summer header
June 15th, 2011
Uptown Wedding

Congratulations to Jim and Trisha! 

By Ryan

 

Jim and TrishaLast week we had a pair of Uptown employees tie the knot. We are proud to announce the marriage of Jimmy Lannen and Trisha Battaglia. Both of them have been valued employees for many years, with Trisha at least 7 years and Jimmy being here since he was 16 years old. Jimmy and Trisha have two beautiful daughters, Ava and Ella and were married on their annual Florida family vacation, which they turned into their destination wedding this year. They will host a reception for their friends and family upon their return. 

 

 

Trisha, Ava, Ella, JimTheir wedding got me to thinking of other Uptown employee weddings and there is only one that comes to mind, Shannon and Dave Bartley. They were both employees here when we were next door. They married and then opened their own restaurant together, Bartley's.  

All of us at the Uptown are very happy for you both and wish you nothing but love and happiness in your future. I just can't quite finish this article without saying, it's been a long time coming!

 

Behind the Bar

RumChata

By Andrew

 

rumchataWith the mass amount of new flavored spirits and liqueurs coming out seemingly everyday, it's not very often that I actually get excited about them anymore. When I saw a new beverage called RumChata come through our doors, I knew that it would be either really bad, or really really good. Well it turns out, this stuff is fantastic! It is made with premium Caribbean rum, and real Spanish horchata. Horchata is a beverage made with rice, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and either cream or water. In this case, the horchata is made with cream. If you've never had horchata, I would describe its flavor as something like a creamy chai tea. RumChata is great on the rocks by itself and it's also very fun to mix with. This stuff is so versatile. Our favorite creation so far is a martini inspired by our banana's foster. It's made with of course RumChata, banana liqueur, and caramel. The flavor is reminiscent of the dessert that inspired it, but think lighter and cleaner. It is as drinkable as water, but packs an incredible amount of unique flavor. This drink is for everyone. It's not too strong, it's not too sweet, it's not just for girls, or just for guys. You really should come in and try this out. Oh, and do we really garnish this martini with housemade caramelized bananas? Why yes. Yes we do!  

 

Behind the Line

It's Too Hot to Cook 

By Ray 

 

The kitchen at 78 degrees

With the advent of the hot weather last week, we start to hear the phrase "It's too hot to cook". This leads me to ponder what happens in our restaurant when it gets hot.

Once the weather gets hot outside, many people change their eating habits. Most people don't want to heat up their kitchens and even less want to stand over a hot grill. We notice a spike in business in the early evenings and then again mid-evenings on hot, humid days. Once it gets over 95 degrees, we beef up the schedule to accommodate these diners.

When we see it coming, we also will add a cold soup as an option. I must say we really have some great cold soups. We also adjust our salad and pasta specials to reflect something lighter and cooler. We don't want to cook either, well as little as possible anyway. Customers will definitely order the lighter specials we offer and most of them are pretty hot sellers.  

 

The compressor room at 84 degrees

 

One thing puzzles me, mainly because I am cold blooded. I would rather sit on the patio or side walk when it is 65 degrees out. Over the years we have noticed, for most of our customers, the optimum patio temperature is 80 to 85 degrees. Something new we are adding this year is roll out awnings over our sidewalk tables. They are supposed to be installed this week in fact. We hope this will help to keep the sun off of these tables and keep the heat down. The sidewalk is open and ready for dining now.

As far as our staff and the heat, the cooks are the ones that bear the brunt of it. We have the ability to pump outside air in the kitchen to offset the heat of our cooking equipment. We also have air conditioning in the kitchen but with as much heat as is produced with our cooking equipment and refrigeration, it is always a balancing act. Do you pump in the humid outside air or do you try and keep the air exchange to an absolute minimum? When the temperature hits 95 degrees, we can usually keep it around 80 degrees in most of the kitchen. Unless you are standing in front of the grill which is unbearable. I don't know how the guys get through some busy nights when it is so hot.

I mentioned the heat output of our refrigeration. Most people do sidewalk tablesnot realize how much heat they can produce. We have about 25 different coolers and compressors in the building. Together they put out so much heat that we do not need to heat the kitchen or parts of the building until the outside air gets below 10 degrees.

Another thing that is really hard for us in the summer is just keeping all the refrigeration and ice machines running properly. The humidity makes the coils in the coolers ice up. You need to have a refrigeration repair person ready at all times. When it is hot, it is not unusual to have to call them 3 or 4 times a week. Last week we had a walk-in freezer down for almost the whole week. It is a good thing we have 2 walk-in freezers.

So don't sweat it! When "it's too hot to cook," remember us.

