Let’s get to it, shall we?
Fancy Food | Artisan Cup & Fork
The Land Connection’s annual fundraiser is going into its fourth year. This event pairs six local chefs with local farm(er)s, the result is a dish featuring locally sourced ingredients. These dishes are among a very small group of actual farm to table meals you’ll have in C-U. Your ticket includes a dish from each of the teams, tastings of local booze, and dessert. Tickets are $75 per person ($50 under 21).
Team 1
- Chef: Ryan Rogiers
- Meat: Willow Creek Farm – Traci Lipps
- Produce: PrairiErth Farm – Katie & Hans Bishop
- Dairy: Marcoot Jersey Creamery – Amy Marcoot
Team 2
- Chef: Kenny Hogue
- Meat: Kilgus Farmstead – Justin Kilgus
- Produce: Brackett Farm – Bob Brackett
- Dairy: Ropp Jersey Creamery – Ken Ropp
Team 3
- Chef: Anne Caye
- Meat: Harvest Table Foods – Patty Gray
- Produce: Blue Moon Farm – Shea Belahi & Lorien Carsey
- Dairy: Ludwig Farmstead Creamery – Devin
Team 4
- Chef: Crystol Smith & Mike Murphy
- Meat: Moore Family Farms – Diann Moore
- Produce: Meyer Produce – Molly & Ben Oberg
- Dairy: Ludwig Farmstead Creamery – Devin
Team 5
- Chef: Leah Bodine
- Meat: Triple S Farms – Stan Shutte
- Produce: Sola Gratia Farm – Traci Barkley
- Dairy: Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery – Wes J. & Leslie C.
Dessert
- Heidi Leuszler
Brewers
- 25 O’Clock Brewery, Tom Sheehan
- Monarch Brewery, Pete Bergstrom
- Lil Beaver Brewery, Chad Bevers
- Hand of Fate Brewing, Mike Allison
- Emancipation Brewing, Lincoln Slagel
Artisan Cup & Fork
Bluestem Hall
1401 E Old Church Rd
Urbana
September 21st, 6 to 9 p.m.
Get tickets here
Image from The Artisan Cup & Fork’s Facebook event page
Mac & Cheese | Neil St. Blues
Neil St. Blues opened within the last year, and it’s sort of flown under the radar. There have been some staffing changes in the kitchen, but the menu has remained more or less the same. The current chef is Curtis Mcghee, who was previously the excecutive chef at C&C Kitchen in Rantoul. A few weeks ago, I had lunch there with a friend and we sort of went wild on ordering so that we could try a bunch of things.
And try we did. Among the six or so dishes we tried, the mac and cheese was a standout (side, $5). It was creamy and cheesy, and you could actually taste cheese. There was no random tangy cheese like cream cheese hidden within, which is my personal preference.
Neil St. Blues
301 N Neil St
Champaign
Su-Th 11 a.m. to midnight
F + Sa 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Diavola | Pizzeria Antica
Yes, I know I have talked about this pizza ad nauseam, but I can’t help myself. It’s just so good! It has all the right combos of textures and flavors: salami, cheese, arugula, peppers, and more cheese. It’s a little spicy. It’s wonderful. Technically, it’s enough for two people, but I always order my own ($16).
Pizzeria Antica
10 E Chester St
Champaign
M-Th 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. + 5 to 9 p.m.
F + Sa 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Su 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Frozen Cereal Killer blended drink | Pandamonium Doughnuts
In the interest of honesty, I haven’t actually tried this beverage yet — yet being the operative word there. A cereal killer flavored beverage? Is there a doughnut blended into it? I’m not sure, but I need to find out. It looks and sounds tasty AF, and I can’t wait to head to Pandamonium’s store to try one pronto.
Pandamonium Doughnuts
1105 S Windsor Rd
Champaign
W-F 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sa + Su 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Photo from Pandamonium Doughnuts’ Facebook page
Chicken Fajita Quesadilla | La Mixteca
I’ve been making more of an effort to try different things at my favorite restaurants in town, and on my last visit to La Mixteca, I ordered the chicken fajita quesadillas ($9.25). To say I was surprised when the dish arrived is a bit of understatement: there were four massive quesadilla wedges covered in melted cheese sauce next to the usual Mexican sides of lettuce, pico, and sour cream, and rice and beans. I was really worried that I would eat the entire thing and not only embarrass myself but also make myself sick by overeating.
Reader, I came close. The quesadillas were delicious. The chicken and peppers and onions were perfectly grilled. There wasn’t too much cheese within the folded tortillas, so the melted cheese on top wasn’t overwhelming. I ate the leftovers for dinner, and they were still great. It’ll be hard to try something else next time I visit.
La Mixteca
510 N Cunningham
Urbana
Su-Th 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
F + Sa 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Photos by Jessica Hammie, except where noted
