Wednesday, October 19th  

Local Halloween Horror 

Creepiest Places 

By Ryan

As Halloween approaches, I thought it might be interesting to explore some of the area's urban legends. I was able to come across a few top 10 lists of Illinois horror. They are very interesting and worth a read. Some of the places, cemeteries and roads are very near here or right in our backyard. A few of the top scary places happen to be right in our area. Some in Spring Valley and then one right outside of Oswego.  

I've always been a bit afraid of the Massock Mausoleum in Spring Valley and have no personal account of any ghostly occurrences. However, my cousin and I did initiate my new brother-in-law several years ago. When he first began dating my sister we forced him to touch the door of the mausoleum. Welcome to the family Mike. He reported nothing of note. Then there is "Help Me" road which I believe is more in DePue than it is Spring Valley, but nonetheless, I remember several high school nights of driving up and down the road looking for those two words all the while having the hair on the back of my neck stand up. So if you have some free time and are in or out of the area, take a look at some of the places on the lists and put them in your travel plans as Halloween is just around the corner.

The Massock Mausoleum in tiny Lithuanian Liberty Cemetery has long been the focus of local curiosity. Visitors have brought back stories of a "hatchet man" that guards the graveyard. The mausoleum itself is said to be warm to the touch and the scene of animal sacrifice. Red paint is spattered on the door, which has been sealed with concrete ever since the late 1960s when two vandals stole a skull from one of the Massock brothers. The Massock brothers' mansion was located in the woods nearby, but was torn down in the late 1980s. Local teenagers used to refer to it as the "Hatchet Man's House." Rosemary Ellen Guiley, in her book "The Complete Vampire Companion", related the story of several men who encountered a "gaunt, pale figure," in the cemetery at night. Fearing for their lives, they shot at the figure and ran. Later, a reporter who had heard about the men's strange encounter came to the cemetery and poured holy water into a vent in the mausoleum, which produced a groaning sound. 

Similar to Spring Valley's "Help Me" Road, Cherry Road outside of Oswego is said to have been the scene of a tragic accident. While predominantly straight, there is a sharp, 90 degree angle toward the end of the road. A young couple allegedly wrecked their car after prom while taking that curve too fast. The boy crawled from the wreckage and wrote "help" in his own blood on the pavement. His girlfriend's ghost can be seen at the bend. Over the years, local teens have painted "help" on the road with red spray paint.

Different Uses of Teas  

By Jimmy  

Did you know you could clean wood floors and polish furniture with tea? How about tenderizing meat or soothing acne? We are talking about tea here, you know the herbs that you need to steep in hot water to drink. I would have never thought it. What else can tea do? Lately, there seems to be more and more uses being found for this herbal product. I stumbled upon the link below and found some of the uses interesting. Maybe some of you have your own uses.

 

Many places that you go out to eat offer tea on their menu, however, most of them offer packaged tea bags. They also most likely only have 2 or 3 selections. A pretty standard regular or decaf. We feel our tea selection sets us apart. Our love of tea starts with us dealing with a small coffee and tea import house. By dealing with them, we get the freshest available. No middle man that stores it in a warehouse for months. We also offer loose leaf tea. You will not see any packaged tea here. Loose leaf tea is a much better product that brings out so much more flavor. We all know that really hot water is needed to brew a good tea. We serve ours in a cast iron tea pot that allows for your tea to steep at very hot temperatures. Let it brew for a few minutes, pour only what you like, let the rest continue to steep.

The health benefits of loose leaf tea are infinite. Each tea offers different ways to improve your health. The fall season brings the chill in the air and nothing warms you up better than a warm cup of tea. Ask your server to see our hot tea list, I am sure you will find one that you will like. Choose from: earl grey, english breakfast, jasmine green, darjeeling, spiced chai, pumpkin chai, acai-wulong, strawberry white, peppermint and we offer the standard regular and decaf. We continue to bring in a new flavor each year as well. Let me tell you, I think our UPS driver makes us the last stop of his day whenever we get our monthly tea and coffee order. The wonderful aromas fill any room.

15 New Uses for Tea

Food Terms 

"Artisan"

By Ryan

Artisan means a handcrafted product, usually made by a single source in small quantities. At least that's what the word used to mean.

Well how then, can Domino's have artisan pizza's, Wendy's an artisan egg sandwich, Starbuck's an artisan breakfast sandwich and how can Panera now claim to be an artisan fast food chain.? What in the name of artisan is going on around here? Really, artisan fast food?


