Greetings!
March brings so many good things...tulips, daffodils, St. Patrick's Day, March Madness, and the vernal equinox - which means spring! This year we all seem more than ready, and none more so than those of us at the firefly! We're eager to get the garden planted and see those tender shoots peeking out of the ground, small tufts of lettuce dotting the rich, dark earth. Being in central Illinois, it's only a daydream right now...but only for a few more weeks.
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Just in...Fiddleheads!
 Just picked this morning, they're a sure sign of spring! A grassy, spring-like flavor with just a hint of nuttiness, fiddleheads are truly a treat. They'll be on the menu tonight and only for as long as we can find them, so hurry in! It's coming ....firefly Lobster Bake!It's back, the firefly Lobster Bake! After many, many, requests, we've picked a date for our first lobster bake of 2010: Sunday March 28th from 11am until 8pm. More info to follow in the firefly flash and the menu will be posted shortly. |
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A Fish Tale
Someone commented last week that Chef Niall "knows"
salmon. What they didn't know was how intimately he knows salmon. Having grown up on a dairy farm in rural Maine, Niall found himself with a little bit of
wanderlust in his blood in his early 20's.
Looking for adventure, he and a buddy took their backpacks and headed
West, eventually landing in Ballard,
Washington. With absolutely no idea what to do, living
out of his backpack, and in dire need of money, Niall sat down one day on a
park bench to contemplate his next steps.
Lying next to him was a newspaper, with an eye-catching advertisement
for crew on a commercial fishing boat.
Deciding he had absolutely nothing to lose and money to gain, Niall
arranged for an interview and was hired on the spot, as the cook for a 65-foot vessel.
A few days later the boat left port to fish
the Alaskan waters for salmon, with Niall and 34 others on board. They fished 24/7, putting in 16+ hour days
and fishing through all sorts of weather, or as Niall calls it "gnarly storms
with 20 - 40-foot swells". Days were
long, nights were longer, and life on a boat left much appreciation for dry
land. They slept in small bunks, had no privacy,
and showers were a commodity as most people chose a few extra minutes of sleep
over a shower. This meant it wasn't just
fish stinking up the boat..most men went 3 or 4 days between showers.
When the holds were full the boat transferred all the catch over to the M/V Snopac Innovator, a 328-foot floating processor. Here it was off-loaded - 200 lb. racks of
salmon, piled three-high, were moved over to the processor all day long. The salmon arrived on the first floor of the processor, were deheaded and
gutted, then moved to the second floor for grading. Then it was frozen, put in
a deep tub and dry-cured and smoked. It was
backbreaking work and days were 18 - 22 hours long when the processor was running.
Niall spent just shy of five months working the seas before
he landed back in Seattle. With a huge pocket of cash, he immediately got a haircut
and a beer, and a really nice hotel room for the night. The next morning he headed south to California. Looking back, he recalls it as one of the
greatest experiences of his life as well as one of his greatest learning
experiences. "It's not about what you have, it's about the stories you have,
and I have plenty."
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A Titanic Event
 On January 17th, the firefly grill proudly hosted
a fundraiser to benefit the Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities (CEO)
class. The following is a synopsis of
this successful event, as written by class member Alyssa Long; and photos
captured through the lens of Candid Reflections Photography (view more pictures
at candidreflections.com).
 "On behalf of the Effingham CEO class, welcome to this
special evening. We are pleased to welcome you to the Firefly Grill, where you
can always enjoy incredible food, and where...tonight...you can feel a part of a
history. "
On January 17th, 2010, the CEO Class, along with t he Firefly
Grill, invited more than 125 guests to experience the last dinner on the RMS
Titanic. The guests began the evening with a blast of confetti and a glass of
sparkling cider. Captain Edward J. Smith, portrayed by Effingham's Citizen of
the Year, Rick Siemer, addressed the crowd as the Titanic embarked on her
maiden voyage to sea.
Members of the CEO Class served each guest the first course
with help from the wonderful staff at Firefly Grill. A mixture of soft
 conversation and harp music could be heard throughout the night as dinner was
served. Between each course, several actors and actresses, who were depicting
the actual people who set sail on the RMS Titanic, gave their own accounts of
that fateful night in April of 1912.
As the evening ended, the narrator illustrated the Titanic's
end. An hour-by-hour replay was given with a look into each character's point
of view. "We have to go back," said the 'Unsinkable Molly Brown,' her voice
thick with tears; Patti Winn's incredible portrayal of Margaret Brown moved
more than one guest to tears.
 As the Titanic sank to the ocean floor, the guests were given
instructions to flip over their menu. Reading the provided biography, they
learned that they had each represented an individual that had set sail on the
Titanic in 1912. Their fate was determined by the presence or absence of the
ship's logo at the bottom of the page. Those with the logo, survived. Those
without went down with the Titanic.
"8:50 AM--- The Carpathia sails for New York with 705 survivors. An estimated
1.522 souls have been lost..."
Thank you to all who helped make this an incredible and
memorable evening.
 
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Sincerely,
Kristie & Niall Campbell
firefly grill
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See our pics at shutterfly!  Be a firefly fan on facebook! Follow us on Twitter! 
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What's Happening
Summit Brewing Company Beer Tasting Thursday March 4
Enjoy the flavors of the firefly along with some of the finest hand-crafted brews from Summit Brewing Company in Minnesota. Learn the history of these regional craft beers, pick the brain of the brewmaster, and have some fun along the way. Cost is $45 per person and seating is limited, so please make your reservation today at 217-342-2002.
Saturday, March 6 Ronny Lee is in the house!
Join us for dinner and drinks and relax to the sounds of Ronny Lee. Live entertainment starts at 7 p.m.
It's a beer month! St. Patrick's Day beer tasting, Wednesday, September 17.
Wear your green and join us for a beer tasting in honor of St. Patrick's Day. We'll have some fine irish-inspired food paired with ..... and we promise...no green beer! Check the website for the complete menu, www.ffgrill.com. As always, reservations are highly recommended as there is limited seating.
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From the Lounge Manager....
Our Drink of the Month
Mmmm...warm rays of spring sunshine tease us, making thoughts of summer days drift through our heads. The sweet sounds of birds singing, the smell of newly-mown grass, and the magical taste of juicy, tree-ripened apricots. Apricots you say? Well, maybe for some of us. Ok, a few of us.
Apricots are a summer fruit and at the firefly we think everyone's ready for a taste of summer so we'll be serving some up at the bar this month with our drink of the month, the Valencia Royale.
The Valencia Cocktail was a semi-popular cocktail during the early and
middle parts of the 1900's, and is now making a comeback. Mixing the flavors of apricot brandy with the sunshine of orange juice and bitters gives us the Valencia Cocktail. Top it off with a bit of bubbly - presto! It's a Valencia Royale, a taste of summer in a glass!
Stop by and try one today!
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Sharing Your Passion
 On
Saturday February 20th Niall and Kristie teamed up with the folks at
Mid America Motorworks to present "Keeping You and Your Car
Healthy in 2010".
Sponsored by the firefly and Clore Automotive, the event is the first of fourteen
events to be held on Mid America's Corporate Campus in 2010.
Niall and Kristie provided a delicious and informative demonstration on
healthy cooking to an enthusiastic group of participants. The hour-long
demonstration included three different food samples, as well as some great tips
on cooking healthy at home.
Niall and Kristie were honored to be a part of the event and to share their passion for healthy eating.
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