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Area Tourism
Jazz Fest and Burgoo
By Ryan
 This weekend will feature a couple of events that draw quite the tourism crowd, and for good reason. The first event is the LaSalle Jazz Festival. The Jazz Festival will take place from 3pm to 10pm in downtown LaSalle on Saturday evening. There will be live Jazz music along with wine tastings from area vendors and even a nice selection of microbrews. The weather forecast for this weekend is beautiful and our sidewalk cafe will be available for appetizers and drinks or the full dining experience. Try to get a seat late for the fireworks show that will conclude Jazz Fest. We hope to see you downtown LaSalle.
On Sunday, Utica will host it's annual Burgoo Festival. I often wondered what Burgoo really was and where it originated. Burgoo originated in Kentucky in 1810. Kentucky is known as the real Burgoo capital of America. Click here to hear the burgoo song.
 Burgoo is ultimately a stew made out of meats and vegetables and everyone seems to have their own recipe. Usually it is cooked outside in iron kettles over open flames. The oxford english dictionary suggests that "Burgoo was originally a thin gruel or porridge made by sailors in the 17th century. The name came from "bulghur" a form of parched crushed wheat, and "ragout," a French word for a well-seasoned stew.
Some Kentucky burgoo experts like to use mutton, beef or chicken in their burgoo, while others like to use wild game such as squirrel or pheasant. When the recipe for burgoo is finalized, it more than likely will never be shared. While it seems that everyone has a different recipe for Burgoo, most burgoo experts agree that a good burgoo should be thick, but still soupy, which is why burgoo can take so long to prepare. The soup needs time to naturally thicken.
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Behind the Bar
New Reisling By the Glass
By Jim
 Over the course of the next few weeks, there will be some new additions to our wines by the glass. Not that there is anything wrong with what we have, it is just time for change. This week, Carl Graff Reising is our new white wine by the glass. Graff is from the Mosel River Valley region of Germany. This region is known as one of the best areas in the world to grow the reisling grape. Its steep south facing slopes and stony slate soil provides the perfect conditions for the vines growth. Cool late summer nights allowed for slower maturation of the grapes and really bring forward the body of this reisling. A good German reisling is like no other reisling in the world. 60% of the regions vines are those of the reisling grape. They are also considered some of the most labor intense vineyards due to is steep slope, requiring 7 times more man hours to harvest the grapes. A characteristic of all Mosel wines is their high acidity and clearly defined flavor. Carl Graff was founded in 1860 and aquired by P.J. Valckenberg in 1969. Valckenberg is the oldest family owned wine merchant in Germany. They aquire and bottle the wine and distribute all over the world. This reisling is true to all the Mosel River characteristics. If you like sweet, light bodied white wine, this is the one for you. This wine would make an excellent accompaniment to our Oktoberfest meal. Serving Sunday through Thursday after 4 p.m .make sure you compliment all there is to offer on the dish with this wonderful German reislings.
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On Special
Oktoberfest
 On special right now we have our famous Oktoberfest dinner. We will serve Oktoberfest Sunday through Thursday after 4pm, while supplies last! Our Oktoberfest 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. We also offer a wurstsalat salad. To help celebrate the Oktoberfest we also have Bitburger Pilsener (the #1 draft pilsener in Germany), Hofbrauhaus Hefe Weizen beer.
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"Burger Me" Thursday
Burger and a Beer for only 10 Bucks!
 "Phillies Burger"
Available all day every Thursday, we will be offering an enticing and different gourmet burger along with any beer for just $10. This is correct, any beer, including our selection of 10 microbrews!
This week, our gourmet half pound burger is topped with Philadelphia cream cheese, sauteed onion, and green and red pepper.
Available all day Thursday, October 6th
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Three Things to Try
 By Nikki - Housemade Apple Strudel - This week you should try our housemade apple strudel. It is perfectly baked with delicious caramelized apples. It's flavor is outstanding and not too sugary. It isn't your everyday apple strudel on the grocery store shelf. Whether you are just stopping in for dessert or coming in for dinner, this apple strudel will satisfy your taste buds.
 By Jim - Wurstsalat - As posted in last week's newsletter, this week we start our annual Oktoberfest meal. Although, the plate is very good. The one thing that I most look forward to this time of year, is the Wurstsalat Salad. This is a German salad that consists of knackwurst (German garlic sausage) tossed in a mustard vinaigrette. It is served over a bed of boston bib lettuce with hard boiled eggs, grape tomatoes, red onion and fresh roasted beets. I am not normally one to eat beets, but this salad combination can not go without them. If it was up to me, I would like to have that mustard vinaigrette dressing on our menu. The perfect tang. Next time you are in, give this German traditional salad a try.
