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 …
| For the third and final stop of the Champaign-Urbana wine bar plus retail tour, my compadre and I visited Wines at the Pines, a shop nestled among other stores in the The Pines at Stone Creek Commons development at Windsor and Philo Roads in Urbana. This wine bar also moonlights (or perhaps “sunlights” would be a better term) as a coffee shop during the day. I will freely admit that I thought this combination seemed odd and incompatible until …
One of the funny things I have encountered when I tell people that I am a vegetarian is the person who suddenly and apologetically lists to me all of the reasons they are not vegetarian, and the funniest reason of all is, "There's nothing to eat at restaurants." I am not an evangelical vegetarian and the point of this article is not to convert any omnivores. I believe food has a personal meaning and diet is an individual's choice. …
David Spears doesn’t just collect garbage at his restaurant — he collects garbage for it. The former University of Illinois art and design graduate has been creating art for as long as he can remember. Only recently, though, has he begun to restore it. Spears, who is a sculptor by background, said that his inspiration comes from bringing life to old, discarded items. The Champaign-Urbana area has a fair amount of entrepreneurial spirit and initiative that drive the personal …
Three standalone wine store + wine bar combos strategically outline the Champaign-Urbana area: Sun Singer Wine & Spirits in southwest Champaign Wines at the Pines in southeast Urbana Buvons (attached to Corkscrew) near downtown Urbana. I wondered what, besides geography, makes each bar unique, and whether our twin cities really drink enough wine to support three wine bars. So I set out to answer my questions in this three-part series. It turns out that each bar fills a slightly …
Vegan Ease: Trying to ease the mind of vegans and omnivores alike in Champaign-Urbana As a vegan, people always ask me if I’ve eaten at The Red Herring and, until now, I always had to regretfully say no. Their hours of operation never seemed to correspond with my hours of hunger/availability. Not anymore! With their newly added dinner hours of 5-8p.m., Monday through Friday, I can guarantee I’ll be there two or more times a week. Tucked in the …
Most Recent Food Comments
Love CSR. Apart from making my way through the regular roasts in 1/2 pound increments, I also like to pick up some of the little sample packets of the flavored stuff for when the lady and I feel like getting crazy. Sticky Bun is pretty nice.
HUUUUUUGE fan of their Black Velvet roast…It makes up about 75% of my coffee intake. LOL CSR is definitely one of those Champaign institutions that I brag about to people not from here. :-)
We like CSR too! We french press at home and I leave the lid off while it steeps—letting the ground beans bloom. Then, like in your tasting, I scoop off the top layer before pressing. We really need to invest in a burr grinder though, as I…
I had their tea at the Urbana Farmer’s Market when they first started out and it was great! Their tins recently caught my eye at Walnut Street Tea Company and my guests used it all up before I could even try it! Way to go Tiesta, stay…
Im fine with missing ingredients and of course they fixed things what restaurant fights with the customer over things like that anymore. ( the way social media could affect them) My problem is that I am visiting you place of business within the first week of opening.…
The second visit to Meatheads included what tasted like a stale bun. That’s the end of going to Meatheads for a while.
That seems like an odd experience to me. Basically everything you mentioned, apart from price, is contrary to what I’ve witnessed or heard about. You ate at the restaurant and the burger was cold? Seems more like the complaint of someone who took something home. And if…
Unfortunately i did not have the same experiences that some of you may have had. I went to meatheads the 2nd or 3rd night it was open and I was very disappointed. My burger was cold and soggy. I ordered one of their specialty burgers. A spicy…
Ah, I finished it weeks ago—it was figuratively on ice over the holidays… I think each has its own appeal to various consumers, but I hit Buvons/Corkscrew most frequently. The current staff is extremely friendly and has never steered me wrong for a wine pairing, even when…
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Pamela - Are the roasteries in Seattle as clean as CSR? It always disturbs me a little that it is so clean in there.
Now you will be able to munch on pizza and shrimp cocktails in downtown Urbana (whilst a DJ spins?) after your dissolution of marriage http://www.news-gazette.com/news/business/features/its-your-business/2012-02-05/its-your-business-new-pizza-place-downtown-urban Is this a franchise of a Reno pizza joint, or just a coincidence of name? http://www.blackrockpizza.com
Signs someone is “fishing” for a factual anchor: 1. Starts call to radio with: “I’ve been an Illini fan for (XX) years” or “I’m a diehard fan,” as if somehow that unverifiable claim will justify the 5 minutes of B.S. that follows. 2. Makes reference to KenPom…
That’s what she said.
Black dog and Siam terrace is where I always go after my divorces.
Love CSR. Apart from making my way through the regular roasts in 1/2 pound increments, I also like to pick up some of the little sample packets of the flavored stuff for when the lady and I feel like getting crazy. Sticky Bun is pretty nice.
If you happen to be getting a divorce, or fighting a DUI prosecution, downtown Urbana is a great place to eat.
HUUUUUUGE fan of their Black Velvet roast…It makes up about 75% of my coffee intake. LOL CSR is definitely one of those Champaign institutions that I brag about to people not from here. :-)
We like CSR too! We french press at home and I leave the lid off while it steeps—letting the ground beans bloom. Then, like in your tasting, I scoop off the top layer before pressing. We really need to invest in a burr grinder though, as I…
Confidential? In this state? Hahahahahahahhahahaha
just confirmed: there will be white russians served. the art abides.
big lebowski at the art. mark it, dude.
There’s a great video promo out for “Company” too: http://vimeo.com/36077847
Wow, His Majesty took the time to answer your polite plea. It’s been a while since I spoke fluent arrogance, but allow this attempt at a translation: “I deeply regret the embarrassment…” = I wish we hadn’t got caught and it wasn’t a big deal really. “...and…
I love the Guitars
I had their tea at the Urbana Farmer’s Market when they first started out and it was great! Their tins recently caught my eye at Walnut Street Tea Company and my guests used it all up before I could even try it! Way to go Tiesta, stay…
Im fine with missing ingredients and of course they fixed things what restaurant fights with the customer over things like that anymore. ( the way social media could affect them) My problem is that I am visiting you place of business within the first week of opening.…
Thanks for that, Louis CK.
Your call to stay pissed is precisely why global warming fanatics will fail. Emotion has no place in hard science. The problem with the issue of global warming is that is has been pumped full of emotion and politics, and the science is becoming a by-product. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204301404577171531838421366.html?KEYWORDS=global+warming
Clearly the Postal Officials in favor of this cannot make an economic argument, as this saves the post office $0. What is their rationale?
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Pamela - Are the roasteries in Seattle as clean as CSR? It always disturbs me a little that it is so clean in there.