Thursday, March 31, 2016

Panko Crusted Swordfish

by Jim Lannen

This week, we will be featuring one of our seafood favorites, panko crusted swordfish. Not only has this dish been a favorite of mine, but it also seems to fly out the door when our customers see it on the seafood menu. 

Swordfish - a firm and succulent, meaty fish - has a mild flavor and a texture that can be compared to that of tuna. We take our 10 ounce steak and lightly crust it with panko bread crumbs and pan fry it in grape seed oil. The entree is then finished with an avocado lime sweet butter with fresh cilantro.


The grape seed oil used in preparing our swordfish has health benefits of its own. Studies show that it aids in anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-histamine, anti-aging, anti-allergic, antimicrobial and adaptogenic activity. Put them together and you have a light, healthy combination. 

Although we bring in a handful of full loins and cut them into 10 ounce steaks, this special does not last long.

So make sure you stop out this week to get your chance at this healthy and flavorful dish!


Uptown Playlist Theater Updates


by Josh Theisinger

Next week could not come soon enough. The anticipation is almost like Christmas.  It's going to be the busiest week in the Uptown Playlist Theater's history.  Wednesday, April 6th kicks off with one of the original alumni and possibly the most popular artist: Griffin House.  As ray mentioned last week, for both of the Griffin House shows, Griffin has added Chris Farney. He plays drums and bass at the same time and also mandolin and guitar. Chris appeared with Griffin here several years ago.  Tickets for Griffin's Wednesday show are still available here.  But if that wasn't enough he is also slated to perform a sold out show on Saturday, April 9th as well.  

But why stop with just Griffin House?  On Friday, April 8th, Ray Wylie Hubbard swings through town for a sold-out, one night only show with a trio that has never been featured here before!  His son Lucas is performing with him as he did on their appearance on Late Night with David Letterman.  

There really isn't any other way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Playlist Theater than with a packed weekend of music.  We can tell you now that this place is going to be rockin' all week.  

Don't forget that not many tickets are left for Bill Kirchen on Friday April 13. This will be the last show for about a month before Paul Cebar comes in on May 21st and the Dustbowl Revival romps through on Wednesday June 1st. 

For those of you who missed out on a past performer Margo Price and the Pricetags, don't fret.  On Saturday April 9th, Margo makes her debut performance on Saturday Night Live as the special musical performance.  The show will be hosted by Academy Award winner Russell Crowe.  But that's not it, Margo's song "Hurtin'" was featured in the New York Time's "25 Songs That Tell Us Where Music Is Going."  The article can be found here, with Margo being featured at #7.  She also recently made an appearance on the "Late Show with Stephen Colbert."  

Chili Relleno Burger

Offered beginning Thursday, 3/31

This week's gourmet beef burger is served on a fresh, housemade bun and topped with roasted poblano peppers. We stuff our peppers with roasted del caribe cheese before finishing them off with a drizzle of sriracha sauce.


Choose any microbrew or bottled beer to accompany a different and enticing burger, every Thursday, for just $10. (Flavor available the rest of the week at regular menu pricing.)


Click here to view our complete burger photo album


Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Help Wanted

by Ryan Anderes

We thought we'd reach out to our newsletter subscribers in hopes of finding new staff members to join our team. As we approach the upcoming summer months, business will increase 20-30 percent on the average.

Believe it or not, tourism has become a big part of business in LaSalle County. Ray will tell you that when he opened the doors back in 1985, he would not have - in his wildest dreams - relied on tourism as a source of landing customers. Back then, the Uptown relied heavily on local clientele. But, things have changed. Starved Rock attracts over 2 million visitors a year, and tourism has become an ever increasing part of our customer base.

Despite that increase in tourism dollars, LaSalle County still has the highest unemployment rate in all of central and Northern Illinois. Is it because we have become so seasonal? Who knows what the reason is. Either way, we thought we'd take the chance to spread the word that we are looking to lower that unemployment percentage as summer approaches. 

