Veal Rouladen

Every once in a while, Ray digs deep into his European archive of food dishes and throws a curve ball of an idea at us that makes us raise our eyebrows and wonder if he's onto something brilliant?  Or if he's just pulling our leg?

In this case, he's introduced all of us to veal rouladen (not pulling your leg on this one). Veal rouladen is a classic Middle European dish that you don't see too often on restaurant menus. Considered mostly as a festive dish - much like or turkey or ham on holidays - rouladen (pronounced ROO-LA-DEN) is a thinly sliced veal cutlet that is generously spread with stone ground mustard and then rolled with carrots and pickles.

The term roulade originates from the French word "rouler," meaning to roll. Typically, most roulade dishes are filled and then wrapped with pastry. It's not uncommon for people to confuse roulade with beef wellington.  Our version of rouladen - another variation from the two - puts an Uptown spin on a classic roulade dish. 

We take our "wrapped meat roll" and braise it with a housemade veal demi glace before serving it over freshly-buttered spaetzle. To finish the dish off, it is paired with a heaping portion of braised green and red cabbage mixed with applewood smoked bacon to help absorb the veal demi glace.

It's not everyday you get to sample something like this from the old country, and it's a very classical dish in a sense. It's down-home ethnic comfort food, and it's guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser. For all the Illinois Valley folk of German or Polish descent, this one should be right up your alley!

So stop in and see us before this dish rolls on down the road!

Meet the Menu- Dry-Aged Ribeyes

For those of you that missed out on the dry-aged ribeye (or were a little too timid to try it) don't fret, they're back and in a much large quantity than last time.  

The process to age a steak is actually pretty labor intensive.  No, it's not a matter of just letting them sit around, there is some fine-tuning and science behind it. The room that these are put in have to have a specific humidity, temperature and air quality. If any one of these factors is "off" it can completely screw up a flavor profile. For instance, just by leaving specific items in the room (not on the actual piece of meat) can impart a flavor onto your steak. In most cases, many aging facilities leave gigantic blocks of artisan salts within the room to impart a specific flavor. 

Our first attempt at aging was a success, (although going into Lent is not the best time to showcase meat) and we decided to age another batch to show what kind of meat this restaurant is capable of serving. For those of you who haven't had the chance to indulge yourself (and trust me, this is one of those times to) the only way we could best describe this to you is "animal butter."  These 32 ounce, bone-in monsters are a melt in your mouth experience that true beef lovers will appreciate.  When we were hand-carving these behemoths of a cut, Ray was telling us of people trying to put "dibs" down on the next set to come in.  So, we've made it a priority to make sure that we would have enough on-hand to feed the masses.  

For our loyal fan base in our weekly newsletter, you are the first to know that these are back (so consider this your dibs).  And for the rest of you, Lent is over.  Your meatless Friday's are no more, and what better way to celebrate than slicing into a hand-carved, bone-in 32 ounce, five week dry-aged ribeye.  Ladies and gentlemen, this is the creme de la creme of meat and you will find it no where else than at the Uptown Grill.  

Our Burger Me Thursday Weekly Special

The hamburger is an American food staple that has seen nearly every imaginable alteration in its history. I recently spotted an article that discussed the different styles of burgers originating from different regions of the U.S. It got me thinking about our very own weekly burger special.

Each Thursday is your chance to try out a gourmet burger creation and wash it down with a cold one for only 10 bucks.  It has been four years since we have started this idea, and we continually strive to bring new and interesting combinations to put on the bun.

So how did the burger get its start?  There are many claims to who created this sandwich and where. Some say it is traced to Otta Kuase in Hamburg, Germany; however, doesn't that seem too ironic? Others say that it was first created right here in the USA in 1900 by Louis Lassen in New Haven, Connecticut. I think this makes more sense. This comfort food has America written all over it.

Over the course of the last 115 years, many people from all areas of the country have come up with different ideas and combinations to make these patties taste so great. Quite honestly, even though some seem a little odd, try it and you will almost shrug your shoulders with a mouthful mumbling..."not bad." 

Swine Divine:Pork Belly on Special

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 alongside pan-seared sea scallops, cauliflower mashed potato and grand marnier flavored pork jus.

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?

Resolution Keepers: Hummus, Smoked Salmon and Italian Five Grain

Well, we are over 2 weeks into the new year and how many of you have kept your resolutions so far? We all have to admit there are a few that have not been so easy to keep. How about the goal of watching what we eat? It sounds easier than it really is, doesn't it?

