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Friday, August 30th, 2013        

When the Lights Go Out in the City

Restaurants and Power Outages

By Ray

  

 

null This past Tuesday lunch, we had to close due to a power outage. In LaSalle for the first 28 years we were in business, our power was as steady as a rock. It was a relief because where I came from the power was anything but consistent. Recently for some unknown reason, it seems like our power outages are happening with almost a third world frequency.

 

Just think what it would be like for you to invite a bunch of guests over, you have all the preparation done, and 10 minutes after guests arrive at your house you have no power. It would certainly change how you went about your evening. In a social setting, it might even be fun. In recent years, it has become apparent that we are much more dependent on electricity than for just cooking and cooling. Electricity has become 100% essential to placing orders or even to getting paid. There is pretty much nothing we can do without it anymore.

Tuesday at 11:15, we were all set up and ready to open for lunch when the power goes out. By 12:30, the power was still out. With the bulk of lunch already gone, we have no option but to send everybody home. It can cost us several thousand dollars to set up and get ready to go. We then have no sales to offset that expense. Our servers go home tip-less. For a business owner, it is aggravating! There is no insurance for this and we obviously don't get anything back from the power company.

When this happens, the only thing we can do is sit around in the dark and tell stories. I go back to the old days at the Red Door Inn. The Red Door is in Peru, Illinois which had (and still has) its own municipal power system. I don't know about now, but back then the power would go out often - really often.

Back in those days, most equipment was gas. When the power went out we could still cook almost anything on the gas char-broiler or stove-top as long as you had exhaust. Most people had cash or check. Believe it or not, back then most of us could all still "carry the eight"  and add guest checks by hand. We could even count back change. Life was much simpler.

We would throw candles on every table for lighting, use flash lights in the kitchen all the while the steaks were still sizzling on the grill. The only thing that would hold us back would be keeping the smoke out of the dining room. Small portable gasoline generators were not common place.

 

This is where things get a little odd. This is one of the stories that my friends and co-workers used to love to tell...
 
    

Read on to discover the unique way the Red Door handled its frequent power outages. And if you were there to experience one of outages, please share your thoughts! 

 
Labor Day Weekend Hours & Specials
  
 
Saturday: 11am - 11pm  |  Sunday: 12noon - 10pm
Open Labor Day Monday: 4pm - 10pm
  
  
Stop out and see us this weekend!  Your summer wouldn't be complete without one last "hurrah" spent at the Uptown!
  
Give our slow-roasted prime rib or herb-crusted leg of lamb a try on Saturday evening after 4pm.   Sunday features our Oscar special... top your choice of entree (several to choose from) with our tasty b�arnaise sauce, asparagus and lump crab.
  
And Labor Day Monday features our Steak Diane special (shown at right).  Check out our weekly specials listing below for pricing, descriptions, and a full week's worth of must-try dining!
  
  
  

Now Hiring

The Good Ol' Days

By Ryan 
  
 

 

Just this week, Jimmy and I were talking about the good ol' days of washing dishes here at the Uptown, and how we go through periods of hiring and employment where it's really difficult to find and keep reliable, loyal and hard-working staff for just that particular position alone. During the mid 90's, Jimmy and I were heavily relied upon to work those weekend nights, weekend after weekend

 

My father has no idea how easy he had it with us. Today, we can go for weeks not knowing if our dishwasher is even going to show up for the next shift. It is a very valuable and important position within any restaurant. So, when we go through stretches like we are in now, where we have found that reliable, loyal and hard-working younger staff, we are very much appreciative of them. 

 

Ashton Kutcher SpeechSo, that got us to talking and Ray made a comment about how old we are getting. He's right! I NEVER thought I would be THAT guy talking about how, "Back in my day, in 1996 when I made $4.75 an hour, I worked so hard... blah, blah, blah."

 

Well Jim, we are now THAT guy!

 

And that led me to share the video/speech at right that Ashton Kutcher gave last week at the Teen Choice Awards, in which he started the speech by saying, "Lets just face it, this is called the old guy award!"

 

 

 

Read more to find out why the Ashton speech got Ryan reminiscing. Do you agree with his perception of today's youth?
  

Gift Cards

Introducing New Packaging

By Josh

  

There are always great changes going on around here.     

This summer we introduced our new tablet menus, and  

now we're on to our next venture - gift card packaging.

  

While we were always happy with our former gift card package, we felt that receiving "just an envelope" as a gift may feel a little lackluster to some.  Luckily, we recently came across gift boxes that allow for our gift cards to literally pop up out of the box once opened.

 

We felt this raised the bar a little.  As a result, our gift cards have been revamped to be classier and more sophisticated than the old-fashioned stuffed envelopes.

 

Beautifully embossed with our award winning Uptown logo, these are a great way to surprise anyone with a night on the town featuring a casual, yet elegant dinner.  These boxes are perfect for wrapping or concealing in ways that envelopes just can't live up to.  A must for any occasion, you may put as much or as little as you like on each card depending on the event!

 

Stop in anytime; visit us at www.uptowngrill.com; or call us at 224-4545 to treat friends or family to a delicious Uptown dining experience!

 

 

 

 

Around the Industry

Beer Innovations

By Jimmy

  

 

 

Just when you think you have seen it all in our industry, they always seem to come up with something new and interesting! In particular, I am talking about the beer industry. Over the course of the last few years, it seems that this sector of the liquor industry has seen the most changes.

