Wednesday, November 30th   

Playlist Theater Act II...........  

 

     Friday, April 15th, 2011 was the last time an artist has graced the stage of the Uptown Playlist Theater. Over the course of those 5+ years of hosting all the many talents that had visited, Ryan and I never really had a chance to enjoy a show. It was something we always missed, whether being too busy or just too tired. Most days one of us had been here for 13 or 14 hours and were just too wore down to get back there at the end of a shift. Just like Ray had said before, there is a lot that goes into the planning, setting up and working a night of the show. For Ryan and I, we have never really gotten into music as much as Ray and his friends Bernie and Tom are. I guess that phase of our lives has not hit us yet. However, over the course of all those shows, we both have found that we have missed doing this for many reasons. It was a great feeling to have a traditionally slow Wednesday or Thursday night turn into a full house restaurant with a waiting list 30 minutes long, a bar that was 2 or 3 rows deep and a line from the restrooms to the front desk of those waiting to get in. Those nights, we seemed to be.... the place to be.

     It was stressful, but fun. It was a good feeling to see "sold out" on the music board of a particular show at the front desk and to hear so many people begging for any way to get their hands on a ticket. It was always nice to talk to frequent visitors of the Theater. Many of them would share stories on how amazing some of the acts had been. Every conversation consisted of a "favorite show" and most everyone would tell me a different artist. It was always nice to hear how the wonderful the setting was and how good the artists were. Every morning after a show, I would ask Ray how the previous nights performance was and about 99.9% of the time I received the same response...."it was amazing, the best show I had ever seen." Each one better than the last. It was also nice meeting all of the artists that came through and the great comments they had about everything in our area, from the venue itself to our loyal fans. When it came time for that final show back in April, it felt like we were taking something great from everyone here in the Illinois Valley that was evolving into a wonderful thing.  Over the course of the last few months, Ryan and I sat down and thought about it, I guess you could say we miss it.  

 

     Don't get me wrong, it was a lot of work. Ray, Bernie and Tom's primary functions of the concert dealt with booking and the technical aspects of the show. To them, although a ton of work, they were living a dream. Unfortunately, Ryan and I are pretty green when it comes to that. However, the setup, scheduling, restaurant aspects and teardown were all things that us managers had to deal with each show. I must say, over 5 years of shows, we developed a pretty good routine. As time went on, each show seemed easier and easier to put together, at least from our standpoint.  Ryan and I often gave Ray a hard time on how much of a laid back night he had just schmoozing the artists and listening to the show while we were out in the dining room with over 300 people to manage. I guess maybe one of these days we may find out how much is actually involved with the entire aspect of the show process. I bet we have no idea. When Ray retired from doing shows back in April, we considered keeping this going but not knowing who would be around to help. Again, we did not have any experience in several areas of this business. 

     After much discussion, starting this new year, 2012, Ryan and I, with the help of many others, would like to bring the entertainment back to the Playlist Theater. Of course, this will not happen without the help and expertise of the Theater's founding fathers Ray Anderes, Bernie Victor and Tom Ptak. Whenever one is available to offer a bit of advice, you can guarantee Ryan and I will be all ears and hopefully we can develop a good set (ears) of our own too. I know they would love to see this continue on as they could take a more backseat approach and just come and enjoy the show. We have also hired another sound man. Mario Data is a local  producer that will be bringing in all digital state of the art equipment. Just hearing the discussion between Bernie and him the other day on what he has, I think you could say Bernie was impressed as well. It should make the sound of these shows even better. We even heard that there will be some digging in the back alley to be moving some of the power lines underground. Maybe this will get rid of the infamous buzz that has been heard in some shows.  

 

     So with much anticipation from all of us, we are starting the next generation of the Uptown Playlist Theater on Friday, February 24th. Same time, same place. Our first show, we thought we would kick it off right. We are featuring one of our (and seemingly yours too) favorite's, Griffin House.This will be a solo show. Tickets sales will be announced very shortly via email .... and those that receive our newsletter will be the first to know. So come celebrate a new beginning but everything you had before.

 

Ryan and Jimmy    

 

 

Holiday Shopping    

Uptown Gift Cards 

In light of the holidays coming, I'm here to give you information on going about purchasing our gift cards. We are in the midst of getting a new online gift card purchase up and running on our website. Until then you are welcome to call us at 224-4545. If you have a list of where and to whom the gift cards need to go, we will be more than happy to mail them out for you. We are all about making your shopping experience shorter and easier. E-mail us at frontdesk@uptowngrill.com. 