  

Keep us in mind each week as we put together made-from-scratch specials that are both good for you and taste amazing as well. We have even been tossing around the idea of putting a list of menu items together on one page in our menu that fit both these desires. We may even call it the "resolutions" page of our menu. (Stay tuned for more on that in the near future.) For the time being, here are a few specials we have right now that should keep you close to your goals.

   

Housemade Mediterranean Hummus  

This is not your grocery store, factory made hummus. Chef Chris takes fresh cooked, mashed chick peas and blends it with tahini, olive oil, lemon, garlic and a touch of salt. Tahini is a paste made from ground hulled sesame seeds. This dish screams nutrition. It's a great source of protein, along with being high in iron and vitamin C. You need some sort of shovel to enjoy this dip, right? We have that taken care of with fresh fried taro chips. Taro is a root vegetable that we slice thin and lightly fry to a crisp chip. Taro has a nutty flavor that is similar to a water chestnut. Our housemade hummus is topped with pinenuts, red pepper and an olive oil blend.

Smoked Salmon, Boursin Cheese & Arugula Salad 

This salad combines great flavor with "good for you." Salmon is a terrific source of protein, along with vitamin B12, phosphorus and B6. Cold-smoked salmon is the feature of this dish, but what a wonderful combination with the rest of the ingredients! Arugula is a low calorie, peppery green that's full of anti-oxidants and vitamins. This leafy vegetable is becoming more and more popular these days. Boursin is a creamy, garlic and herb cheese that we have panko crusted and lightly fried. Our salad is finished with an assortment of radish, hard boiled egg, cucumber, tomato, pinenuts and caperberries. Caperberries are oblong, semi-green fruits, about the size of or slightly larger than a table grape. Though they still have some lemon taste, they are much milder than caper buds.   

Italian Five Grain with Asparagus and Tomato  

This has been one of my go-to healthy meals the last week or so. Our chefs sauteed fresh asparagus, tomato, carrot and zucchini in white wine and plugra butter. It is then combined with several nutritional grains. Farro, barley, durum and whole grain oats are packed with a lot that is good for you. This dish can be enjoyed complementing your meal or as the main dish itself for a light lunch. I recently topped it with a our salmon burger, although the possibilities are endless! Try it with our black bean veggie burger or our housemade crab cake.  

Keep us in mind as you plan your meal this week. Stick to those resolutions and remember the many different healthy options to choose from. You might even say that our menu offers more healthy choices than most places have choices.

Duck Confit Tacos, Mussels and Linguini, and Lemon Sole

The holidays are finally over, and everyone around here can definitely tell.  A few weeks back we announced that our New Year's Eve menu would showcase lobster in many different ways. In one day (coincidentally being our busiest day of the year), we sold over 60 lobster tails in a span of 8 hours!  In turn we have to give our menu a complete overhaul of specials, and we're pretty excited for these newcomers.  

Pan Fried Lemon Sole 

First is a pan fried lemon sole filet.  Our 10 ounce filet is lightly breaded and pan fried to create the perfect crispiness without getting a deep fried fish consistency. It is then topped with a housemade lemon parsley butter. Sole, a flatfish most commonly mistaken as flounder, is an extremely mild and flaky fish when cooked.  It is a popular fish in many cooking styles due to the fact that the fish is nowhere close to overpowering any of the flavors in the dish.

  

Mussels and Linguini 

Next on the lineup is another seafood dish that isn't found very often in our area.  Our chefs have come together to create a fresh twist on mussels with linguini.  We steam fresh mussels with fennel and celery in a housemade smoked paprika broth. The fresh, never frozen mussels are then poured over linguini and served with a housemade toasted foccacia breadstick.  When you first smell this dish as it's presented to you, it will instantly remind you of a steam bake made famous by the New England tradition.  The warm and crunchy breadstick to soak up the remaining broth is just a bonus to a dish that screams "comfort food."  

Duck Confit Tacos 

Finally, and arguably our most exotic new special, is a duck confit taco with a chipotle apricot salsa.  Shredded duck confit (pronounced con-fee) is a French cooking term for taking a salt cured meat - traditionally duck - and frying it in it's own fat. In turn, the duck becomes easily shred-able, much like an American version of pulled pork.  It is then placed in a fried white corn tortilla shell and topped with tomato, avocado, shredded fennel and a housemade chipotle-apricot salsa.  This dish is a perfect mixture of sweet and savory with just a splash of heat for a south of the border twist. 