 

From the strong emergence of craft brewers, to all new styles of beer that are becoming quite popular, it is almost hard to keep up with all of them. I recently came across an interesting article regarding a few recent beer innovations we will be seeing in the near future.

The first innovation comes from Australia that is now starting to hit the bar scene. It is a hangover fighting beer that incorporates electrolyte replacement capabilities of those found in sports drinks. Research has lead to a development in adding electrolytes without affecting the flavor of the beer. Although slightly less alcohol, you still get the same great taste while rehydrating yourself. Similar to those found in Gatorade. Which in the end, means less of a hangover. Will this encourage more or less drinking though?

The other interesting new idea involves a beer-making process from Japan. How many times have you gone to a ball game and after spending $8+ for a cup of beer, you find yourself struggling to gulp it down because it had gone warm? Researchers from Japan have designed a process to keep the beer colder for much longer.

 

 

 

 

Burger Me Thursday

 

Choose any microbrew or bottled beer to accompany a different and

enticing burger, every Thursday, for just $10.    

  
  
 
null Next Week: September 5
B & G Burger
 
This hearty breakfast staple just took a walk on the wild side, ending up within our latest burger concoction.  We serve up our biscuits and gravy with a gourmet beef patty in the middle.  That's right - we swap the bun for biscuits and drown the burger in delicious sausage gravy.  Breakfast is served, all day Thursday!
  
  
  

Uptown Playlist Theater

 
We now have tickets available for sale on our website.
Please purchase tickets either online by clicking here or in person only. 
          
                                                                                                                               

                  

 Griffin House

 

Friday, September 6th

Tickets $25

 

Sold Out!!!!

 

Click here to see a music video  

of "Waterfall" 

 

 

                                                                                                     _________________________               

 

 

  Slaid Cleaves

duo with Scrappy Jud Newcomb

 

Friday, October 18th

Tickets $20

 

Click Here for Tickets

 

Click here to see a music video 

 for "Still Fighting the War" 

 

 

 

                                                                                  _________________________     

 

 

   

Now for Yes Music People

 

Friday, November 1st

Tickets $20 advanced / $25 door

 

Click Here for Tickets 

 

 Click here to see a music video of

"Didn't Leave Me No Ladder"   

 

             

                                                                                     _________________________          

 

                                                                             

 

 

Miles Nielsen &

The Rusted Hearts

 

Wednesday, November 27th

Tickets $25 advanced / $30 door

 

Click Here for Tickets 

 

Click to see a music video 

of "Kentucky" 

 

 

 

With our weekly specials menu, you won't find any 2 for 1 deals or two 4-course meal options for $20, but what you will find are quality products offered at a true value. Come see why we sell more steak diane or weinerschnitzel in one night than we do some menu items in a week. Or why some of these evenings have developed a type of cult following. They are the real deal. 

 

 

Our weekly specials (a new one each day) are below:

 

steak diane steak diane, every monday evening

the original red door inn steak diane! 6oz filet mignon medallion. served with mushroom marsala sauce, celery and button mushrooms. Victor approved! available monday evening only after 4pm. 17.75

  

 

 

 

 

fish tacos fish tacos, every tuesday all day

soft flour tortillas filled with panko crusted tilapia, red cabbage, chipotle mayonnaise and mango pineapple black bean salsa

3 for 7.75 or 2.75 each

 

 

 

 

 

weinerschnitzel 

weiner schnitzel, every wednesday evening

veal cutlet lightly floured and sauteed, served with veal demi glaze, spaetzel and roasted asparagus. available wednesday evening only after 4pm. 12.75

  

 

 

 

                  

"burger me" every thursday all day

choose any microbrew or bottled beer to accompany a different and enticing burger every week. served with a heaping plate of our housemade fries. all for 10.00.
  

(see this week's creative concoction above)

  

 

 

grouper oscaroscar sunday! every sunday, all day!

every sunday is oscar sunday. choose from the following oscars: new york strip, veal, chicken, grouper or portobello mushroom. Top your choice with asparagus, lump crab and b�arnaise sauce.
12.75 each

 


 

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Foodie Fight
 
foodiefightEach 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.  Which contaminant is more likely to be found in fresh-water or coastal fish - PCBs or mercury?
 
2.  What root vegetable has tops best known in Southern cuisine and bottoms that may have fallen out of favor due to having spent too much time in root cellars of old?
  
3.  What bulk-stored grocery product did Laura Scudder rescue from damaging humidity using an iron and waxed paper in 1926?

 
E-mail your answers to: [email protected]

 

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.  True or False: Research suggests taste sensitivity is genetic and ranges in individuals from nontasters to supertasters.........true
 
2.  What round-bottomed pan, traditionally made of carbon steel, is designed for quickly cooking small pieces of food over high heat? ............wok
  
3.  What is the time limit for holding perishable foods at "danger zone" temperatures of 40� to 140� F? ............2 hours

     
Last Week's Winner: ...................Bob Vannini

Uptown Grill

601 First Street  |  LaSalle, IL 61301  |  815.224.4545

 

Monday - Thursday: 11am -10pm

Friday - Saturday: 11am - 11pm

Sunday: 12noon - 10pm

 

 

uptowngrill.com 

 

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