Year in Review: Top 10 Menu Marvels

by Ryan Anderes

It's always fun to go back through the year and revisit what you've accomplished. So as 2015 comes to a close, we've taken a look back at the variety of menu items that passed through our kitchen and are reminded of several favorites.

Chef Chris Plankenhorn and our entire staff take great pride in offering new and interesting dishes for your dining pleasure. Hopefully you were able to try some of these amazing specials at some point this year... we even left a few on for New Year's Eve, just in case!

With that, here are 10 Uptown dishes that topped the charts in 2015:

#1) Cod on The Corn

This dish was "pun"-derful.

freshly baked cod, lightly crusted with panko
bread crumb, served over corn sautee

#2) The Tower of Tuna

This dish could make our list every year. It is certainly a crowd pleaser.

fresh ground sashimi grade tuna tower with sushi rice,
soy sauce, cucumbers, cilantro, avocados and capers.
served with extra virgin olive oil, fried wontons, ginger,
wasabi, and caviar 

#3) Bay Scallop and Spinach Radiatore

The ingredients were simple; the results... phenomenal.

lightly seared bay scallops and sauteed spinach tossed
in a white wine cream sauce with radiatore pasta

#4) Burrata Mozzarella, Beets and Fresh Pear Salad

What meal is complete without a starter or a salad? We added a taste of summer to our menu with this nearly perfect combination.

burrata mozzarella, beets, arugula, pear, sweety drops
and balsamic vinaigrette

#5) Panko Crusted Swordfish with Lime Avocado Butter

This dish was so good it joins our list as 1 of 2 specials you can sample on New Year's Eve. Not many of our dishes make a repeat performance.

10 ounce panko crusted swordfish steak, pan seared
with grapeseed oil. topped with an avocado-lime
sweet butter with red and green bell peppers and
fresh cilantro

#6) Blackened Duck Breast

The other special available for you to try on New Year's Eve. Beats any competitor's.

pan seared blackened duck breast prepared medium
with a chipolte hollandaise sauce over a bed of
seasoned rice blend

#7) Mac-Daddy Burger

We had to include one for our ham-burglars who come in for the deal of the week every Thursday. This year's most popular burger hinges on a Swiss tradition.

100% beef patty topped with macaroni and swiss cheese
with caramelized onions

#8) Fish & Chips

We only run this special a few weeks out of the year during Lent; yet at the end of the year, it's still up there as a top seller.

hand battered walleye served with "chips," malt vinegar,
coleslaw and tartar sauce

#9) Dry-Aged Meats

A new experiment for us this year was bringing in some dry-aged meats. Some boneless; some bone-in. We learned a thing or two!

Dry aging is process in which there is a very controlled
environment, temperature, humidity and time. The
process changes beef by two means. First, moisture
is evaporated from the muscle. This creates a
greater concentration of beef flavor and taste.
Secondly, the beef’s natural enzymes break down
the connective tissue in the muscle, leading to more
tender beef. These strips are aged for 35 days. 

#10) Pork Belly, Scallop, and Cauliflower Mashed

Our experimenting continued with the addition of pork belly to our menu.

pan seared sea scallops atop portions of pork belly.
with a raspberry jus and cauliflower mashed.