The cold weather may have everyone hunkered down and preparing for the worst - at least that's how most schools are taking it these days - but we're positive you won't want to miss these dishes.  And much like our lobster tails, we can guarantee these won't be around for long. So if you're looking for a reason to venture out into the cold, I just gave you three perfect examples.  Dine in, or carry out - your choice.  Either way we're sure that these dishes will warm you right to the core.

Lobster Tails

Lobsters are invading the Uptown for New Years! South African rock lobster tails are available in multiple dishes for as long as our supplies last.

As a traditional dish, you can find the surf portions of your choice as one tail or twin tails. But for those of you feeling a little adventurous or even a little more hungry, we are offering a variety of turfs to add some flair.

You can enjoy your choice of a house-trimmed filet, an English cut of slow roasted prime rib, or for the not so faint of heart - a 16 ounce dry-aged, bone-in chargrilled New York strip... all served with a broiled lobster tail and drawn butter. 

Rock lobster tails are a unique, rose-colored, cold water species living in the depths of the South African ocean off the southern tip. These lobster thrive in the icy water where they grow slowly and develop a more compact, muscular tail resulting in unique texture and delicate flavor.

Once considered the poor man's fish, lobster tails are now a delicacy sought after 'round the world... and we've brought them right to you. But there is some work on your part to get one of them - you just have to show up!

Ring in the New Year with us, and you, too, can live a little fancier this year. Reservations are still available for New Year's Eve. Call us at 224-4545 or go online and feel free to set up the reservation yourself!

Black Striped Lobster Ravioli

This time of the year, everyone is always looking for a little something "more." Not necessarily meaning that they're not getting enough... but more so that they're looking for something a little more "high end."

Our Christmas season is in full swing, and our weekends are packed with diners looking for quality steaks, pastas, and fish. Each year at this time, we notice the trend and have made it a tradition to feature a certain dish around the holidays.

Digging into our archives, we'll be serving black striped lobster raviolis. The black stripe on the ravioli derives from octopus ink being added to the dough, but don't fret... this will not affect flavor.

The raviolis are filled with a mixture of cheese and lobster for a sweet and creamy filling. We then toss it in a housemade saffron cream sauce. Saffron is the world's most expensive spice and has a mild earthy taste. The cream sauce creates a balance between sweet and savory. To finish off the dish, we top it with REAL broiled lobster meat and a sprinkling of red and green pepper confetti.

It's the time of the year to treat yourself. You broke the bank buying presents for friends and family, so why not add yourself to the list? We assure you that it's something special and unique - without putting a dent in your pocketbook!

Fire Roasted Jalapenos & Blue Cheese Flatbread

Fire Roasted Jalapenos
When it comes to putting together specials, creativity is a big part of taking something ordinary and making it extraordinary. Chef Chris has put together an appetizer this week that is exactly that.....something simple turned amazing.

His "inside out" fire roasted jalapeno peppers are a delicious blend of flavors. Although the weather this time of year will make you shiver, this appetizer is sure to warm you up. This is not your ordinary store bought, pre-made frozen stuffed poppers.

Our chefs take fresh jalapeno peppers and fire roast them over an open flame. They then top them with panko breaded and fried fresh oysters with a horseradish cream cheese. The oyster is the only part that is fried. You will get the roasted flavor from the fire, crunch from the oyster and the smooth horseradish cream cheese finish.

As always, everything we do is made fresh from scratch, in house. Come down this week and experience these fire-roasted treats.

Blue Cheese Flatbread
You'd be surprised how often people ask us if we serve pizza. And 99.9% of the time we say, no. But every .1% of the time we get to say....kinda.

In the next few days, we'll begin serving a filet flatbread appetizer that offers a special twist on classic pizza. We take a thin, crispy flatbread and spread a layer of blue cheese aioli as a sauce.

Instead of typical mozzarella, we crumble fresh salemville blue cheese and replace the boring meat toppings of sausage and pepperoni with actual hand-cut pieces of filet mignon. Fresh shiitake mushrooms are mixed into the combination to help create a variation on supreme pizza.  Our final topping - caramelized red onions - help balance the savory and creamy blue cheese with a touch of sweetness.

There are many, many places in our area that boast great family style pizza, but why not splurge for something a little more eclectic? Plus you don't have to worry about it getting cold in the delivery driver's car on the way to your house.

Face it, a night out is always better then getting a greasy pizza delivered. So take pizza night in a new direction and give ours a try.

