente (just barely firm) instead of into mush.
Here are a few favorite pasta shapes and ways to serve them.
1. Ridged tubes (penne, rigatoni, ziti rigati). This has to be my family's favorite pasta, a versatile shape that's a nice medium size and holds lots of sauce in its external ridges and internal hollows. It's also great in pasta salads.
2. Corkscrews (fusilli, rotini, cavatappi). Fantastic with pesto sauces, tomato sauces, or meat sauces. Like the ridged pastas, the corkscrew shape "catches" and holds the sauce.
3. Hollow spaghetti (bucatini, perciatelli). These are essentially very long, thin straws. The classic sauce for these hearty pastas is all'amatriciana, a spicy sauce featuring tomato and pancetta (or bacon). David Anderson, a chef at Portland's Vindalho restaurant, says that bucatini is the only pasta appropriate with carbonara, a classic egg-and-bacon sauce.
4. Spaghetti. The all-American favorite, spaghetti is perfect with tomato-based marinara and bolognese sauces. Coat the pasta with your favorite tomato sauce and let it sit for a few minutes before serving. Flattened forms of spaghetti - pappardelle, fettucine, and linguine - come a close second. Skinny spaghetti - aka capellini or angel-hair pasta - does best with thinner sauces, such as puttanesca.
5. Butterflies (farfalle, bow-tie pasta). This is perhaps the most fanciful of pasta shapes, best with a light-to-medium sauce or soup where the shape can stand out. I also like this pasta in pasta salads, combined with green vegetables and crumbled cheeses.
6. Macaroni. Though macaroni has a lowbrow image, this is perhaps the most versatile of pastas, good with sauces, baked in casseroles, or tossed with dressing and vegetables in pasta salads.
7. Stuffed pasta (ravioli, tortellini). Usually filled with cheese, meat, vegetables, or a combination thereof, in their best incarnations these are like little pillows. Stuffed pastas are usually served with a broth or cream sauce so the pasta fillings can stand out.
8. Tiny pasta (orzo, couscous). Frequently seen Stateside in pasta salads, orzo is a small, rice-shaped pasta often found in the Greek lemon-egg soup called avgolemono. Couscous originated in North Africa (it's made by pressing pasta dough through a fine sieve) and can be prepared in a number of ways: in a couscoussi�re, in a simple pan of hot water, or simmered in broth. Israeli or pearl couscous is simply a large-sized couscous with a satisfyingly chewy texture. Serve either couscous with stews or simple fish and vegetables.
|
| On Our Menu | |
Buccatini Alla' Amatriciana
by Nikki
 The buccatini alla' amatriciana has guanciale, tomatoes, onions, cracked red pepper and garlic sauteed in balsamic vinegar and olive oil over buccatini. We top this dish with reggiano parmesan. This zesty dish is one of the most celebrated in Italian cuisine. Named for the tiny town of Amatrice, located 100 miles east of Lazio from Abruzzo, this dish can be made both with or without tomatoes. Abbruzzese shepherds began the tradition of eating this spicy pasta after a day in the chilly mountain air, and the cooking process has always begun with the rich smell of a fatty piece of pork bubbling in the pan. For those of you who don't know, guanciale is an unsmoked Italian bacon prepared with pig's jowl or cheeks. Its' name is derived from guancia, Italian for cheek. Pancetta, a cured Italian bacon which is normally not smoked, can be used as a substitute when guanciale is not available, with slightly varying results. Buccatini is the traditional pasta shape used in the dish. It is similar to a thick spaghetti with ridges. The ridges help to hold the oils and sauce of this dish $16.75
|
Around the Industry
| |
Food Lover Links
by Ray
Swedish burger chain adds carbon counts to the menu - Climate friendly burgers?
Sweden's second-largest restaurant chain has added carbon emission counts to its labeling in an effort to run a more sustainable business. Concerned about the impact of beef production on the environment, Max Burgers added a host of non-beef alternatives including falafel and salmon burgers; sales of the sandwiches have risen about 20% since the company began listing the carbon emissions. Read More ; qsrmag.com
50 sandwiches to eat before you die - How many of the 50 have you tried? My guess is not many.
Forget fine dining, writes Bee Wilson -- if you want to take the pulse of American cuisine, there's no better place to start than with a sandwich. From PB&Js to cheesesteaks, if you can't wrap bread around it, it's probably not worth eating. "We may speak and dream of other foods; we may pontificate on banquets and gastronomy; but a lot of the time, if we are honest, what we are really eating is sandwiches," Wilson notes.. Read more ; smartset.com
Report: Noisy dining rooms can change the taste of food - Huh?
Restaurant noise not only makes it hard to have a conversation -- it also alters the way food tastes, according to a study in the journal Food Quality and Preference. Listening to loud white noise while eating can make food taste less salty or sweet than it really is, the report says, while enhancing the sense of crunchiness. Read more ; scientificamerican.com
Why your image may never recover from deep discounts - What is the magic number?
Across-the-board price cuts may keep your business afloat in a downturn, but they can also undermine your brand's image, Steve Strauss writes. If you'd rather be known for quality or customer service as opposed to just low prices, he suggests targeted price cuts or special coupons doled out to your best customers. Read More ; smallbusiness.aol.com |
| Not Your "Everyday" Specials |
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.
Oktoberfest, Tuesday and Thursday While Supplies Last
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
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.
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
Prime Rib, Friday and Saturday Evening
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
A Lamb Lovers Delight, Saturday Nights
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
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!
|
| On Special This Week | |
Thai Peanut Chicken Lollipops
Artichokes
Wellfleet Oysters on the Half Shell Served With Mignonette
Green Goddess Chicken Salad
Panini Sandwich with Portobello Mushrooms, Ricotta Salata, Kalamata Olive Tapenade, Arugula and Tomato
Italian Tuna Salad Sandwich
Great Lakes Whitefish
Grilled Pork Porterhouse
Buccatini Alla' Amatriciana
Sauteed Broccolini and Carnival Cauliflower
|
| 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 is made with the juice by-product of sugar refining?
2. What was designated as a vegetable to help make budget cuts in the school lunch program during the Raegan era?
3. What square-shaped, long-strand pasta is traditionally cut on a frame strung with wire, like a guitar?
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 cutting tool is made of piano wire? CHEESE WIRE
2. What is another name for a service plate? A CHARGER
3. What is Thailand's well-known rice noodle dish of tofu, shrimp, crushed peanuts, bean sprouts, garlic, chiles, and eggs? PAD THAI
Last weeks winner of the free lunch ........ Debbie Hennigan
|
|
|
|
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
|
You can read all of our past UPtown UPdates by clicking the link below.
UPtown UPdate Archives |
|
|
Email Policy
|
Uptown respects your privacy and will not sell or distribute your personal information.
|
|
|
|