Now that visitors flock to our area each season, Downtown LaSalle has become a destination. And with that, an increase in traffic and business for everyone. The result means we're in need of an increased number of staff members. It takes a small village to run a restaurant! Host, bartender, server, busser, dishwasher or cook... whatever your specialty, keep us in mind!

Many of you might think, "Oh, well I can only work 1 or 2 days a week," or "I'm only free on the weekends." Some of you might just want to find a way to get rid of your kids a few nights a week during the summer!  
Whatever your story, it's okay!

It takes all kinds of availability and people to put a schedule together. We have some staff members that work just weekends, some that work just days, some that work Friday, Tuesday and Thursday. Putting a schedule together is kind of like doing a giant puzzle every week, and you have to make the pieces fit just right. Whether you are looking for - full or part time - we probably have the hours to accommodate you.

So, if you or anyone you know are interested in joining our team for the summer (or beyond), stop in and talk to us. We are newly remodeled and have perhaps the nicest facility in LaSalle County. We have been here for 30 years and plan on doing at least 30 more. We are always looking to add to and improve our staff. Whatever your availability might be... you could be the perfect fit!



Friday, March 25, 2016

3/24 Contest Photo

Earn a $25 gift card, just for submitting your fun or witty comment on the photo shown here. Enter your caption in the comments section below to play.  Be sure to include your name to identify yourself as the author.

We'll pick our favorite each week and display the winning caption and author below.

Caption This:

"There's MY order! Hope they make enough for everyone else!"


-Rhody Janke


Congratulations, Rhody! Please email us at frontdeskuptowngrill@yahoo.com to claim your prize.

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Spring Cocktails

by Josh Theisinger

Spring is finally here, even though the weather may not show it yet. Don't let the rain and cold put a damper on thoughts of warmer weather... we've added some new cocktails to put you in the right frame of mind!

Starting with something spicy we introduce the Jalapeno-Orange Margarita. It starts with freshly muddled jalapenos before we add Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur. It is then finished off like a classic margarita with tequila, sweet and sour, and just a splash of orange juice.

Next on the list is the Blueberry Smash, a creation from the mind of mix-master Kim. She starts with fresh blueberries and just a pinch of brown sugar before she muddles it with lemon juice. Finished off with some spiced rum and a splash of ginger ale, the result is a perfectly smooth and sweet concoction.

On to something a little lighter on the palate... the Cucumber Elderflower Martini. It starts with Hendricks gin (infused with rose petals) and St. Germain Elderflower liqueur. We then counteract the sweet and floral with freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice before it is topped off with a fresh cucumber slice. Light and elegant, it's an embodiment of springtime.

Finally we have the Spring Time Fizz. Close to a gin fizz, we substitute for a little more sweetness. We combine blue curacao, pomegranate liqueur, and pineapple juice before it is topped off with ginger ale.

It's finally time to start ditching the heavier portioned meals and warming drinks and get ready for something a little cooler and sweeter. The weather will change soon, and so will your appetites.

Let us get you started off right with these new spring cocktails. But stop in soon, because before you know it, summer will be here!


April Show Updates

by Ray Anderes

As we head into what will be the Playlist Theater's busiest 2 week stretch ever, I just wanted to update the Uptown faithful about some very welcome additions to the shows.

For both of our Griffin House shows, Griffin has added Chris Farney. He plays drums and bass at the same time and also mandolin and guitar. Chris appeared with Griffin here several years ago. He is a very gifted musician. Griffin has also mentioned the possibility of a third. We will keep you posted.

Ray Wylie Hubbard has added his son Lucas, so this will now be a trio. Lucas performed with his father on this David Letterman appearance in 2013.

When booking, I never know what I am going to get... beggars can't be choosers! Most times, I am just happy to get the likes of a Chuck Prophet, Ray Wylie Hubbard, or a Griffin House - on a weekend no less. When we get add-ons like this, it is a bonus. For you as well as for us.

Chuck's appearance will also be very close to the Playlist Theater's 10th anniversary. Ray Bonneville was our very first show back in late March 2006, 10 years ago (minus a short 9 month retirement). Not in my wildest dreams did I think we would be sandwiching our shows around events at places like City Winery, The Ark, Space, Schubas, Stoughton Opera House, Shank Hall or Fitzgeralds - just to name a few.