In The News & On Special   Lemon and Macadamia Nut Crusted Cod Filet By Ryan This week on special we are serving a broiled cod filet toppd with a lemon and macadamia nut crust. Cod is probably one of the easiest things to sell because even those that are not sea-foodies tend to like the mild flavor of cod.  But, that mild flavor that everyone likes might be hard to come by in the next few months so if you are someone that enjoys cod, you better enjoy it while you can. After our most recent shipment of cod came in, we were made aware of some new happenings within the cod fishing industry. It's not always easy to stay abreast of everything happening within the food industry and this one got by us.  In the Gulf of Maine, Cod is the regions most iconic fish and it has provided for the lifestyle of numerous fishermen and their families for decades. In the middle of last month however, the region was effectively banned, by the federal fishing industry, from fishing cod until at least April of 2015.  Why, you might ask? Well, this has been something the powers that be have been monitoring for a few years now. Last year the agency that oversees fishing in the region lowered the amount of cod that could be caught by 77% over 2012. The number of cod in the region is estimated at around 2400 metric tons. In comparison, when fishing in the region first began record keeping in 1982, 2200 metric tons of cod were fished in that year alone. You can easily see the cause for concern.  Furthermore, it is the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association) that monitors the oceans species supply. They have surmised that the cod supply has dwindled to as little as 3% of what it would take to maintain a healthy popluation. Further complicating matters is that the young cod fish they were monitoring were producing well below average spawning rates. The two factors combined are what led to the cod fishing ban in hopes that the species can recover to sustainable rates over the course of the next 6 months.  While this is a devastating blow for the livelihood of many fisherman within this region, the NOAA hopes to have things up and running again in May. It's a short term ban for a long term gain. Fishermen may have to find other ways to make ends meet in the short term. But, if they were to eliminate the species from their local waters, completely destroying their way of life, 6 months doesn't seem like that long of a sacrifice.

Smoked Salmon Latkes

The Illinois Valley is known for it's strong Polish and German heritage, so why not channel that into a crowd pleasing dish?  Our cooks are at it again and have created housemade potato latkes topped with smoked salmon, lemon mascarpone, fresh dill, and just a hint of caviar on top. Latkes are a very simple version of pancakes made with three basic ingredients of potato, eggs, and flour. Latkes were traditionally a Jewish favorite during Hanukkah, but grew increasingly popular amongst other European countries after WWII   It's what comes on top that makes these a popular dish around Europe, and boy have we gone overboard on this one.

The beginning layer of mascarpone cheese is a substitute to the ever popular version of cream cheese, and then topped with smoked salmon.  Mascarpone is a smoother, lighter, and creamier version of cream cheese, but we mix it with fresh lemon. We then place a sprig of dill and some freshly sliced scallion on top of it all for a tangy-well rounded finish to the savory and smokey underlying flavors.  While this combination is typically found in a breakfast style setting on a bagel or english muffin, we feel that this is best suited as an appetizer leading in to your main course.  Either way, for all you Polish descendants out there, we're sure we did your ancestors proud with this one.

Scotch Eggs

Scotch eggs are a traditional English picnic food dating back to 1738. Originally made in a department store, the intent was to provide a full meal in one tightly made ball that was easy to carry, store, and prepare on the fly.

For those of you unfamiliar with a scotch egg, it is a hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage then rolled in bread crumbs before they're either baked or deep fried.

In England, these still reign as a favorite snack-time food instead of a full meal and are usually made into smaller variations.  In other words, these are the popcorn chicken or popcorn shrimp variations that most Americans enjoy.

As an appetizer, the Uptown will be showcasing Scotch eggs through the coming days. But of course, we have to add a slight variation to ours to make it something unique. We start with hard boiled eggs and wrap them in housemade pork ground sausage. We then fry them until they're perfectly cooked and top them with fresh red peppers, avocado, and a sprinkling of dill.

Served with a stone ground mustard sauce, they're the perfect start to any meal.  Or, when you're not looking to fully commit to a large portion, they make a perfect snack.  Either way you choose to enjoy them, we're positive we've done the dish proud with our new take on this old classic.

Butternut Squash Ravioli in a Brown Sage Butter

The autumn season is quickly coming to an end. Thanksgiving is here; the hectic shopping season is upon us; and our lives become much, much busier the next few weeks. Just as the seasons change, so do the seasonal specials that we put together. It seems like just yesterday we had more heirloom tomatoes than we knew what to do with.... I miss them already.

