Watch the Fireworks from our Patio! 

By Ryan

Our hours for the Fourth of July weekend will be:

Friday and Saturday - 11am to 11pm

Sunday July 3rd - 12pm until 10pm   

Monday July 4th - 4pm to 10pm

Our Monday night special of Steak Diane will be available as always.

All American ~ Made in the U.S.A 

By Jim 

In preparing our cheese sampler each month, we have enjoyed some amazing cheeses from all over the world. This weeks is a little more special though. We proudly display our American heritage and country's cheesemaking skills by putting on an "All American Cheese Sampler". Each cheese listed below is amazing in both texture and flavor and you can enjoy each bite knowing it was "made in the U.S.A."

1. CRAVE LES FRERES FARMSTEAD CHEESE
Les Freres, or "the brothers", is a soft ripened washed rind cheese developed by George Crave in Wisconsin. His inspiration came from the French St. Nectaire, but it truly has its own character. Type: PASTEURIZED COW'S MILK.

2. RENY PICOT MANTORO MICHIGAN MANCHEGO A slightly piquant cheese with a tingly flavor finish on the tongue (hard pressed, double creme, pasteurized cow's milk, vegetable rennet) Interior of the product is a golden crumbly paste with very small holes. Type: PASTEURIZED COW'S MILK.

3. SARTORI BELLAVITANO GOLD This Wisconsin made cheese has a unique texture and quality, reminiscent of an Italian-style Grana cheese crossed with a Cheddar. It is sweet and fruity in flavor. Type: PASTEURIZED COW'S MILK.

4. WIDMER CHEDDAR
Colorful cheddar made at Widmer Cheese Cellars in Wisconsin, aged for four years giving it a sharp creamy flavor and a long delicious finish. Easy to pair with beer, wine or other spirits like Scotch. Type: AMERICAN CHEDDARS.

5. ROTH BUTTERMILK BLUE AFFINÉEFrom Roth kase, Wisconsin comes this specially ripened blue cheese. The high butterfat content gives the cheese a rich buttery quality and the extra aging provides a smooth texture and pronounced blue bite. Type: RAW JERSEY COW'S MILK.

Strozzapreti Pasta and Mozzarella Pearls 

By Ryan

Strozzapreti pasta is one of my favorite noodles. I discovered this noodle while dining in Oakbrook and knew we had to get it on our menu. Fortunately, we were able to find this through our import supplier. It is perfect for a nice light summer sauce. This weeks special pasta begins with a light, white wine and shallot broth in which the strozzapreti, almost with the texture of a gnocchi, soaks right up. We add shiitake mushrooms, grape tomato and arugula. To finish the dish, it is topped with tiny little balls of pearl mozzarella. The texture of the pearl mozzarella and the strozzapreti melt in your mouth. The combination of flavors in this dish makes it the perfect summer time pasta. It's not often you see strozzapreti pasta, especially with this mixture of ingredients.  

Where did strozzapreti pasta come from? Obviously of Italian origin, specifically the Romagna region, strozzapreti literally means "priest choker." The legend has it that a religious rebellion suffered under Papal rule took place between the 13th and 19th century. Being that stozzapreti has a doughy dumpling like texture and short twisted appearance similar to rope, it was said that housewives during this time would cook the pasta for local priests. The housewives' hope was that the priests would choke to death as they greedily ate their dinner. Clearly this region of Italy would show its anticlericalism. There is another legend that claims housewives would make this dish for priests as payment for land or rent. This was to anger husbands of the region so much that they would go as far as wishing the priests would choke on their meals. 

Our Latest Delivery of Goodies

By Jim

Each week, Chef Chris and Ray get together to discuss new ideas that we would like to experiment with and then put on the menu. In putting together our specials everyday, we try to find things that you probably won't see on other menus around the area. This is what we think makes us unique. Each meeting involves sharing ideas, menu clippings, newsletter articles or trade magazine articles on different food items. Some ideas may be from something we have already done, but now have added one new item to make it a bit more interesting. Most are things that I have never heard of, which always makes this industry more fun to be involved with. Ray and Chris each have their own ideas on what could make each dish come together. Now the shopping list is complete. When it comes time for ordering, every month we deal strictly with an import house that gives us access to all of those new and interesting products that are popular amongst other restaurants and specialty stores in bigger cities. We have always strived to share new items that we come across with all of our customers. The day the delivery order comes is always an interesting day. While unloading the order, you can always hear, "what is this, what are we going to do with that, what does this taste like, and a lot of ooooo's and aaaahhh's." Well this past week was another one of those days.  

Here are a few things that you will find included in some way on our menu this month.

Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese, made from mozzarella and cream. The outer shell is solid mozzarella while the inside contains both mozzarella and cream, giving it a unique soft texture. It is usually served fresh, at room temperature. The name "burrata" means "buttered" in Italian. The cheese has a rich, buttery flavor, and retains its fresh milkiness.

Black Forest Prosciutto - This German prosciutto has to fulfil strict stipulations in its curing process. It is salted and seasoned by hand with century old recipes. Its mild, smoky flavor and hearty taste will simply melt in your mouth.

Osso Bucco - These extremely tender veal shanks are braised with vegetables, white wine, and a broth. These go over extremely well. There seems to be a strong following for these once they go on the menu.

Fresh Mozzarella Curd - It is getting to be around that time of year to start seeing fresh garden tomatoes. With that, the perfect combination, fresh mozzarella. The entire process is done here in house. We order the mozzarella as the curd and pull it here. This process allows it to be the freshest possible.