 By Aly - Chocolate Martini - Don't skip out on our specialty dessert drinks. Try our chocolate martini. It has absolut vodka, godiva dark and white chocolate liqueurs served in a frosted martini glass with swirls of chocolate syrup. It has a perfect mixture so it's not too chocolaty. This drink reminds me of the chocolate milk I used to drink when I was a kid at my grandparents, but you could call this one the "grown up" version. |
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"Not Your Everyday Specials"
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.
 Fish Taco Tuesdays
Every Tuesday, we will be serving fish tacos. The taco includes panko breaded tilapia, red cabbage, chipotle mayonnaise, and a mango salsa. They will be served with corn chips and adobo sauce. Available for dine in and carryout. 3 for $6.75 or 2.50 each.
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.
Burger Me Thursday- "Phillies Burger"
Each week we change our bizarre burger and serve it all day with any beer in house for only $10.00! This week we are doing the "Sausage Burger". This Thursday, October 6th, we will be offering our gourmet half pound burger topped with Philadelphia cream cheese, sauteed onion, and green and red peppers.
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 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 alto shaam. It is served with au jus, mushrooms and your choice of side dish. Available in 12oz or 16oz
 Boneless Pork Loin, Saturday Nights
Saturday night after 4pm we will be serving a slow roasted boneless pork loin. It will be served with our mashed potato of the day, our special vegetable of the week and a bourbon demi glaze. All for $16.75
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!
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On Special This Week appetizers artisanal cheese sampler 1. Life Prov St. Paulin (France) 2. Garrotxa Muntanyola De Cabra (Spain) 3. Amber Valley Wendlseydale Cranberry (England) 4. Pinna Brigante (Italy) 5. Bleu D'Auvergne (France) 6. Sap Sago, Switzerland. serves 2 to 4 people 19.75 oysters on the half shell
blackberry point oysters from northwest coast of prince
edward island, canada. clean, crisp medium to large size.
initial mild sweetness with medium to high salty finish. served
with a mignonette 11.75 wurstsalat
one of our oktoberfest favorites. knackwurst (german garlic
sausage) tossed in a mustard vinaigrette and served with hard
boiled eggs, roasted fresh beets, grape tomatoes and red
onion over boston bibb lettuce 7.25 salad asian chicken chop salad
grilled teryiaki chicken breast, pineapple, snow peas, water
chestnut and red bell peppers tossed with fresh chives, basil,
cilantro, napa cabbage, romaine, sesame seed and fried
wontons.plum vinaigrette 12.50 sandwich mesculyn salad & panini sandwich combo
raisin river ham, aged gruyere cheese and stone ground
mustard. served with a mesculyn, walnut and gorgonzola
salad. balsamic vinaigrette dressing 10.75 with cup of soup
of the day 12.25 pasta spinach and chicken radiatore
grilled butter garlic marinated chicken breast with sundried
tomato, sauteed spinach, toasted almonds, and shallot.
served in white wine cream sauce. 15.75 steak top sirloin with oyster mushrooms
applewood bacon wrapped top sirloin with sauteed oyster
mushrooms. served with red potato and balsamic glazed
brussel sprouts with bacon and shallot 19.75 chicken infused chicken
two six ounce butter garlic infused chicken breasts served with
a dijon cream sauce and our seasoned rice blend 13.75 seafood blackened amberjack
blackened amberjack filet served with drawn butter, wild rice
pilaf and steamed mixed vegetables 18.75 dessert housemade apple strudel
served with sislers french vanilla ice cream 4.75 chocolate cream pear crostata
rich chocolate cake covered with chocolate cream and pears.
served with sislers french vanilla ice cream 6.25
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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. Where is Pike Place Market - founded in 1907 to connect farmers with consumers and today attracting 10 million visitors a year?
2. That "Cuban" drink made popular by Ernest Hemingway, is said to have been invented in 1896 by an American working in Cuba?
3. What Chinese, star-shaped, dried-fruit spice is a key ingredient in Tamiflu, a drug that lessens the severity of avian flu?
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 weeks questions and answers...
1. What is the Japanese name for immature green soy beans? EDAMAME
2. What processed corn was a staple of the Native American diet and, when ground, is called grits? HOMINY
3. What cow's-milk blue cheese is named for a town outside Milan, Italy? GORGONZOLA
Last weeks winner of the free lunch ....... Rick Mason
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Uptown Grill
601 First St.
La Salle, IL 61301
815-224-4545
Monday - Thursday
11AM -10PM
Friday - Saturday
11 AM - 11PM
Sunday
12PM - 10PM
uptowngrill.com
Uptown respects your privacy and will not sell or distribute your personal information.
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