It seems that very often now, many of these national acts love to stop in La Salle on their way to the major mid-sized Midwest venues. When we started, I never thought it possible that someone with the stature of a Chuck Prophet would stop here. I have been able to cross off almost everyone that was on my top 10 list of artists that I would like to see here. We have made so many new friends along the way, too.

Thank you to Tom Ptak and Bernie Victor for all the work and starting this with me. Thanks to Mario Data for all the great sound and advice. Thanks to my son Ryan, Jimmy Lannen and all my staff for the great service at every show. The quality of service is better than I have gotten at any other concert venue.

Most of all thank you to all of our patrons for making these artists feel so welcome that they want to come back time and time again.

As of posting this article, we only have a few tickets left for the upcoming shows. So last call is in order:

  • Chuck Prophet: Friday, March 25th - Only about 6 tickets left
  • Griffin House: Wednesday, April 6th - About 30 tickets left
  • Ray Wylie Hubbard: Friday, April 8th - Sorry.... sold out
  • Griffin House: Saturday, April 9th - Sorry.... sold out
  • Bill Kirchen: Friday, April 15th - Only 50 tickets left



Annual Lighted Way Spaghetti Dinner

by Jim Lannen

We want to remind everyone that coming Monday, April 4th, we will be hosting the annual Lighted Way Spaghetti Dinner here at the Uptown Grill. This will be the 15th year that we have hosted the event, and it is something that we look forward to every year.


We'll only be open from 11am to 2pm for lunch that day before we switch into full spaghetti mode. Come one, come all!  Enjoy a plate full of spaghetti, fresh baked bread, salad, coffee and cake for an $8.00 donation.

Spaghetti Service from 4:30 - 8:00 pm
Dine in or Carry Out
Monday, April 4

What is amazing about this yearly event is that all of your charitable dollars stay local, right here in LaSalle for the Lighted Way Foundation. Lighted Way is a private day school that has catered to students with developmental disabilities since 1957. This is their major yearly benefit. Please come help support this great cause. The proceeds made from the Spaghetti Dinner will be put into the Lighted Way Foundation and dispersed to meet the needs of its students.

The Lighted Way currently enrolls over 30 students ranging in ages from 3 to 22 years old. Students are taught by certified special education teachers, and additional care is provided by teacher aides. Lighted Way has extensive programs geared towards engaging students both educationally and therapeutically: music, occupational, physical, and speech and language. The Lighted Way teachers also provide their students help to develop skills in the areas of self-help, social, readiness, independent living, motor, perceptual motor, and computer with additional training in physical education, augmentative communication and vocational preparation.

Lighted Way's Symbol is "Light" and they strive to:

  • Light the way for students with disabilities
  • Instill in each child a sense of self-worth
  • Guide students through their educational and therapeutic programs
  • Help students be an integral part of their community
  • Treat each child with dignity, respecting their individual differences

Over the course of the last 15 years, we have served over 25,000 plates of spaghetti and helped raise over $220,000! Each year, we have a very dedicated staff... from the Uptown Grill employees and volunteers, to the terrific Lighted Way employees and volunteers. We always have a great turnout of help dedicated to serving our community.

It is always a wonderful night with a packed house, serving up plate after plate of pasta with a goal of helping this great cause. Thank you all for your past help and donations. We look forward to seeing you again this year!


Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Eggs Benedict Burger

Offered beginning Thursday, 3/24

With Easter around the corner, we decided a burger for the occasion would be an egg-cellent idea! We forgo our typical bun for an english muffin. The beef patty stays the same, but we top it with a poached egg and hollandaise sauce. Available as our burger and brew special for one day only... so hop to it!





Choose any microbrew or bottled beer to accompany a different and enticing burger, every Thursday, for just $10. (Flavor available the rest of the week at regular menu pricing.)


Click here to view our complete burger photo album


Thursday, March 17, 2016

3/17 Contest Photo

Earn a $25 gift card, just for submitting your fun or witty comment on the photo shown here. Enter your caption in the comments section below to play.  Be sure to include your name to identify yourself as the author.