It won't be long before I'll be saying the same about one of my favorite dishes - Butternut Squash Ravioli in a Brown Sage Butter. Offered as our fall pasta special, this entree has about another week left on our menu.

A perfect dish for this time of year... the cool nights just call for full, hearty vegetables and sauces for our everyday meals! We take pillow ravioli that are stuffed with butternut squash and pan fried in a brown sage butter. The ravioli are then topped with roasted butternut squash, toasted pecans, fresh sage and a pecan gremolata. (Gremolata is a chopped herb condiment classic made of lemon zest, garlic and parsley.)

Our brown sage butter is made with a plugra butter, which is a butter that contains a higher butterfat percentage than traditional butter. This may be the secret ingredient in many flavorful dishes. This dish has a simple mix of flavors that work together quite well. If you've never tried it you'll love it.

Just be sure to savor the taste while you can, because just as we miss our fresh garden tomatoes...this dish, too, would not be the same in June!

Barramundi with a Lemon and Macadamia Nut Crust

Last week we added fresh Barramundi to our menu, and in only a few short days, we sold out of our entire stock. We did not realize that such a dish would be so popular with our customers, and we had no choice but to bring it back this week.  We'll be featuring it as a special through the coming days.

Our chefs take a fresh Barramundi filet and top it with a housemade macadamia nut and lemon crust before broiling it to a perfect golden brown. Barramundi is an iconic table fish in Australia. It populates itself in the Pacific-Island countries and is commercially fished for most of the Southeast Asian and Australian countries. This fish has a mild taste with a white, flaky flesh and is most commonly referred to as Asian Sea Bass.

We're also serving up a tasty side dish that would be a perfect add on to any entree.  With winter almost here, many of us turn to warm comforting dishes... but we often forget to watch for healthier alternatives during our "hibernation" periods. Don't worry, the Uptown has you covered with the introduction of our farro side dish.

It's a combination of farro, shiitake mushroom, roasted asparagus, roasted red peppers, parsley, capers, green onion and sundried tomato which are then tossed in a red wine vinaigrette. Served chilled, farro is a chewy, slightly nutty tasting type of wheat grain. The origins are debatable, but it is a common ingredient of much Italian and Mediterranean cooking... which we've stuck pretty close to.  Our interpretation of this healthy side dish can be paired with a wide selection of toppings to create an easy lunch or meal.

Just because the weather is taking a turn for the worse doesn't mean your eating habits have to as well. Stop in and see us (or call for carry-out) and we'll be more than happy to keep you on track this winter.

Creamy Polenta with Fall Mushroom Ragu

I love this time of year when it starts to get cold and the style of some of our dishes start to have that hearty, warm late fall and winter feel. On special this week, we have a great polenta and mushroom dish. It is served as a side, but enough for a meal. Only $9.00.

First, we start with a creamy imported Italian cornmeal polenta. We saute and caramelize fresh oyster, shitake, portobello and button mushrooms and add them to a classic ragu sauce.

The polenta is then topped with this mixture along with freshly grated regianno parmesan. While I am very far from a being a vegetarian, sometimes it is actually nice to skip the meat... especially when a dish is this hearty. You don't need meat.

This dish is one of my all-time favorites. Pair it with one of our simple salads and you have a great meal!

Braised Short Ribs, plus Shishito Peppers

Down home dishes and full, hearty meals are often synonymous with the cool-weather season that's upon us. They leave us feeling full and satisfied. Our cooks have taken a twist on a classic to create an elegant dish that will truly define "comfort food."

Slowly braised short ribs will soon be featured on our menu. Braising is a type of cooking where a food is seared at a high temperature to create a crust, before being finished in liquid. This helps to break down a tough meat and make it fork tender to create a fall-apart cut. 

Our ribs are braised in a red wine, and then the remaining liquid is used to make a housemade wild mushroom reduction. We place all this on a bed of creamy and silky Italian polenta to create a truly savory dish.

Common in Italian and French cuisine, polenta is cornmeal that is made into a consistency just thicker than porridge. Many of us usually refer to it as grits. In either case, we're positive that this dish will remind you of the down home cooking of your past.  And with a glass of red wine, we say that nothing could be better.

If you're not feeling quite ready for the cold, we're making one final push of the season with our shishito peppers. Customers have been raving about our fire roasted peppers, but we're ready to prepare them a little differently... as poppers!

We take a blend of crab meat and cream cheese and fill the shishito peppers before we deep fry and serve them with our housemade salsa. Don't worry, these peppers aren't as spicy as your typical jalapeno - except for maybe one or two!  Which in this case, it's a new version of Russian Roulette... but we'll let you take the chance on that.

