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    • Hollywood star John Travolta at an Uptown Grill in La Salle, Illinois
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    Hollywood star John Travolta at an Uptown Grill in La Salle, Illinois

    Kathleen William Posted on

    Uptown Grill has been a mainstay of great food and service in La Salle for nearly 40 years.

    But over the years, they've also had something else on the menu: celebrity visits.

    John Travolta, the star with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, also showed up and sat down for dinner at Uptown Grill on Saturday.

    Co-owners Ryan and Alexis Anderes, as well as their staff and patrons, were amazed as the star performed with hits like “Pulp Fiction,” “Phenomenon,” “Grease,” “Saturday Night Fever,” “Face/Off,” “Swordfish” and ” “Broken Arrow” walked into the restaurant on Saturday, sat down and ordered the fried lemon tongue special.

    “We didn’t notice him right away for the first half hour there,” said Ryan Anderes, 44, who was there with his wife Alexis, 45. “One of the (waitresses) checked him out and recognized him afterwards.” He asked for a bottle of water.

    “She told me and I said, 'No way.' I went there and saw it was him. Shortly afterwards people asked him very politely, a lovely, great guy.

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    Anderes says Travolta flew on his private plane (he lives in Florida) to a nearby airport in Peru, Illinois. He was there to refuel and meet his flight instructor, whose wife is from the La Salle area and recommended the restaurant to him.

    “We didn’t disturb him while he was eating,” said Anderes. “We spoke to him as he was walking out the door. We thanked him for coming and he said the restaurant was great and his food was delicious.”

    And no, there's nothing wrong with the tip Travolta left because Travolta didn't pick up the bill. His dinner companion paid.

    The Anderes family left a nice message on their restaurant's Facebook page using the titles of some of Travolta's blockbuster films.

    “For those of you who are hearing rumors of an appearance by a top-notch actor here at our La Salle and wondering if what you heard was just Pulp Fiction…we are pleased to announce that it is it was a real “phenomenon”!

    “In fact, Mr. John Travolta graced us with his presence here at Uptown Grill over the weekend and it was as if he had been struck by Grease Lightning!

    Ryan Anderes and a partner took over the restaurant from his father, Ray, around the time the COVID pandemic hit. His father founded Uptown in 1985 and it has been a popular spot in the area ever since. They have an on-site concert space that seats about 120 people and have hosted Grammy-nominated talent there over the years.

    “We’ve had a few celebrities here too,” said Anderes. “I'm a huge sports fan and I remember seeing (MLB/NFL star) Bo Jackson sitting on our patio. Bret “The Hitman” Hart (pro wrestling star), Diamond Dallas Page (pro wrestling star) were here.

    “And last summer we had the lead singer of the Monkees, Micky Dolenz Jr., as a guest.”

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    Dave Eminian is the Journal Star's sports columnist, covering Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and the Chiefs. He writes the sports column “Cleve In The Eve” for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or [email protected]. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.

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    Kathleen William
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