We'll pick our favorite each week and display the winning caption and author below.

Caption This:

"Enjoying Irish pride in LaSalle, Uptown style!"


-Robin Sienkiewicz


Congratulations, Robin! Please email us at frontdeskuptowngrill@yahoo.com to claim your prize.


French Onion Filet

by Josh Theisinger

Ever since I can remember we've always had French Onion soup on the menu.  It's a classic go-to for many people that's a staple on our soup and salad menu. But this weekwe're combining it with something almost everyone loves: steak.  This week we'll be dishing up a French Onion Filet.  We start by char-grilling a 10 ounce filet mignon to your desired temperature and top it with melted swiss cheese before it is placed on a crusty sourdough crouton. It is then served over a ladeling of a silky housemade vidalia onion demi glaze to round out the French Onion theme.  

For you non-meat eaters out there we also have a Broiled Great Lakes Whitefish.  This whitefish is a 10 ounce filet broiled and topped with an anchovy-parsley butter.  This is a fresh-never frozen fish that comes to us from the Great Lakes. This particular whitefish is very light with a flaky texture and a sweeter taste to it that appeals to many people, especially those who aren't crazy about fish.  

Covering both ends of the entree spectrum, we're sure that there is something for everyone on our menu, but these specials only last or a short time. Stop in and see us soon before they swim away!

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Wine and Food Pairings

by Jim Lannen

For many people, the most challenging aspect of drinking wine is knowing how to match it with food. With over 75 different wines on our bottle and glass list, we are confident there will be one that fits your taste. Yet knowing which specific one to choose with your meal can be confusing.


One of the most common questions we receive prior to ordering a glass or bottle is, "What one matches best with a specific dish?"  There is a general rule of thumb when it comes to choosing the right combination. However, more and more, servers and chefs must look at how a dish is prepared in order to make the best suggestion.

When it comes to serving seafood, for example, white wine is not always the only suggestion we can make. Due to new flavor influences and cooking techniques, the old adage of serving white wine with all fish does not necessarily apply.

In other words, to know that you’ll be ordering scallops is not all that’s relevant in choosing a wine. How are the scallops being prepared? Are they raw, poached, boiled, baked, broiled, grilled, roasted, deep fried, or blackened? Is there a cream sauce, fruit chutney, or an herb butter to accompany it? Once we consider how the fish is prepared, how cooking transforms its texture, and what its accompaniments are... only then can we can offer our best suggestion. 

There are six elements to consider in helping to pair food with wine:

Fat
A lot of our favorite foods - both meat and dairy products - have high levels of fat. Wine doesn’t contain fat, so when matching a wine with fatty foods, remember that it has to balance that fat with acid, cut it with tannin, or match its richness with alcohol.

Acid

In wine, it adds freshness and lift. It will do the same with food. When looking for a wine to go with an acidic dish, you should make sure that the perceived acidity of the wine is at least equal to that of the food, or the wine will taste bland and washed out.

Salt

Salty foods seem to limit wine choices. Salt can do strange things to your palate with wine. But with a bit of imagination, you can introduce your taste buds to some remarkable combinations of salty foods and sweet wines. Bleu cheese and Sauternes is another one of the world’s classic food and wine combos.

Sweetness
With desserts, you must be certain that the wine tastes sweeter than the dessert; otherwise the dessert will strip the wine of its sweetness and render it bitter or tart.

Bitterness

Anything more than just a hint is likely to be perceived as unpleasant. When bitterness in wine meets bitterness in food, it acts the opposite of sugar. One does not cancel out the other; they merely combine, so be careful.

Texture

As for matching textures, think light and heavy. Light foods are best with light wines; heavy foods with heavy wines. That’s the safest way to go about it.
Try to match a wine's body to the power of the strongest ingredient in the food. Serve delicate-flavored foods such as simple white fish or poached chicken with lighter bodied wines and stronger, more robust foods such as grilled tuna with spiced lentils or osso buco with full-bodied wines. Many white wines will do jobs which are conventionally regarded as red wine jobs, and vice versa.