 

Grilling Tips

Steaks on the Grill 

By Ryan 

 

grillWith the first official day of summer about a week away, we thought it would be a good time to give some tips for grilling out. Cooking on the grill is really an art. Things go wrong quickly and a meal can easily be ruined so here are a few tips to try and make your grilling experience a little more relaxing. 

 

The first tip is to cook your meal on the right temperature. Well, what is the right temperature? Basically, all you can do is cook over high heat, medium heat or low heat and there is a way to check this without a temperature gauge. Hold your hand 2 to 3 inches above the grill when you think it is ready. If you can hold your hand there for two seconds you have a hot grill, three to four seconds and you have a medium hot grill, and five seconds or longer and you have a low heat on your grill. Usually the recipe you are cooking with will let you know what type of heat to cook over.

steakLets say you are cooking steaks. What you want to do next is to oil your grates. Skip the Pam spray! Lightly oil a cooking or kitchen rag. Rub that rag over the grill grates and this will prevent your food from sticking to the grates. Once the grates are oiled, you can place your meat over the hot spot on your grill to get a nice sear on your steak. The thing to remember here is that you are not cooking your meat in this spot, you are simply establishing grill marks. Place the food at a forty-five degree angle to the direction of the grill rods. Allow to sear for two minutes maintaining a high level of heat. After two minutes rotate the food 90 degrees (or 1/4 turn from the original position). Allow to sear for an additional two minutes. After that flip the food over, and cook the other side to maintain an even heat distribution. You may repeat the procedure if you wish, but only one side will be facing up when you serve it. After you have seared your meat, you can transfer it to the cooler side of the grill with a lower heat, close the lid and finish cooking.

When cooking large quantities of food on the grill, you will not have a lot of room to operate. You can always start with a hot grill, get a nice sear on your meats, put them on the top shelf of the grill and turn down the heat. This will serve the same purpose as moving your steak from the hot side to the cool side. Happy grilling.


Watch this video to help teach you how to tell when your steak is done

Article with a few more grill tips for veggies and sauces

Watch this video for a visual on grilling out

 

Celebrate at the Uptown!

Happy Father's Day 

By Nikki

 

number one dadThe first observance of Father's Day was in Fairmont, West Virginia on July 5, 1908. This celebration was forgotten until 1972, when one of the people that attended the celebration saw Nixon's proclamation of Father's Day, and worked to recover its legacy. Fairmont is now promoted as the "Home of the First Father's Day Service". The celebration is now held every year to honor our fathers. It is celebrated not just in the United States, but in many other countries all over the world. So don't forget about the fathers! Father's Day is coming up on this Sunday, June 19th. Celebrate by bringing your father here to eat, or purchase him a gift card to enjoy a night out to dinner. Call to make a reservation at 815-224-4545. 

 

Three Things to Try

3things to try

Here are three things picked by our staff, the people who know our menus the best, that they think stand out from the more than 500 items you will find on our food and drink menu. 

 

 

blt chop saladFrom Nikki - BLT Club Chop Salad - What's better than a nice "summery" BLT sandwich? The answer is.. a BLT sandwich in a bowl! On special right now, we brought our BLT club shop salad back. This salad includes fresh romaine lettuce tossed with smoked turkey, applewood smoked bacon, grape tomatoes, and green onions.The toasted pane bigio bread also gives this salad a nice touch. Bacon can make anything taste good, so wait until you try this dressing. The absolute best part of this salad is the applewood smoked bacon dressing. It makes this salad irresistable. It's almost like it's not even a salad. You probably could split it between three people for how big the salad really is. 

 

 

peach belliniFrom Aly- Peach Bellini - I would like to inform all of you that we have recently added some new speciality drinks and cocktails to our menu and they're spectacular! The one in particular that I would like to share with you is our Peach Bellini which is my personal favorite. The Peach Bellini that we have all come to know and love originated from Venice, Italy. This light and refreshing beverage was created by Giuseppe Cipriani at his very own establishment called Harry's Bar. The Bellini first made its appearance sometime between 1934 and 1948. It has been said that Ernest Hemingway was a popular fixture at Harry's Bar in which he frequently drank Bellini's there. Traditionally the Peach Bellini was consumed during celebratory situations and gatherings thus making it one of the most popular drinks in Italy. The Peach Bellini consists of peach puree and champagne and is great on any occasion. Our Peach Bellini truly stands out from the rest because we make our peach puree here using fresh peaches (you wont find a puree like ours at the grocery store or a puree using canned peaches). This drink is best served chilled in a champagne glass and gently stirred. The other day I had a bar customer order our Peach Bellini and she said it was the best one she has had since visiting Venice. Based on her testimony, I encourage all of you to come in and try a piece of Italy!  

