FOOD & DRINK
Los Goldos is a new Champaign-Urbana food truck
There’s a new Champaign-Urbana food truck called Los Goldos that serves Mexican cuisine. The blue truck’s menu features tacos de barbacoa in addition to street tacos, tamales, tortas, quesadillas, nachos, burritos, and even American-style tacos with lettuce, tomato, onion, and cheese. There’s no posted schedule for hours and...
Neighbors Urbana, Champaign have 'remarkably different bird communities': Study
Research done at the University of Illinois has found wide differences in bird diversity between Urbana and Champaign — neighboring cities with different histories that were found to have impacted bird populations.
I still get cravings for Aunt Sonya’s
There are few things that trigger nostalgia more than food. Whether it’s a spot you grew up going to on Saturday mornings, or a favorite late night hangout, a place that has good memories is often about so much more than the food. For me, one of those places was Aunt Sonya’s, a diner that was originally on the corner of State and Kirby. It opened in 1961 as Uncle John’s and apparently, in the 1970s you could get all the buttermilk pancakes and coffee you wanted for just 99 cents. In 1980 the Uncle John’s name was changed to Aunt Sonya’s, where it continued to serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner until it was closed in 2005. The restaurant was later demolished to make way for a new hotel and parking lot.
Silvercreek plated brunch has something for everyone
I’ve lived in town long enough to remember Silvercreek’s all-you-can-eat brunch buffet from the Before Times. It was legendary. The entire Urbana restaurant had stations of food spread all throughout. In one room, there was a made-to-order omelette station that had a choice of fancy cheeses and add-ins. Along a hallway, long tables had tiny cheesecakes and mini creme brûlée and cookies and other bite-sized desserts, all for the taking. In the main dining room, there was a carving station and a chef with a knife who’d ask if I wanted the prime rib sliced thick or thin. The buffet offered shrimp cocktail, bacon, sausage, brisket, fruit salad, waffles, potatoes, and more. Everyone I know who went to Silvercreek’s Sunday buffet brunch remembers it with the same fondness.
Douglass Park playground temporarily closing for repairs
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — The Champaign Park District will be temporarily closing the Douglass Park playground next week. Starting Monday, the Park District’s Operations department will conduct some surface and swing repairs on the playground. In the meantime, the area will be fenced off. Park District officials said the repairs should be completed in less […]
The brisket fusion food from La Gueras food truck was pretty dang good
This weekend, my husband and I had a casual date at Triptych in Savoy, and the food truck that night was La Gueras Kitchen. That truck opened last summer, and I’ve been wanting to try the red trailer’s fusion food. La Gueras’ menu offers egg rolls stuffed with brisket, crab rangoon nachos, crabby fries, and brisket walking tacos in addition to straight-up crab rangoons, brisket sandwiches, veggie egg rolls, and regular fries.
Tolono Parks urge visitors to stop duct-taping courts
TOLONO, Ill. (WCIA) — The Tolono Park District is asking the public not to put duct tape on their courts as they work to professionally restripe the surfaces. Tennis courts are also often used by pickleball players. However, the size of pickleball courts are much smaller and have more boundary lines, so some players opt […]
There’s a Dairy Queen at Altgeld Hall.
University students woke up to legendary news on Monday morning, as the Illini Union Board announced in an Instagram post that there would be, at long last, a Dairy Queen at Altgeld Hall. Fueling from rumors beginning as early as 2010 that the restaurant chain is hidden in the basement...
Sadorus animal rescue faces closure, urges donations
SADORUS, Ill. (WCIA) — Walls 4 Paws in Sadorus is a non-profit animal rescue giving cats across Central Illinois a temporary place to call home. But the organization’s co-owner said it’s getting tougher and tougher to pay the bills. The animals live in a two-year-old, renovated shed while Tamara Deedrick and her son take care […]
Elks Lodge seeks waiver from video gaming fees
SAVOY — Local officials are considering granting not-for-profits an exception to recent increases in video gaming fees. “We pretty much give away everything we make,” said Bruce Povalish with Elks Lodge 2497, which is seeking the waiver. “We actually run deficits; we have the last three years.”
RegCakes Bakery is a gluten-free paradise
Nestled next to The Senator’s Inn within Savoy, RegCakes has provided gluten-free baked goods to our area for nearly ten years. Their move next to The Senators Inn was recent earlier this year, as they were in Lincoln Square Mall from 2021 to 2023. Since 2015, RegCakes has grown...
Plan ahead for May fun with Champaign Park District
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Plan ahead for May fun! The Champaign Park District has a lot happening this Spring. Here now with the details is Director of Marketing and Development, Chelsea Norton. Champaign Park District has some great programs and special events coming up! Save the Dates!. Park Concerts:
A quantum leap in the arts: CASCaDe Launches at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
STEAM is all the rage. Combining the magical forces of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics has been a rallying cry in both K-12 and higher education for many moons. All too often, the focus, when it comes to funding projects, aligns closer to the science and technology part of that acronym. But not here, people, not here. The University of Illinois has taken STEAM to new heights and the evolution of the Collective for Arts-Science, Creativity and Discovery, etc., aka CASCaDe, renews my faith in humanity’s ability to innovate our way to the next phase in our evolution. I know. That sounds huge. Because it is.
Columbia Street Roastery is a coffee haven of Champaign
Champaign’s Columbia Street Roastery has roasted coffee beans on Columbia Street since 1998. The local family-owned roastery receives coffee beans from around the world and roasts the beans in-house, packaging bags of single-origin beans, blends, and flavored coffee. Though I’ve had Columbia Street coffee before at restaurants and in Blind Pig’s Columbia Street coffee stout, I’d never made the trip to the roastery and coffee store on Columbia Street until last week.
Slaughter Beach, Dog creates intimate performance at Independent Media Center
Visiting Urbana this past Monday during their recent U.S. tour, crowds lined up along the door of the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center with excitement to hear Slaughter Beach, Dog live. Slaughter Beach, Dog, an indie-rock band that originated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has recently been on the road after the release...
Name Dropping | Viktor Krauss returns to alma mater for Champaign Central Jazz Festival
Want to purchase today’s print edition? Here’s a map of single-copy locations. Champaign native Viktor Krauss has some cool friends. And like him, most of them like to play music. With nearly 600 album credits to his name, the Champaign Central grad has gotten to know the likes...
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