For more tips, click here to view 15 examples of what works well with what.

And remember that for every rule of wine pairing there is, you will often find just as many conflicting opinions. The most important rule of all is to trust your own palate and enjoy! With over 75 bottles to choose from, you have to start somewhere!

And we do have wine doggy bags to take home your leftover wine.  Cheers!


Easter Specials & Reservations

by Ryan Anderes

This year, why not spend your Easter Sunday with Uptown? Forget the elaborate spread at home, and give yourself a well-deserved break. Let us provide the food. All we ask is that you bring your appetite.

Open all day Easter Sunday | March 27th
11am - 10pm

We've got a handful of specials lined up for the day (it's right around the corner)! The entrees listed below will be served with maple glazed
carrots and smashed potatoes. Check back with us, as we may decide to add a few more to our already stellar line-up:



Brown Sugar & Mustard Glazed Boneless Ham

bourbon raisin demi glaze  14



Stuffed Tilapia
crab & shrimp stuffed tilapia with lemon dill hollandaise 15




Roasted Boneless Pork Loin
bourbon peppercorn sauce 14



Rack of Lamb

sliced, rosemary mint demi glaze 24



Herb Crusted Prime Rib
slow roasted, served with au jus and mushrooms
English Cut 18   12oz 26   16oz 30


Make us your new Easter tradition, but be sure to plan ahead! We do suggest making reservations in advance by calling 815.224.4545. Or reserve online.


Barn Burger

Offered beginning Thursday, 3/17

We take three of your favorite barnyard creatures and ground them into a tasty burger patty: lamb, pork and beef. Topped with feta cheese, arugula, roasted red peppers and a pesto aioli sauce, this menagerie gets piled high inside a delicious pretzel bun.






Choose any microbrew or bottled beer to accompany a different and enticing burger, every Thursday, for just $10. (Flavor available the rest of the week at regular menu pricing.)


Click here to view our complete burger photo album


Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Chuck Prophet Returns March 25

by Ryan Anderes

This has been the brass ring that was always just inches from Ray's reach. This past week, after years of trying to come together with a date for this gig, it all fell into place.


Chuck Prophet is probably one of the favorite artists of all three of the Playlist chiefs (i.e. Ray, Tom Ptak and Bernie Victor). This will be his 3rd appearance at The Uptown Playlist Theater. He will be appearing as a special solo performance.

Chuck Prophet
Friday, March 25th at 7:30 pm  |  $25.00

We want to let you know that there are just a few tickets that remain. This show WILL sell out, and this is your last warning. Those last few tickets will not be around much longer.

Here's what Rolling Stone Magazine had to say about Prophet:

"Pulling from the funk zone, sophisticated soul music and the kind of fat, greasy blues you can make a meal on singer-songwriter Chuck Prophet nails together a sonic hybrid of urban and rural America. Since his days with psychedelic brown dirt cowboys Green on Red through his Nineties work fronting his band, Prophet's made sideways soulful and bluesy rock and roll his business. More than country-fried licks slapped on top of slam-dunk rock, Prophet's American sights and sounds are fed through a compassionate lens. Straight-up melodies are filled-in and skewed by surprises like farfisa, sitar and strings, as Prophet turns the dusties and undesirables into shiny jewels. Stories of little criminals, unknown legends and waste-cases (and sometimes all three) are firefly-electric in their naturalness. Combine that with a dirty rock & roll vocal and that whalloping guitar, and you've got an undeniably American mix of stuff that's easily digested but still dangerous. Like donuts -- what's not to like?"

Sample the video above for "Sister Lost Soul" to check out Chuck for yourself. Did we mention he's also appeared on Letterman? View that video here.


Friday, March 11, 2016

3/11 Contest Photo

Earn a $25 gift card, just for submitting your fun or witty comment on the photo shown here. Enter your caption in the comments section below to play.  Be sure to include your name to identify yourself as the author.

We'll pick our favorite each week and display the winning caption and author below.

Caption This: 
Our traditional Irish Coffee with housemade cinnamon-sugar whipped cream





"O'cup of coffee."

