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Thursday, October 11th, 2012 |
Around the Area
Fall Colors Weekend
By Ryan
Living in the Illinois Valley, we have some of the most beautiful scenery around. As fall begins, Mother Nature gives us one last spectacular show of color before the dreary, dull, white-winter months consume us. The foliage becomes a display of natural fireworks bursting with beautiful colors. The small peaks and valleys are quite full with an array of color.
But what causes these beautiful colors during this time of year? When the temperature falls, trees shut down their production of chlorophyll and the trapped glucose in the leaves brings out the beautiful oranges, yellows and reds. It becomes quite tranquil to sit and look around. With all the gadgets and gismos of this high-tech world, this is a perfect time to get away and follow the colors of the natural beauty of our area. No GPS needed. Follow the colors. Make a day of it... the Illinois Valley has tremendous amounts of this natural artwork.
Starved Rock and Matheissen State Parks are very popular and wonderful destinations to get the full array of fall colors. The area around Starved Rock has been highly rated as "must see" places to visit this time of year. The overlooks along the Illinois River offer beautiful views and great photos. This weekend, October 20th-21st, is considered Fall Colors Weekend throughout the park. Guided hikes and tours to see the best views will be given throughout the day.
Just remember, your day will not be complete without lunch or dinner at the Uptown. The drive from here to the park is filled with the colorful foliage as well. Treat yourself to the natural beauty of our area.
Starved Rock will be very crowded next weekend, but very much worth the trip. Once you are done with your hiking adventures, get away from the crowd and come see us. We will be open Saturday from 11am until 11pm and on Sunday from Noon until 10pm.
May we suggest some adventures as rated by Starved Rock...
Best Illinois River Valley View:
from the top of Starved Rock, from
Lover's Leap and Eagle Cliff.
<<<
Best canyon and cave combo: Ottawa Canyon and Council Overhang >>> 
Best photo of a canyon entrance:
French Canyon <<< 
Best sand, boulders, cave walls: St. Louis Canyon >>>
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Treat Your Sweet: October 20th!
Sweetest Day Reservations Available
By Brianne
 What's often thought of as a second Valentine's Day or a Hallmark Holiday actually has a rather humble beginning dating back to 1922. Sweetest Day was born in Cleveland, Ohio as the brainchild of Herbert Berch Kingston, a philanthropist and candy store employee. Kingston sought to bring happiness to orphans, those suffering from illness or disability, or individuals who are generally forgotten by offering them candy and small gifts.
 The tradition continued the following year and gained momentum as celebrities were enlisted to hand out the good-will offerings. After a decade, the city of Cleveland declared the third Saturday in October as Sweetest Day. Since its start, its meaning has shifted to honoring friends and family members whose helpfulness and kindness we hope to recognize and celebrate.
Sweetest Day is a regional holiday, most notably celebrated in the Great Lakes region including Chicago. It is also an original holiday, meaning it's not based on any religious affiliation or family relationship. Simply put, it's a reminder that a thoughtful word, deed, or small gift enriches the life of the recipient as well as the person giving it.
Why not recognize someone worthwhile in your life this year? Reservations for Sweetest Day on Saturday, October 20th are still available. Click here to reserve your table and honor a friend or loved one... think we can all raise our glass to that! Cheers!
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Around the Industry
The Price of Pork
By Jimmy
I write this article not to support any position. Instead, I write it to inform you of how these issues affect our industry. I recently came across an article in the New York Times that involves the discussion about the raising of pork. The story does not just involve how these animals are treated, it seems to bring to light a lot of what America now is. Who's right and who's wrong? In no way do I support the abuse of any animal. According to one pig farmer in this article, he makes a statement that does make some sense. "What I don't like is some big restaurant chain in Chicago that knows nothing about raising animals is telling us how to raise pigs," said Glen Keppy, a retired pig farmer, referring to McDonald's, which promised in February to stop buying pork from pigs born in gestation crates. "Would they tell Microsoft how to make computers?" I just don't feel it is fair without hearing from both sides of the issue.  This issue at hand has been all over the news recently and involves the use of gestation crates for raising pigs. These crates are sometimes only about the size of the pig itself where it does not even have the room to turn around. Forty years ago, pigs were raised in open pens where they had room to roam. Although humane, it did have its disadvantages because it allowed the animals to roust each other causing many of them to be injured or even die. Another issue was the yield was always inconsistent. Over the coming years, the trend moved these pigs inside barns where yields actually grew. The downside was the feeding of these animals. Better elements but smaller space - how do you control that each pig maintains the proper amount of diet each day with so many of them? There is constant agressiveness for the feed. This is where the farmer would lose many of them. As time went on, the industry moved to holding cells or gestation crates in efforts to reduce injury and ensure proper diets. No more force competition over feed because it was portioned and supplied to each one. This move actually kept the cost low for the price of pork for the consumer. Processes were streamlined as well and not so much labor was needed. According to farmers, it is not that they are abusing animals - these are misunderstandings. Pigs are not confined to these crates at birth. Nobody seems to be around the farm anymore to understand the pig raising practices. Feeling pressure from corporate pork buyers and animal rights groups, these pig farmers are now put in a position to make an important decision that is ultimately going to affect all of us as consumers. In a period where beef is already at all time highs and what looks to be for years to come, pork has been the "average Americans" beef in this economy. Some farmers warn that the change in these practices can lead to concern for the local farmer. The new barns with pens are more expensive to build, and operational costs are higher because more manpower is needed to manage sow relations. Health care for the animals is more expensive, and no feeding system is yet ideal. Europe imposed these sanctions back in the 90's that drove prices up so much that many were unwilling to pay the price. This resulted in many farmers to go bankrupt. Whether average Americans are willing to pay more for pork raised in pens as opposed to crates has yet to be determined. There comes the question, do household economics trump ethics amongst consumers?