 


jalepeno poppers 

 

 

From Kim - Jalepeno Poppers - The weather is heating up and so is our kitchen! One of our specials this week is homemade jalape�o poppers. Chef Chris cut and stuffed the peppers with crab meat and cream cheese, they are then lightly battered and deep fried. Served on top of a bed of lettuce, pico de gallo, and accompanied by Uptown's housemade salsa, this special is one you won't want to miss.  

 

Not Your "Everyday" Specials
steak diane
Monday Nights, Steak Diane


Every Monday after 4 pm, we will be serving Steak Diane for $14.75. This will be just like the Red Door Inn. With Victor's stamp of approval.


 
weinerstzleWienerschnitzel 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.

seafood trio
Friday Nights, Seafood Mixed Grill


4 oz broiled lobster tail with drawn butter, 4 oz cod filet
with basil cream, and 4 oz whitefish parmesan with lemon caper butter. All for only $19.75


  


Prime Rib, Friday and SaturdayPrime Rib 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 alto shaam. It is served with au jus, mushrooms and your choice  of side dish. Available in 12oz $19.75 or 16oz $22.75


fajitas
Sunday, All Day, 
Sizzling Fajita and Margaritas

You get a chicken fajita with a 64 ounce pitcher of margaritas, perfect for a relaxing Sunday! Serves 2 for $20!



On Special This Week

 

appetizers

artisanal cheese sampler
1. Castelinhos (Portugal) 2. Pinna Brigante (Italy) 3. Soignon Buche Goat Log (France) 4. Idiazabal, sheep cheese (Navarra-Spain) 5. Life Prov Velours Bleu (France) 6. Sap Sago, Switzerland. serves 2 to 4 people 19.75

jalapeno poppers
lightly battered jalapeno peppers stuffed with crab meat and cream cheese. served with uptown salsa 8.25

salad

blt club chop salad
chunks of toasted warm pane bigio bread, smoked turkey, applewood smoked bacon, grape tomatoes and green onions tossed with romaine. applewood smoked bacon dressing 13.50

sandwich

mesculyn salad & panini sandwich combo
sopressata, roasted red peppers, provolone cheese and arugula pesto. served with a mesculyn, walnut and gorgonzola salad. balsamic vinaigrette dressing 10.75 with cup of soup of the day 12.25

flat iron steak sandwich
garlic and herb marinated flat iron steak topped with salemville bleu cheese and caramelized onions. served open face on multi-grain bread with lettuce, tomato and fried potato wedges 11.75

entrees

orange roughy oscar
broiled orange roughy filet with lump crabmeat, roasted asparagus and hollandaise sauce. served over wehani rice pilaf 21.75

infused chicken
two six ounce butter garlic chicken breasts served with white wine cream sauce and our seasoned rice blend 13.75

grilled pork filet
6 oz. pork filet grilled and served over polenta with a shiitake mushroom and black garlic demi glaze. served with fresh corn, carrots, broccoli, bell peppers, onions and celery sauteed with white wine and sweet plugra butter 16.75

capellini and clams
one pound of whole clams in a lemon, shallot, wine broth tossed with fresh thyme and angelhair pasta. 15.75

side

corn sautee
corn, carrots, broccoli, bell peppers, onions and celery sauteed with white wine and sweet plugra butter 5.75

dessert

blueberry pie ala mode
housemade blueberry pie, served with sisler's french vanilla ice cream 5.75 

 

 

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Win A Free Lunch
Foodie Fight Contest 

 

foodie fight
  
Each week in the newsletter we will ask three 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 lunch. The winner has to have the exact answer for all three 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 carnival treat has been showing up with grown-up flavors as a dessert and as a condiment for savory dishes in restaurants from New York City to Seattle?
 
2. What is the name of a Cuban table sauce made of olive oil, garlic, lime juice, cumin, and other spices?
 
3. What did Sylvan N. Goldman invent in the 1930s that boosted grocery store sales?
  
 
Email your answers to [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 weeks questions and answers...

1. What vegetable are Amish Deer Tongue, Grandpa Admire's, and Tennis Ball?  LETTUCE (HEIRLOOM VARIETIES)

2. What is the name of Wolfgang Puck's fine-dining restaurants in Beverly Hills, Las Vegas, Maui, and Palo Alto?   SPAGO

3. What fruit is believed to have inspired Sir Isaac Newton's Law of Gravity?  THE APPLE

Last weeks winner of the free lunch ....... Mary Kramer

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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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