-Steve Caveglia



Congratulations, Steve! Please email us at frontdeskuptowngrill@yahoo.com to claim your prize.


Thursday, March 10, 2016

Week Night Appy Hour

by Ryan Anderes

Happy hour was reinstated throughout the state of Illinois in July of last year. Along with the reinstatement came a new long list of rules and regulations that an establishment must follow in order to have a Happy Hour.


Also, with reinstatement came new state requirements to pass the BASSET Training which will require all on-premise alcohol servers to have passed. LaSalle County will be required to pass by July 17th, 2017. Aye, Yai, Yai.

This state can suck the fun right out of anything, while diving into your pocket book, too!  And they certainly succeeded with their new happy hour laws. At some point, you just look at all the regulations for happy hour to offer "no more than 15 hours of discounted liquor per week," and you walk away asking yourself if it's even worth it.

At the end of a long day, we do think that working folks want to have a place to gather, so we started to throw around ideas to reinstate Happy Hour here. There is so much we could do, but how do you promote it and how do you choose what to do? There were more questions than answers.

So we settled on Appy Hour. We won't discount alcohol, but we will discount any appetizer you order at the bar OR in the lounge. That's right, Monday-Friday from 4pm to 6pm, any appetizer that is ordered at the bar or in the lounge will be served at half price.

Our hope is to turn the bar area into an after-work gathering place where you can unwind from the long work day with some snacks, and perhaps a beverage or two.

We will begin Appy Hour at the Uptown on Monday, March 14th with our full list of appetizers discounted at half price. We hope to see you then!

Corned Beef and Cabbage

by Josh Theisinger

St. Patrick's Day is almost here, and for our area of mostly Irish descent, it's a holiday that doesn't get overlooked. As we've noted before, Saturday, March 12th is the annual St. Patrick's Day parade in downtown LaSalle. Filled with fun and festivities, it's sure to bring a huge crowd. But once the celebration begins to settle, look no further than the Uptown.  We'll be offering up some Irish fare for those seeking a true St. Patty's treat!

For two days only, this Saturday the 12th and again on Thursday the 17th (the actual St. Patrick's Day), we'll be dishing out the famous corned beef and cabbage plate that everyone looks forward to. We start with a generous 8 ounce portion of housemade corned beef before it is paired with hand sliced and boiled carrots, potatoes, and of course cabbage. This isn't your everyday run of the mill dish either. You will never find any canned veggies on our plate. Everything is cut and peeled in house before it comes to you.

If corned beef and cabbage is a little too much for you, we're also serving up our classic reuben sandwiches. Our corned beef is piled high with swiss cheese and housemade honey-bacon sauerkraut on fresh baked rye. With a side of thousand-island dressing, what's not to love?

And to keep the mood rolling, don't forget our bar is stocked with great Irish Whiskeys, Guinness on tap, and something that a lot of people tend to forget about: Irish Coffees. During this time of year, we like to make our coffees a little more fun!


We start with Jameson Irish Whiskey and mix it with freshly brewed hot coffee before we top it with a housemade cinnamon and sugar whipped cream. Our whipped cream is made fresh for every order, they'll even make it in front of you (if you're sitting at the brand new bar). Finally, it is topped with a little creme de menthe to finish it off.

Much like the area residents, we don't take St. Patrick's Day lightly. Sure, it's not celebrated like any of the other major holidays, but what's to stop us from eating the traditional fare? While it's only two days, we can guarantee one of the best dishes you'll find in our area!

But it won't last long, so stop in and see us before (or after) your St. Patty's celebration!


Greenbush Anger Black IPA

by Jim Lannen

The India Pale Ale style of beer has been (and still is) quite popular. It seems like every few years a new craft brewery is opening and producing these heavy hopped West Coast IPAs. Of course, with every trend, there comes time for some change...

An emerging new beer style is offering a darker twist to the traditional flavor profile of these hop heavy brews. The American black ale, otherwise known as a black IPA (or the India Dark Ale, India Black Ale or dark IPA), is starting to gain some interest.