Butternut Squash Risotto &Lemon Sole Filet with Chorizo Butter

Au Revoir to the light, easy-going meals of the summer. The grills can be put away for the season; the sun sets early; and jackets are finally being uncovered from deep within our closets.  Say Bonjour to the seasonal dishes scheduled to join our menu in the coming days.  

First on the lineup is a butternut squash and saffron risotto with crispy pancetta. This traditional Italian pasta dish is modified for the season with the addition of butternut squash. The sweetness of the squash and the savoriness of the risotto combines with the crisp pancetta to allow us to explore all ranges of flavor and consistencies in one seasonal dish. It moves away from the lighter dish of summer and finds its territory in the "comfort foods" category. 

Moving on, we'll also be featuring a fresh fish entree. For a limited time - due to the

seasonality of various types of fish - we'll be serving a fresh filet of sole with lemon and chorizo butter. Sole is most closely relate to the flounder. It has a mild taste with a firm texture. We broil it to perfection with fresh lemons and top it with a chorizo butter.

Chorizo is a slighty spicy Spanish sausage. We feel that featuring chorizo as the main ingredient of the butter provides a great seasoning to the fish rather than adding extra spices to overpower it. But you'll have to come check these out yourself because the fish season will change within a matter of weeks, and so will the weather.

Flatbreads and Orzo Side

Bigger isn't always necessarily better. Sometimes an appetizer can get the job done better than an entree.

Case in point is our newly featured flatbread consisting of slow roasted lamb, feta cheese, roasted shishito peppers and thinly sliced leeks. This dish is a new addition to a series of flatbreads we offer (I'm sure many of you remember the heirloom tomato flatbread we just featured through the summer. It was one of our top selling items in the last three months). In either case, we're positive that this dish is perfect as an appetizer to start your meal... it could even settle for being the main feature.

Continuing with the theme of non-traditional entree choices, we'll also be serving a dish that can be had as a side... or again as a main course. Our chefs will be serving a mix of fresh arugula, orzo, roasted tomatoes and toasted pinenuts. Topped with a balsamic dressing, we feel this dish is best supported with a skewer of freshly grilled shrimp as a main course.

For those who can't commit to a full meal, this dish will also be offered as a side which can easily be topped with a variety of specialty toppings found on our menu. While I mentioned before that bigger isn't always better, in this case it is true. While we may not technically classify these dishes as entrees, it shows the versatility of our menu options.

So come make a dish extraordinary with a few additions of your own choosing. But you'll only be able to do that if you come experience it first hand (or with takeout)!

Fettuccine Alfredo, Broiled Pawns & More

This week, we are featuring some amazing new specials. Each dish is unique in its own right... add to them a little bit of Chef Chris' ideas, and their flavors really pop! Check out what we are featuring below. You won't want to miss these dishes.

Fettuccine Alfredo
You called for it; we obliged. We were not kidding when we said we would honor requests for "old" menu items to make their return. This week, you will see the "original" fettuccine alfredo. We have several people who were devasted when this dish was removed from our menu, including Ryan's daughter Emersyn. (She may have even boycotted us for a few weeks when this happened  =)  My wife is also a big fan of this dish, and ours in particular. I think she has tried every place in town but has declared ours the best. There is no creamier, tastier sauce with a toasted parmesan crust better than ours. A simple dish, yet there is importance on the creation of this sauce to make it truly unique. 

Calamari Tacos(and Side Note about Nachos)

We have a wide variety of different tacos that are among our customer favorites, and we just came up with a new one you can add to the list. Coming soon will be calamari tacos.

We fry fresh calamari and serve it with red cabbage and cilantro with a unique jalapeño-plum sauce. It's a sweet and spicy Asian taco that differs from our other offerings... the southwestern marix marinated tacos we showcased during Lent, our west-coast inspired fish tacos found on our everyday menu, and even our house-smoked pork taco with a Mexican-infused flair we featured to kick off summer.

An additional note......a few weeks ago, we said that we would have tomatillo nachos on our menu. Unfortunately due to how busy the times got and with how many items we feature on the entirety of our menu, we regrettably weren't able to offer them to our loyal fan base.

Our customers/readers gave us an earful when we announced this item a few weeks ago and weren't able to deliver. But we can confidently say that you will see them on our menu in the coming days. We guarantee they will be here, and we guarantee you will love them!