 

On Special  

Pulled Pork Sandwich    

By Jim   

As always, we strive to provide the area's most unique and interesting food items on our menu. Never will you find any food product we serve here that is simply taken out of a box or can and put on your plate. We consistently strive to prepare the freshest meals with the freshest ingredients possible whenever we put a dish together. Anyone can open a can, heat it and pour it into a bowl. Here, you will enjoy meals that include fresh cut vegetables, house made sauces and aged and marinated meats and seafoods.


 Just the other day, we were throwing the idea around about putting a standard BLT Club sandwich on special. This dish had been on the Uptown menu for over 20 years and some lunches we would sell 30 or 40 of them. Ray's take on the idea is if we put something on special, it needs to be that... special or different. They put their heads together and came up with the Italian BLT with fresh mozzarella. We turned an ordinary sandwich into something quite interesting, and delicious too. This is one example on how we feel these extra steps are important in providing a great dining experience and also make us stand apart.

Although we are fortunate to do business with some small but amazing import houses, we have a few tricks up our sleeve that help prepare some of these meals. A few years back, Ray purchased a commercial sized food smoker. Chef Chris and him were interested in the process of hot smoking things like trout, salmon or pork. After some research and experimenting, they have put together an amazing recipe of bbq pulled pork and you will get to try it this week. As you can see in the pictures, Chris has taken pork butt roasts along with several of his secret spices and smoked them for a few hours. If I could put the smell of the kitchen into this article, I think you all would be interested in trying it. Once finished, it was pulled and mixed with a perfect blend of bbq sauce. We are serving this on a French roll topped with battered onion rings

Downtown LaSalle  

Miracle on First Street  

By Ryan

Downtown LaSalle has made many efforts in the last few years to bring some entertainment and family atmosphere to the area. The first weekend of December is no different as they unveil their annual, "Miracle on 1st Street" event. It runs all day Saturday December 3rd from 8am to 5pm with a variety of options for people of all ages. There is breakfast and pictures with Santa, fire truck, horse and buggy rides, s'mores, the annual christmas tree lighting and many more events for people to do. Come downtown LaSalle this weekend, do some christmas shopping, have lunch with us of course, and enjoy the holiday festivities presented by downtown LaSalle.

  

There will be music downtown for almost the entire event. In the morning hours, you can eat breakfast at Lock 16 Visitor Center. Visit Santa's workshop at Hammers Hearing where you can make your own crafts. If you bring a donation for the food pantry, you get a free treat! Also, get your free picture with Santa at Santa's house on 1st  and Wright Street. You can pick up your picture at the LaSalle library at 1:00 p.m. Fire truck rides start at 9:30 a.m at the City Hall.

Early afternoon, Christmas movies will be playing (the location is to be determined) and there possibly will be two different showings. There will be bowling, story time at the LaSalle library, carriage rides, bingo at Lock 16, and free smore's in front of Men's Emporium from the LaSalle firefighters. Later in the afternoon, there will be a walk with Santa starting at the bowling alley continuing to the City Hall, the Christmas tree lighting, and ending with a City Hall open house.

There's no way you can't find one activity that you would like to participate in, whether you are young or old. It's going to be a wonderful fun-filled day downtown LaSalle again, so please come celebrate with us. For the list of all the events with exact times, please click the link below. 

Click here to see the events listed with their times 

Downtown LaSalle Shopping  

Independent Retail Holiday Hours  

By Nikki  

Forget the hustle and bustle of Mall Land. All those cars fighting stoplights, stop signs and congestion trying to get in and out of the Wal-Mart or Target. It is never fun being stuck in that mess. But....you still have to buy those Christmas presents. Downtown LaSalle is a wonderful shopping destination often forgotten. There are several small independent retailers located all along 1st street. Make an afternoon out of it. Choose from any of the following stores for all your shopping needs but make sure you do not shop on an empty stomach. Stop by for lunch or stop for a drink after you are finished.   

Check out the Kelley Cawley Boutique, Tri-City Frock Shoppe, and Sasso Jewelry & Gifts for the latest fashion and accessory trends. For all the men fashionista's out there, don't forget about the Men's Emporium for all your attire. Parents, check out Little Fashion Avenue for all children's cute fashion. The Loft, Sasso Jewelry & Gifts and Living Environments are a must for finding a unique gift idea and home decor. Forget retail chains and come support our local businesses. Holiday hours, phone number, and address are listed below. Click on their name to view their web page!