The Black IPA is not necessarily a new style of beer.  In fact, there is some debate whether it's a style all together. Many believe it is only a variation of an American style IPA that is brewed with darker malts, such as those used in porters and stouts.

These black IPAs fit the palate of the "in-between" winter and spring month beer drinkers. It offers the heavy hop and a high ABV that a typical IPA offers. However it also offers a distinct toasty dark malt character with a roast of a strong stout and porter. Black IPAs are a hard style for breweries to dial in, as dark malt sharpness often combines with hop bitterness for an overwhelmingly dry, astringent finish. To each their own when it comes to different styles of beer, but we brought one in for you to try.

Greenbush Brewery out of Sawyer, Michigan started back in 2011. The "good ideas often start over a beer" thought process is where this brewery began. Craft beer is their specialty, and no beer in the place is less than 6% ABV. The names of their beers are quite interesting as well, with names like Broken Promises, Closure, Pain, Distorter, Retribution or Pain. 

Their black IPA is called Anger and starts with a neatly balanced chocolate and roasted malt flavors with piney, citrusy hops.  The bitterness does not tip the scale, and an added fruity thread from Belgian dark malts lends more complexity.

Here is one review from Ratebeer.com "This is the best Black IPA I've ever had. Black beer with a beige head. Smells of roast pine, and chocolate. Huge flavor of chocolate roastiness. Great hop bitterness. I was overall very impressed with this beer."

Discover whether you agree. Try out a glass of this non-traditional brew next time you stop in!


Cynar Vindication

by Ray Anderes

I feel vindicated. A few weeks back, I came across this article in the food section of the Chicago Tribune. It is about is a liqueur we have had on our back bar since we opened in 1985. Not the same bottle... we might use one or two of them a decade.

Over the years, people have made fun of me for my insistence that this bottle of Cynar even occupies a space on our shelves, we sell so little. I have always said the bottle deserves a spot just for its simple beauty, an eye catching, bright red background with a giant angry looking artichoke dominating the label.

It is probably one the most asked about bottles on the back bar. Unfortunately, the interest usually ends there when you tell a customer it is a traditional Italian artichoke aperitif. The jury is out as to whether it is an aperitif, digestif, or a liqueur. Either way, it is my all time favorite.

I found it many years ago at a classic Italian restaurant. The bartender recommended it accompanied by an espresso. My preferred way of serving it is very simple - on the rocks with a twist. The combination is wonderful. It also has a way of soothing a stomach after dinner that I find unmatched. It is lower in alcohol, so it is the perfect way to end an evening out.

I do have friends who actually like it. They had to get past the initial pucker up, sour-faced reaction that most people get when describing it as an "artichoke aperitif." Whenever a restaurant has it, I am surprised, and it immediately gives credibility to that restaurant's liquor list.

With the craft cocktails garnering much more interest in the food world, I really get a kick out of how mixologists have rediscovered so many of these old world concoctions for adding depth to their creations. It might not make a lot of business sense that we stock and display so many of these, given how rarely they are used.

But recipes, history and traditions warrant they belong to any serious bar. That is why we stock almost 400 different items for any occasion.


Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Reuben Burger

Offered beginning Thursday, 3/10

As a sneak peak to St. Patty's Day, we are offering our gourmet half pound burger topped with sauerkraut, corned beef, swiss cheese, and thousand island dressing. Enjoy it all piled high on a delicious, housemade bun.




Choose any microbrew or bottled beer to accompany a different and enticing burger, every Thursday, for just $10. (Flavor available the rest of the week at regular menu pricing.)


Click here to view our complete burger photo album


Friday, March 4, 2016

3/3 Contest Photo

Earn a $25 gift card, just for submitting your fun or witty comment on the photo shown here. Enter your caption in the comments section below to play.  Be sure to include your name to identify yourself as the author.

We'll pick our favorite each week and display the winning caption and author below.

Caption This:





"Don't be puzzled by drink choices. Try Sofie!

- Sue Sealley



Congratulations, Sue! Please email us at frontdeskuptowngrill@yahoo.com to claim your prize.


