It’s fun to call our twin cities of Champaign-Urbana Shampoo-Banana. The C-U nickname has been around since (at least) the 1970s. There’s so much shampoo in Champaign, but there’s not so many bananas in Urbana. Chronicling Urbana bananas felt like a conquerable quest, so I set out on an Urbana banana bonanza.
From bunches of bananas to deep-fried bananas to plantains (which definitely are bananas), here are seven bananas of Urbana.
Basic Banana ︱ Common Ground
For a raw banana, I went to Common Ground Food Co-op. The Urbana grocery store stocks everything from fresh produce to from-scratch prepared meals to local cheese and fancy ice cream. They have quite the selection of organic bananas in the center of the produce section. I bought yellow bananas ($0.99/pound), but Common Ground also sells baby bananas and red bananas, too, in a range of ripeness. I like shopping at small groceries, and I’m a fan of bananas in their original form.
Common Ground Food Co-op
300 S Broadway Ave
Urbana
7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., daily
Mofongo︱ El Paraiso
For mashed plantains, I went to El Paraiso for mofongo. The Latin American restaurant’s chicken version is fantastic, but for this list, I ordered mofongo with steak ($16.25). El Paraiso’s mashed plantains had a yummy garlicky and buttery flavor, and I loved the texture of these plantains — not fully mashed, more like smashed. The thick slices were seasoned mildly, so each bite of plantains delivered that delicious natural sweetness of starchy banana. The food at the Downtown Urbana restaurant took about 20 minutes, but I always plan for a longer wait here than most spots because the owners’ from-scratch cooking is worth it.
El Paraiso
126 W Main St
Urbana
T-F noon to 3 p.m. + 4 to 8 p.m.
Sa noon to 6 p.m.
Plantains ︱ Les Gourmets Cuisine
The only remaining vendor in Urbana’s Broadway Food Hall, Les Gourmets Cuisine serves a menu of African dishes including baked goat, poulet mayo, salted fish, steak and potatoes, chicken wings, and smoky pork, all available with a choice of side. Here, I ordered the Congolese restaurant’s pork tips ($13.50) with a side of plantains ($5). Les Gourmets served a bigger banana portion than I expected for a side, and thankfully, the plantains tasted awesome. The seven long slices had a slightly sweet yam-like flavor and an ever so crisp exterior. This was a simply wonderful cooked plantain.
Les Gourmets Cuisine
401 N Broadway Ave
Urbana
T-Sa 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Su 2 to 8 p.m.
Plantains ︱ Sepelas African Restaurant
The family-owned Sepelas African restaurant offers a terrific menu of Congolese cuisine, and I really love their plantains. At the plaza restaurant, I ordered a side of the plantains ($5.54), which came mayo and signature onion sauce on a beautiful silver platter with gold details. Served super hot, these twelve bites of plantain tasted outstanding. The outer layer had a crème brûlée-esque crunch, and because of the way Chef Kennedy cut the plantain, it meant so much surface area for delicious caramelization. I really loved that thin, crispy shell around soft, hot plantain. In October, the African restaurant will debut a Sunday supper buffet featuring these plantains, other menu favorites, and specials.
Sepelas African Restaurant
510 N Cunningham Ave
Urbana
Su 3 to 10 p.m.
M-Sa 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Fried Banana with Honey ︱ Siam Terrace
For a sweet banana dessert, I went to Siam Terrace for the Thai restaurant’s fried banana with honey ($6). This was insanely delicious! That hand-dipped batter was like funnel cake, and in the crispiest parts, it was crunchy like toffee. The banana center was so fried it became liquid, a hot banana pudding that tasted absolutely amazing with honey. I love a peanut butter sandwich with banana and honey, and this was that but ten times better. The crisped dough had a sesame nuttiness and a coconut sweetness, and the fried banana tasted so yummy with honey. Adding vanilla ice cream was an option, but it was excellent without. Eat at the Downtown Urbana restaurant, or enjoy this banana in an Urbana curbana.
Siam Terrace
212 W Main St
Urbana
M-F 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. + 5 to 10 p.m.
Sa 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Su noon to 9 p.m.
Banana French Toast ︱ Silvercreek
Hungry for a banana breakfast, I went to Silvercreek’s brunch and ordered the banana bread French toast ($16.64). The dish had thick slices of housemade banana bread indulgently coated with maple syrup, caramelized bananas, and walnuts. Because this French toast’s bread was banana bread, every bite was packed with banana flavor. Warm, dense bread and soft banana drenched in syrup needed some crunch, and those tasty candied walnuts delivered. It was fancy, delicious banana bread served at a veritable Urbana institution. I loved how undeniably banana this dish was; my banana craving was satisfied.
Silvercreek
402 N Race St
Urbana
T-F 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. + 5 to 9 p.m.
Sa 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. + 5 to 9 p.m.
Su 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Banana Pancake ︱Urbana Garden Family Restaurant
Last but not least, I ordered a short stack of banana pancakes ($9.49) at Urbana Family Garden Restaurant. These diner pancakes were fire. I’m not a big pancake person, but I loved these. The cakes had a beautiful golden color and were thick! Like a very soft cookie, the buttery pancake was sturdy with a squishy bounce that didn’t get soggy under a flood of syrup. The banana was understated, dotting the cake but not actually part of the vanilla batter and giving small, deliberate pops of ‘nana sweetness. The buttons of banana bordered on mush but didn’t quite reach that, fortunately. Go for these pancakes and more at the homey Urbana restaurant off Lincoln Avenue.
Urbana Garden Family Restaurant
810 W Killarney St
Urbana
Su+M 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.
T-Sa 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