Also, this Thursday December 1st, Tri-City, Sasso's, The Loft, Little Fashion Avenue, Living Environments, and Men's Emporium are having a Christmas Open House. It will be starting at 9:30 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. REGISTER TO WIN: There will be one winner for each store and they will receive a $100 gift certificate. There will be special events from different stores so make sure to check it out!

 Tri City Frock Shoppe
559 First Street
815-223-0403

Hours: Monday thru Friday 9:30-5:00 
Saturday  9:30-4:00 Sundays, November 27th thru April 29th Noon - 4pm

 

The Loft
134 Marquette Street
815-223-7738
Hours: Monday - Friday 11-5
Saturday 11-4
Sunday 12-4
Up until Christmas

Sasso's Jewelry and Gifts
629 First Street
815-223-0022
Hours: Monday - Friday 9:30-5
Saturday 9:30 - 4
Sunday Noon - 4ish

Men's Emporium

105 Marquette Street
815-220-0319
Hours: Monday - Thursday 9-5
Friday 9-7
Saturday 9-4
Up until Christmas 

 

Kelley Cawley Boutique

726 First Street
815-223-4200 Hours: Monday - Friday 10-6
Saturday 10-4 Sundays Noon - 4
Holiday season only

Little Fashion Avenue
141 Gooding Street
815-220-1420
Hours: Monday - Friday 10-6
Saturday 10-3

Living Environments
117 Gooding Street
815-220-1065
Hours: 11am to 5pm
Tuesday thru Saturday  

Three Things to Try 

By Ryan - Grilled Artichoke - If you have never had an artichoke, these are the ones you want to try. The garlic parmesan sauce is perfect for the leaves of the artichoke. Of course, the reward at the end of the choke is the heart, which takes some work to get too, but well worth the effort. These are grilled to perfection. The grill flavor, the parmesan sauce and the artichoke flavor all compliment each other perfectly.



By Nikki - Italian BLT with fresh mozzarella - If you have tried our fresh housemade mozzarella before, you know it is one of a kind with a divine taste. Imagine it stacked high on multigrain bread with bacon, romaine lettuce and roma tomato. It may sound like an ordinary sandwich, but you won't believe the flavor that it actually has. Served within all those delicious layers is a roasted yellow tomato pesto that gives it that outstanding final touch. It's a wonderful sandwich to try after all the Thanksgiving feasts we all experienced over the holiday weekend. 


By Aly - Island Coffee - We have a large array of warm alcoholic beverages on our menu that are available to you at all times throughout the year. One of the most popular drinks behind our bar that I find myself making frequently is our island coffee. An island coffee consists of malibu rum, creme de cocoa and our freshly brewed dark roasted coffee topped with whipped cream. The pairing of malibu rum, which is a coconut rum, and cream de cocoa creates a creamy enjoyable base for the warm coffee and cool whipped cream. This drink is the perfect fix for those popular summer season drinks that everyone misses during the cold winter months. So come in and get out of the cold weather to taste a bit of an island-like relaxation you may be longing for.

"Not Your Everyday Specials"

Monday Nights, Steak Diane

Every Monday after 4 pm, we will be serving Steak Diane for $15.75. 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 pineapple black bean 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

Each week we change our bizarre burger and serve it all day with any beer in house for only $10.00! This Thursday, December 1st our gourmet burger will be topped with porcini, portobello, shiitake, oyster, and button mushrooms topped with a shroom.  

Friday Nights, Seafood Mixed Grill

4 oz. grilled lobster tail with drawn butter, 4 oz. grilled tuna with tomato caper relish, 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. 

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.   Where is pre-phylloxera Bordeaux rootstock found in South America? 

2.   What food company used the advertising slogan "Nothin' says lovin' like something from the oven"? 

3.    What kind of beverage bar and gathering place was born from the sale of carbonated medicated waters in the early 1800s? 

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 food is being served in Norman Rockwell's painting Freedom from Want? THANKSGIVING TURKEY 

2.  What American city is home to the cheesesteak sandwich?  PHILADELPHIA

3.  What filled, masa-dough dish is reserved for special occasions in Mexico, but is common on Mexican restaurants menus in the United States?  TAMALES 

Last weeks winner of the free lunch  .......   Dan Eiten   

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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