Happy first day of March! This week has everything: two tornadoes, nice weather today, and possibly snow on Friday. This week also marks my third year as Smile Politely’s Food + Drink Editor. Three years …
Posts by Alyssa Buckley:
A first look at Afghan Cuisine in Urbana
Afghan Cuisine, the first Afghan restaurant in C-U, opens tomorrow, Wednesday, March 1st inside of Strawberry Fields in Urbana. Owned by two brothers Amanullah and Azizullah Mayar, the brand new restaurant will be open daily …
Root for C-U’s Tim Cho on Jeopardy! tomorrow night
On Wednesday, March 1st, Tim Cho will compete on the tv show Jeopardy! in the High School Reunion Tournament. In 2018, Cho was a contestant in the Jeopardy! Teen Tournament and won $10,000 as a …
Your guide to Champaign-Urbana CSA 2023
Champaign-Urbana, it’s time to sign up for a CSA. What’s a CSA? CSA is community-supported agriculture in which individuals buy a whole season’s worth of goods from a local farm or business up front and …
Peep the menu at Just Yolkin’, now open at The Crossing
In the space where Legacy Pizzeria used to be, a new restaurant called Just Yolkin’ is now open at The Crossing in Champaign. The brunch menu at Just Yolkin’ has everything from chocolate chip pancakes …
Big tacos and good margaritas at Fiesta Cafe
Fiesta Cafe is a favorite restaurant of one of my best friends, so I’ve eaten at the pink Mexican restaurant on First Street many times — and drank many a margarita. Open for 35 years, …
Where to eat great fried fish during Lent
It seems like a lot of people crave fish this time of year, and if you have a hankering for some fried fish this season, here are great fried fish options in Champaign-Urbana, plus one …
Cheers to National Margarita Day
Today, February 22nd is National Margarita Day. If you observe this boozy holiday, Champaign-Urbana has you covered with great margaritas all over town. The margs pictured above are from Huaraches Moroleon: the strawberry margarita, spicy …
JuicyU makes fresh-pressed juice in Champaign
Debuting at the farmers’ market this Saturday, JuicyU is a new business that sells fresh-pressed juice. The Champaign juicemaker opened her business in January. Find flavors like apple, beet, celery, grapefruit, and pineapple, plus juices …
ISHI is hosting another ramen pop-up
Get excited: Chef Ken Ishibashi is doing a ramen pop-up this Friday and Saturday at ISHI. The last time ISHI had a ramen pop-up was New Year’s Eve. Usually, the Japanese restaurant offers weekend omakase, …