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Uptown Playlist Theater
We now have tickets available for sale on our website.
Thursday, October 25th
Tickets $25
Wednesday, November 21st
Tickets $20
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"Not Your Everyday Specials"
Monday Nights, Steak Diane
Every Monday after 4 pm, we will be serving Steak Diane for $17.75. 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 $7.75 or $2.75 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 $12.75.
Burger Me Thursday
Every week we have a new burger creation that we serve all day with any beer in house for only $10.00! Thursday, October 18th will feature our Portabello Swiss Burger. It's a variation of the mushroom favorite shown here. We take our never-frozen angus beef patty and top it with a melted swiss and portabello combo you're sure to love!
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.
 Slow Roasted Boneless Pork Loin,
Saturday Evenings
Available after 4pm every Saturday night we have slow roasted boneless pork loin with a bourbon demi glaze. 10oz sliced pork loin served with our daily mashed potato and vegetable side
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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Specials This Week
appetizer
artisanal cheese sampler
1. Belletoile Triple Creme (France) 2. Chimay a la Biere
(Belgium) 3. Marieke Gouda (Wisconsin) 4. Cypress
Humboldt Fog (California) 5. Cashel Bleu (Ireland) 6. Sap
Sago (Switzerland). serves 2 to 4 people 19.75
yellow fin tuna tower
fresh ground sashimi grade tuna tower with sushi rice, soy
sauce, cucumbers, cilantro, avocados and capers. served
with extra virgin olive oil, fried wontons, daikon, ginger,
wasabi, chives and caviar 12.75
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
salad and sandwich
mesculyn salad & panini sandwich combo
turkey galantine and comte cheese with garlic aioli. served
with a mesculyn, walnut and gorgonzola salad. balsamic
vinaigrette dressing 11.25 with cup of soup of the day 12.25
wedged boston bibb blt salad
wedged boston bibb lettuce, salemville bleu cheese,
applewood smoked bacon, lettuce and roma tomato. topped
with fried scallions and served with creamy salemville
gorgonzola dressing 13.50
entrees
apricot glazed pork porterhouse
14 oz. apricot glazed pork porterhouse prepared medium
well. served with roasted new potatoes and pattypan
squash. 19.50
stuffed chicken breast
breaded boneless chicken breast stuffed with ham and
tillamook cheddar. served with uptown rice blend 13.75
roasted vegetable and smoked sausage penne
smoked sausage, roasted green peppers, artichokes,
zuchinni, black olives and shiitake mushrooms in a hearty
tomato sauce tossed with penne pasta 15.75 side dish 8.75
grilled marlin
10 oz. grilled marlin topped with a tequila lime butter.
served with cous cous and roasted paddy pan squash 18.75
dessert
housemade apple strudel
served with sislers french vanilla ice cream 5.75
salted caramel vanilla crunch cake
buttery vanilla-flecked pudding cake layered with salted
caramel and creamy custard with a graham cracker crust 7.75 |
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food specials, drinks, and MORE!
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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 is the not-part-of-the-recipe purpose of keeping a bowl of ice water nearby when cooking caramel?
2. What conventionally grown vegetable is likely to be lowest in pesticide contamination.. bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, kale, celery or carrots?
3. What foundation of many recipes requires skimming, a slow simmer, and fat removal to keep it clear?
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 up to 3 times a year.
Last Week's Questions & Answers:
1. What tree produces a nut containing sterile water that was a stand-in intravenous solution during World War II? ............COCONUT
2. Who is the contessa of home cooking in her Food Network shows and cookbooks?
........................INA GARTEN (BAREFOOT CONTESSA)
3. What fruit placed first in U.S. per capita consumption in 2008? ....................ORANGES
Last Week's Winner: ....................MARK BERNABIE
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Uptown Grill
601 First Street | LaSalle, IL 61301 | 815.224.4545
Monday - Thursday: 11am -10pm
Friday - Saturday: 11am - 11pm
Sunday: 12pm - 10pm
uptowngrill.com
Uptown respects your privacy and will not sell or distribute your personal information. |
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