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Co-owned by Congolese immigrants Memoire Budimbu Mabiza and Lisette Mbaki, the brand new restaurant Mama’s African Kitchen by Best of Africa Food Store is open for dine in. The restaurant shares an entrance with the African …

This October, El Paraiso opened their new location in Downtown Urbana and expanded their menu of delicious Latin American dishes. Formerly, El Paraiso was located inside Broadway Food Hall. Photo by Alyssa Buckley. Now El Paraiso …

The long wait is over! Espresso Royale on Daniel (602 E. Daniel) is now open for business. You’ll find it in The Hub, the building that now sits at Sixth and Daniel in the spot …

If you’ve been to Art Mart recently, you’ve probably noticed the spiffy new bar across from the registers. I love this addition to the space, and look forward to trying it out with a cup …

Opened this Tuesday, Martinelli’s Market Bakery & Deli offers sandwiches, meat and cheese by the pound, baked goods, and pantry staples. Photo by Alyssa Buckley. Take a look at the menu. The deli offers sandwiches like …

The German-style outdoor Christmas market is back at Riggs Beer Company this year. The market takes place in the brewery’s outdoor space and is open for the next three weekends, from 4 to 8 p.m. …

Heavy Spoon is the ice cream and cereal shop that just opened in Downtown Champaign, in the space formerly occupied by Aroma. Monday through Wednesday the shop opens at 8 a.m., so I thought I …

Regardless of how you celebrate, the editors at Smile Politely hope your holiday is everything you need it to be.  Top image by Daisy Alvarez. 

Urbana’s Hotel Royer, the remodeled Lincoln Hotel, is now a Hilton property. Renovations are underway. The new signage is up, and it looks pretty nice. You can see how the reimagined design pays homage to …