Salemville Smokehaus Bleu Cheese - This Wisconsin made Amish bleu is creamy and rich in texture with a deep, smoky flavor.  

5 Worst Beach Body Foods 

By Nikki

A lot of people in society today are trying to lose or maintain a healthy weight. Between what you do at work and finding time to go to the gym, eating healthy isn't usually the first thing that will pop into someones mind. It's an ongoing battle that many people are trying to work with to get rid of extra body fat. I'm not too much of a health freak myself, but I do like to pig out on occasion.

With it being summer, many people are self-conscious about their appearance in a bathing suit. When I read the article I have attached, I was shocked to see what the author, David Zinczenko, found to be the five top worst foods for a beach-goer. There are various reasons for each one which I found very interesting and never thought about. Working out and eating healthy will give you a good beach body, but many snacks and drinks can make your body feel uncomfortable and can even cause bloating. The worst part about it was number five on the list is something I drink almost every day..

5. Worst Drink - Diet Coke

4. Worst Snack - Broccoli with Ranch Dressing

3. Worst Dessert - Russell Stover's Sugar Free Toffee Squares 

2. Worst Dinner - Stouffer's Skillets Easy Express Broccoli & Beef

1. Worst Smoothie - Smoothie King The Hulk Strawberry

Click Here to Read Why These Five are the Worst 

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. 

From Jim - Burrata Mozzarella, Prosciutto and Fig Bruschetta - Wow, what a combination!! This weeks featured appetizer has such a wonderful flavor combination. Sweet, sour, salt, spice and the smoothness of mozzarella go extremely well together. We have taken toasted pane bigio bread and topped it with prosciutto, fresh burrata mozzarella, honey, arugula, balsamic cream and fresh figs. Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese, made from mozzarella and cream. It has a unique soft texture. This is not your typical bruschetta. Come experience a different and extremely flavorful way of Italian bruschetta.

From Courtne (Uptown server) - Roasted Lamb and Arugula Flatbread Salad - Leave it to us to take classic Mediterranean flavors and serve them with fresh, summertime flair!  This salad is reminisent of old school Greek cuisine, yet served in a slightly deconstructed form. Tasty flatbread is the vehicle for our roasted lamb and feta cheese. Topped with fresh arugula and roma tomatoes that have been tossed in balsamic vinegar and olive oil, this funky salad is served with tzatziki sauce and finished with fresh red onion for the extra zip. Experience the Greek Isles without ever leaving home!  Add our saganaki as a starter and you'll be dancing like Zorba in the aisles! Opah!  

From Aly - Berry Tartini - I would like to unveil another spectacular drink special we are currently offering, the Berry Tartini. Our very own manager, Andrew, has created this drink using UV Blue Vodka, Triple Sec, cranberry juice, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. This drink without a doubt is one of our most frequently ordered martini's right now. I love this drink because of its balance of tartness from the lemon and cranberry juice and the sweet raspberry flavored vodka. The perfect harmony of sweet and tart seen in this drink creates a wonderful combination that I think you will all love. The Berry Tartini is shaken on ice, served in a chilled sugar rimmed martini glass and garnished with a lemon. So come in and try our Berry Tartini it would be perfect for a girls night out or any night for that matter!

appetizers

all american artisanal cheese sampler
1. Crave Les Freres Farmstead Cheese

2.  Reny Picot Mantoro Michigan Manchego

3. Sartori Bellavitano Gold

4. Widmer Cheddar  

5. Roth Buttermilk Blue Affinee  

6. Sap Sago, Switzerland. serves 2 to 4 people 19.75

fresh fig and prosciutto bruschetta with burrata mozzarella

 fresh fig, proscuitto, fresh burrata mozzarella,

honey, arugula, balsamic cream, and olive oil on

toasted pane bigio bread with cracked black pepper   10.25

oysters on the half shell

beavertail oysters from narragansett bay, rhode island.

medium to large size with a sweet bold buttery flavor.

served with a mignonette   11.75

salad 

roasted lamb and arugula flatbread salad
roasted lamb, feta cheese, roma tomato, kalamata olive and  

arugula tossed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil over grilled

flat bread served with tzatsiki sauce   13.50

sandwich

mesculyn salad & panini sandwich combo

black kassel salami, 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

entrees  

infused chicken
two six ounce butter garlic infused chicken breasts served with

creole sauce and our seasoned rice blend 13.75

grilled mahi mahi
grilled mahi mahi filet with strawberry mango chutney  

and black pepper cous cous 19.75 

fish tacos

three soft flour tortillas filled with blackened mahi mahi strips,

lime aioli, avocado-mango and pineapple chutney, spicy  

adobo red pepper sauce and shredded cabbage   8.75 

strozzapreti pasta with fresh mozzarella pearls and shiitake mushrooms

strozzapreti pasta tossed iwth fresh mozzarella pearls,  

sauteed shiitake mushrooms, arugula and grape tomatoes  

in a white wine and shallot broth  15.75

grilled seafood kabobs

grilled yellowfin tuna, sea scallop, and black tiger shrimp kabobs

served with wehani rice pilaf and vegetable sautee with pancetta   22.75  

osso bucco 

braised veal shank over flageolet beans with a sweet vermouth veal demi glaze.

served with roasted baby carrots. 23.50 

side

sauteed vegetable blend with pancetta
broccolini, zucchini, yellow squash, celery, onion, and carrots  

sauteed with pancetta in white wine and sweet plugra butter 5.75