Quinoa and Pork Belly

Arugula and Quinoa Salad

Spring is approaching....we hope. Meaning hopefully we can start burning in lighter meals. Winter is heart and gut busting. Spring is light and airy. To prove it we developed a new salad that is healthy but enough to keep you going all day.  Chef Chris has made an arugula nod quinoa mix. Quinoa is the new superfood. Rush in nutrients and filling to make it feel like a full meal. The dish starts with a bed of arugula with a healthy dose of quinoa with house toasted almonds, sweetly drop peppers,  dried figs, Ned finished off with sourdough toast with a creamy goat cheese spread. It's healthy, it's good, and it'll get you through the day. Stop down And get it to see for yourself


Braised Chinese Pork Belly

The bacon craze is everywhere as evidenced by abundant use of bacon on restaurant menus. Chefs offer glazed bacon with maple as a sweeter side dish.  And then there's your more typical usage of bacon as a salad or burger topping.  A nice slice of crispy bacon almost pairs well with anything.

But, did you know that bacon is simply cured pork belly? So, why not skip a step, forego the bacon and seduce your palate with the flavor of the pork belly. Our dish offers the crispy seared - but still tender enough to cut with a fork - pork belly served over wilted arugula, cilantro and 5-spice sauce.

As is the case with most inexperienced diners, if you have not tried something on a menu before, chances are that you will not put your money towards something new for fear of not enjoying your meal. While pork chops, pulled pork and bacon litter restaurant menus with choices, it is not often that you see pork belly. So what is it?


Pork belly is exactly what it says, the underbelly of the pig. It is where bacon comes from after the pork belly has been cured.  This is what gives bacon its smoky, salty flavor we all love. Pork belly is juicier and has a texture more similar to that of a pork chop.

Each belly has three distinct textures: a thin layer of skin, then ribbons of silky fat, and finally streaks of reddish pink meat. The cooking process is what sets pork belly apart from any pork you've ever had before. The belly needs to be slowly cooked or braised, covered to allow moisture to help slowly break down the fat, most specifically the layer just under the skin. This will help to break down the collagen, making a once tough cut of meat into a meltingly-tender mouthful of delicious.

After the belly is prepared in this fashion, it must rest overnight so the belly can absorb all of the flavorful fat and become a firm piece of meat that will be much easier to cook with. Resting overnight allows the belly to be readied for the perfect finishing touch... the final sear. Put that belly over a cast iron skillet at high heat and sear the perfect amount of crispness on top while warming the rest of the portion all the way through.

What we have created for you, first time pork belly connoisseur or not, is simply swine divine.


St. Patrick's Day Parade:
Saturday, March 12

by Ryan Anderes

On Saturday, March 12th, downtown LaSalle will be hosting yet another St. Patrick's Day Parade. The sixth annual parade starts at 1pm at the corner of Bucklin and 2nd Streets. From there, the route continues south on Bucklin to First Street, then east on First Street to La Harpe Street, before turning north on La Harpe to 2nd Street and finally west on 2nd to Gooding Street.


So come down, and watch the parade. Then stop over to celebrate with us. There isn't a more fun way to start the day!

A look at what we'll be offering:

Corned Beef and Cabbage ~ a generous 8 oz. portion of corned beef and fresh vegetables (not canned or frozen); steamed cabbage, baby carrots and boiled whole new potatoes

Guinness ~ Traditionally brewed in Dublin, Ireland at the St. James Gate Brewery with the same recipe since 1759. This beer is robust, yet mellow and satisfying. It gets its burnt flavor from roasted unmalted barley and pours with a thick creamy head. Although Guinness may appear to be black, it is officially a very dark shade of ruby. This is the only beer sold in every pub in Ireland.

Irish Whiskey

  • bushmills
  • jameson
  • red breast single malt 12 yo
  • tullamore dew

Irish Coffee ~ Not in the mood for whiskey or Irish beer? How about a cup of Irish coffee... but wait it has... whiskey? Our bartenders are mixing together some interesting cocktails with some of the finest whiskey in the world. The Irish coffee is to Ireland as apple pie is to America. We offer this traditional beverage with the finest Irish whiskey, our house blend coffee and hand whipped cream. Just like in Ireland.