Category > Restaurant & Bar Reviews
“It’s kind of cool getting to know your farmer … petting the cows at Kilgus [Farmstead],” said Jessica Gorin, Executive Chef of Big Grove Tavern, which will open May 31 on the ground floor of One East Main in downtown Champaign. Gorin, a chef for 14 years and proponent of using local food, makes the farm-to-table concept a reality for the new restaurant by visiting many local farms to meet the farmers and source the ingredients. Photo by …
| There are places to get good coffee in C-U, there are swarms of places to get a cup of liquid containing a legal stimulant that vaguely resembles the stuff, and then there are places where the baristas have won awards for their work. We check out a contender in the latter category, Cafe Zojo. Cafe Zojo celebrated its grand opening last week at The Pines at Stone Creek Commons development at Windsor and Philo Roads in Urbana. Tucked in …
Aroma Cafe, nestled in between Pekara and the Blind Pig Brewery in downtown Champaign, reopened under brand new ownership as of the first week of April. In general, it feels the same, but once you find your seat and begin to look around, you’ll begin to notice the changes — new pieces of artwork, new menu items, and a beautifully painted menu board to showcase them. Many of the dishes are almost exactly the same as items found on …
The second installment of this series takes us from campus to downtown Champaign, where my partner in crime, Megan, and I reviewed Peking Garden at 206 North Randolph Street. Peking came highly recommended to me by my friend — food enthusiast and ultimate denizen of downtown — Aaron K. But first, a little meta-commentary about this review series. The pleasure I get from ethnic dining is two-fold. I love the food. And I love the differentness of the experience. …
In an unassuming storefront in a strip mall in Urbana, a new baker has been quietly kneading, mixing, and frosting his way into people’s hearts and making his way into their daily routines. Rick Carrillo opened Rick’s Bakery Café about a month and a half ago, and six days a week since then, he’s produced dozens of fresh breads, flaky pastries, cakes, and other treats from scratch. So who is the Rick behind Rick’s Bakery Café? When I first …
Joel Gillespie says: So, I rolled up to the Li'l Porgy's location in Champaign on April Fool's Day, and what was there to greet me but an incredibly welcoming sign detailing Porgy's 33rd Anniversary special. Turns out, it wasn't a prank of any kind! You really could get a two-pound tub of rib tips, fries, and bread for $13.64 plus tax (a $2 discount versus regular price). Unfortunately, they were out of the commemorative mugs by the time we …
In 1869, workers connected the eastern and western segments of the First Continental Railroad with the famed golden spike you read about in grade school. The railroad companies relied mostly on Irish and Chinese immigrants to supply the labor for the project. When railroad work trailed off, we can assume the Irish workers opened up a bunch of bars and Benningan’s franchises, while the Chinese gave us another important staple of modern civilization — Chinese food! Chinese food is …
Bringing Champaign-Urbana’s oldest operating restaurant back to life was no easy feat. It took a passion for historic preservation and restoration of a building of a former operating business to construct the Courier Café, now on its 32 year of serving C-U’s residents and visitors alike. While this town isn’t exactly as densely populated or sizeable as Chicago, owner Allen Strong commends it for its diversity and the omnipresent community that seems to be responsible for this thriving business. …
Cody Caudill and Joel Gillespie have several things in common, one being that they've both recently enjoyed the Merry Ann's Diner dish known as The Railsplitter. Joel rang in the new year with an early January 1st meal, while Cody indulged just a couple of weeks ago. Here are their stories: Cody Caudill The makings of “The Railsplitter” are: Two hotdogs on the bun covered with fries covered with chili covered by slices of American cheese. If, like …
In August 2008, while we were all busy watching the Olympics and could have really cared less, the Blockbuster Video at 1305 S. Neil St. closed its doors. For the next three years the building stood vacant, listed “for sale or for lease,” but without any takers. You may have driven past it, just north of Kirby, its blue-and-yellow marquee still intact, moldering in decay. It was starting to seem as if the building would just remain in that …
Most Recent Food Comments
it’s quite choice. looking forward to seeing how it and its patronage grow and develop over the course of the year. could be a neat little ecosystem.
“It was at this point, before he started his business, that working with city employees should’ve raised red flags…” But they didn’t because: 1) The City Clerk’s office originally mis-interpreted the rules, or are indeed re-interpreting them. 2) Champaign’s brick-n-mortar merchants hadn’t yet started whining about The Crave Truck.
Looking forward to trying this place!