Please, do not let these chains fool you. It would be nearly impossible for a large chain corporation to use artisan product at the volume that they do business. The chief marketing officer of Domino's recently said that their artisan pizzas are pizzas that customers can have a bottle of wine with. Sure, but does that make it artisan? These chains are diluting the term artisan and offending those restaurants and individuals that serve and create artisan product. 

If artisan is what you want, then we have what can truly be defined as artisan. Look no further than our cheese sampler, something that actually goes well with a bottle of wine. Currently on our cheese sampler are cheeses from France, Italy, England and Spain. Probably made by one person who's been doing it for 40 years in a small cave that's hard to find. Put all these cheeses with various nuts, fruits, breads and crackers and you will discover the essence of artisan.

Food products described as artisan go mainstream 

Attend Midnight Mansion Tours

Hegeler Carus Mansion

By Nikki        

The Hegeler Carus Mansion is offering two more late night tours of the mansion. Reservations are required for these tours and tour sizes are limited, so please call and reserve your spot ahead of time. Tickets will not be available at the door and they are $10 per person. When I think of mansions around this time of the year, I think they seem very creepy due to how large they are. Plus, just thinking about walking around an old building that is so big and it's late at night.. this sounds pretty interesting! Don't miss this spooky chance to enjoy a fun-filled night in LaSalle. Call 815-224-5892 or e-mail tourassistant@hegelercarus.org to reserve your spot.

 

Friday, October 21st at 10 p.m.

Friday, October 28th at Midnight

On Special 

Oktoberfest

 

Another year and Oktoberfest is almost gone again! It will be available the next three nights after 4pm. There is approximately 30 orders left.. and then it will be gone again until next year! Be sure to get it while you can.

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, one of our oktoberfest favorites, including 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.

"Burger Me" Thursday 

Burger and a Beer for only 10 Bucks!  

"Rangers Burger"   

Three Things to Try 

By Ryan - Pork Filet Medallions - Usually I am not a pork person. The texture of pork chops sometimes just isn't my thing. But, pork filet, that's an entirely different story. I've never tasted any pork as tender as this and I'm not sure you will either. The tenderness of these medallions with the sweetness of the port wine sauce is the perfect compliment of flavors. And if the pork filet is not enough, the dish even ads yukon gold potatoes and parmesan crusted cauliflower. All for $16.75. This meal speaks value!

 



By Nikki - Italian Beef - No one is actually for certain where the Italian beef originally came from. Also, many people will argue the correct way it should be made, dipped, and served. Depending on your taste buds, I'm almost positive if you haven't tried ours yet that you will definitely enjoy it. Our sandwich is served with mouth watering sliced prime rib of beef and topped with sauteed onion, fresh peppers and provolone cheese. Of course it's not served on plain bread, this sandwich is complimented by a sourdough roll. I can guarantee it won't be anything less than excellent.

 
By Aly - Caramel Apple Martini - In the lieu of Halloween festivities approaching, I would like to suggest you to try our Caramel Apple Martini. It is made with van gogh wild appel vodka, apple pucker, butter shots, and drizzles of caramel. This drink is the perfect fix for any of your Halloween candy cravings. Our Caramel Apple Martini tastes just like the caramel apple suckers I remember enjoying when I was young. I'm talking about the ones with the hard green centers dipped in the gooey creamy caramel.. delicious! If you are a sucker for caramel apple in general then please treat yourself to this martini.

"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 - "Rangers Burger"

Each week we change our bizarre burger and serve it all day with any beer in house for only $10.00! This Thursday, October 20th, we will be offering our gourmet half pound burger topped with cheddar cheese, applewood smoked bacon, barbecue sauce, jalapeno and onions, Texas style!  

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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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 seeds are used to make Mexican pepitas? 

2.   What DC restaurant caters to high-profile politicians by employing an in-house security force? 

3.   What does the Wheaton Shucking Machine use to open 60 oysters per minute? 

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.  How many liters are in a magnum of Champagne?  1.5

2.  What is the name of the famed fish stew from Marseille, France?  BOUILLABAISSE 

3.  What sidelined production of Hershey's Kisses in 1942?  FOIL RATIONING DURING WWII 

Last weeks winner of the free lunch .......  Nancy Havens 

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 

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