I don’t know about Gerard and a random police sargeant. My (mild) outrage is based on this: “...he worked closely with Champaign City Clerk Marilyn Banks to make sure he was licensed properly as a transient food peddler, filling out the necessary paperwork and paying a $225…
Local Yocal pretty much nails it here. I suspect there will be merchants who oppose food trucks because they arguably don’t pay their fair share to locate their trucks in high traffic (high rent) areas. The food trucks take away business from rent payers, park in city…
I also got to visit Big Grove Tavern during the soft open and definitely enjoyed the pork belly the most of all the dishes I sampled. The cheesy grits and the vinegary pickled vegetables were a perfect compliment to the rich pork belly.
Food trucks are the start-up, small businesses of the future for those unable to afford real estate. No surprise, that merchants who pay rent, utilities, and maintenance on a property would despise the traveling competition. Or developers who build more empty retail spaces would want to close…
Not so much far-right Tea Party as a balanced, moderate viewpoint between letting businesses succeed and protecting society with reasonable regulations. In spite of what the city reps are saying, the interpretation of policy on this issue certainly has changed. Letting a business start up under one…
I think it’s neat that SP has turned rightward, now espousing a Tea Party-style frustration with government regulations & taxes.
Most Popular Food Articles (60 days)
- Triptych’s “work of art” in danger
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- Rick’s bakery serves up tasty pastries
- Aroma Cafe, putting the sexy back in toast
- Picking up dinner at Peking Garden
- Cafe Zojo steals the show
- Speakeasy-style cocktails shake up downtown
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- BEST Food & Drink
- Champaign pulls rug from under food trucks
Most Recent Comments
High-profile whining. AKA Lobbying.
it’s quite choice. looking forward to seeing how it and its patronage grow and develop over the course of the year. could be a neat little ecosystem.
“It was at this point, before he started his business, that working with city employees should’ve raised red flags…” But they didn’t because: 1) The City Clerk’s office originally mis-interpreted the rules, or are indeed re-interpreting them. 2) Champaign’s brick-n-mortar merchants hadn’t yet started whining about The Crave Truck.
Super cool! Excellent track, Excellent band.
Looking forward to trying this place!
I’m in the middle (or the beginning or end, depending on how you look at it) of re-reading Slaughterhouse Five. What a great companion column.
Get yours early. The Rave’s CD will be available at Exile and at The C-U Flea on Saturday. C-U Flea details here: http://www.smilepolitely.com/news/sp_radio_podcast_c-u_flea_arrives/
I don’t know about Gerard and a random police sargeant. My (mild) outrage is based on this: “...he worked closely with Champaign City Clerk Marilyn Banks to make sure he was licensed properly as a transient food peddler, filling out the necessary paperwork and paying a $225…
Local Yocal pretty much nails it here. I suspect there will be merchants who oppose food trucks because they arguably don’t pay their fair share to locate their trucks in high traffic (high rent) areas. The food trucks take away business from rent payers, park in city…
Oh nice! I’d totally vote for Matt Campbell!
“Smile Politely sports writer announces candidacy for city government.”
I also got to visit Big Grove Tavern during the soft open and definitely enjoyed the pork belly the most of all the dishes I sampled. The cheesy grits and the vinegary pickled vegetables were a perfect compliment to the rich pork belly.
The Alan Partridge lookalike on the right in the first small photo has nothing to condescend to anyone about. AH HA!
Snell and the little Hitlers of the neighborhood association need to chill out. Legitimate businesses should have the freedom to exist without having to endure the slings and arrows of ignorant and misguided opposition.
represent, Matt.
Yeah, I’d agree that Transporter Room 3 is the worst house venue I’ve ever seen.
Food trucks are the start-up, small businesses of the future for those unable to afford real estate. No surprise, that merchants who pay rent, utilities, and maintenance on a property would despise the traveling competition. Or developers who build more empty retail spaces would want to close…
Not so much far-right Tea Party as a balanced, moderate viewpoint between letting businesses succeed and protecting society with reasonable regulations. In spite of what the city reps are saying, the interpretation of policy on this issue certainly has changed. Letting a business start up under one…
I think it’s neat that SP has turned rightward, now espousing a Tea Party-style frustration with government regulations & taxes.
This makes me so sad. (Happy to live in Urbana, though!) Crave Truck has been a GREAT addition to the food choices in C-U, and it’d be a travesty to chase them away. This town should be supporting small businesses. I’m glad to hear that they’ll still…
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High-profile whining. AKA Lobbying.