buzz magazine: november 8, 2013

Champaign-Urbana’s community magazine FREE

COMMUNITY 04 ENTERTAINMENT 13 DINING 23

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2 buzz November 8 14, 2013

COMMUNITY 4New Business 6

Green Business 7New Clothes 8

Vintage ClothesLibrary 9Park 10

Place to Buy a BikeRegional StoreNail Salon 11Hair Salon

Place to Get a TattooSmoke Shop 12

ENTERTAINMENT13Place to See a Movie 14Performance Theater

Comedy Venue 15Art Gallery 16

Live Music VenuePlace to Buy Music 18

Beer GardenCU Personality 19

Worst of CURegional Attraction 20Gay-Friendly Nightlife

Editors' Picks: CU FestivalsLocal Band 21

Editors' Picks: Music

DINING 23Bakery 24

Breakfast 25Coffee ShopBurgers 26

Barbecue 27Mexican 28

Delivery FoodEditor's Picks: Dishes of CU 29

Liquor Store 30Beer Selection/Bar Selection 31

Place to Take A DateVegetarian Restaurant 32

Pizza 33Editors' Favorite Slices

NOVEMBER 8, 2013VOL 11 NO 36

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PRESENTS

Every issue of buzz is made with care and with the help of the members of the Champaign-Urbana community. None, however, is made with as much of CU em-bedded in every page

as this one, Best of CU. This issue is all about you, the reader. You sent in your votes, told us your favorites in a multitude of categories in the fields of community, entertainment and din-ing. We tallied them up, ranked them, tracked down the winners and wrote about them. Now they’re all compiled here, in what we hope is an aesthetically pleasing and fun-to-read package that showcases the best stuff our towns have to offer. We also added some of our own input through our own picks, in order to include even more of what we think makes these cities so great. Some of the best parts of Champaign-Ur-bana don’t always lend themselves to a reader’s poll for whatever reason, and our editor’s picks hopefully shined a light on some things that flew under the radar.

This issue is a culmination of a great deal of work and collected effort. As you can probably tell, Best of CU is several times larger than the average issue of buzz. The designs and layouts are atypical. We’ve been planning this thing for several weeks, months even, and after hours upon hours, I’ve seen it come together into something to be proud of. Our staff put in a whole lot of extra time to get it together, and I couldn’t be more thankful for their dedication.

Moving to Champaign as an 18-year-old fresh out of high school is a fun, weird, disorient-ing experience. Just learning the names of the dorms and the locations of your classes can take a while. If you want, it’s pretty easy to stay in your comfort zone and just hang out with people you know from back home. You could probably get through school without befriend-ing someone who grew up more than 20 min-utes away from you. It’s dangerously easy to fall in line and just stick to the same old friends going to the same old places on campus.

When I joined buzz, I was looking for some-thing more than that. It opened my eyes to all kinds of new experiences, places to go, people to meet and things to do. I really started to see just how great the arts and entertainment community is in CU. I can’t tell you how many people that I have met through buzz, whether they are fellow staff members, sources or just people I see out and about at different events, who have become important parts of my life.

Best of CU is a testament to the incredible spirit of interconnectedness here. You re-ally can make a difference if you get out there. Whether you're a student looking to branch out off of campus or just a local resident looking for new places to check out over the weekend, I hope that this issue helps you find whatever you’re looking for.

EDITOR í S NOTEEVAN LYMAN

November 8 14, 2013 buzz 3

Welcome to the DANGER ZONE!

COVER DESIGNS Dane GeorgesEDITOR IN CHIEF Evan Lyman

MANAGING EDITOR Dan DurleyART DIRECTOR Dane Georges

COPY CHIEF Lauren CoxPHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Animah Boakye

IMAGE EDITOR Dan DurleyPHOTOGRAPHERS Madison Ross-Ryan, Teresa Anderson, Dani Rudy, Animah Boakye, Liz Brinckerhoff, Megan Swiertz, Folake

Osibodu, Alyssa Abay, Diana Diggs, Allison Macey, Alissa Wertz, Johanna Tesfaye

DESIGNERS Bella Reinhofer, Katie GearyMUSIC EDITOR Maddie Rehayem

FOOD & DRINK EDITOR Carrie McMenaminMOVIES & TV EDITOR Kaitlin Penn

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Andrea BaumgartnerCOMMUNITY EDITOR Karolina Zapal

STUDENT SALES MANAGER Nick LangloisCLASSIFIED SALES MANAGER Deb Sosnowski

AD DIRECTOR Travis TruittPUBLISHER Lilyan J. Levant

BUZZ STAFF

ON THE WEB www.readbuzz.com EMAIL [email protected]

WRITE 512 E. Green St., Champaign, IL 61820 CALL 217-337-3801

We reserve the right to edit submissions. buzz will not publish a letter without the verbal consent of the writer prior to publication date. buzz

Magazine is a student-run publication of Illini Media Company and does not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the views of the University

of Illinois administration, faculty or students.

© ILLINI MEDIA COMPANY 2013

TALK TO BUZZ

Need a little

In your pep

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Downtown Urbana

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TOE!

FEATURING

106 W. Main St. | Urbana, IL217-367-2880

M-Th 9:30AM-5:30PM

9:30AM-5:00PM9:30AM-7:00PMFriday

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meet the

BUZZ STAFF

Top Row Community Editor Karolina Zapal, Arts & Entertainment Editor Andrea Baumgart-

ner, Assistant Food & Drink Editor Melissa España. Second Row Managing Editor Dan

Durley, Designer Katie Geary, Assistant A & E Editor Imani Brooks. Third Row Copy Chief

Lauren Cox, Movies & TV Editor Kaitlin Penn, Food & Drink Editor Carrie McMenamin.

Fourth Row Designer Bella Reinhofer, Online Editor Tyler Durgan, Art Director Dane

Georges. Fifth Row Photo Editor Animah Boakye, Music Editor Maddie Rehayem

4 buzz November 8-14, 2013


McDonald's actually does serve breakfast after 10:30 if you bring a weapon.

KR ANNERT CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTSTHIS WEEK

TH NOV 7

5pm Krannert Uncorked with Don’t Ask, klezmer // Marquee

7:30pm Clybourne Park // Illinois Theatre

7:30pm Irish Chamber Orchestra featuring JoAnn Falletta, conductor; Sir James Galway, flute; and Lady Jeanne Galway, flute // Marquee

FR NOV 8


7:30pm Chip McNeill, jazz saxophone // School of Music

SA NOV 9


7:30pm Ricardo Flores and William Moersch, percussion // School of Music

TU NOV 12


7:30pm UI Percussion Ensemble // School of Music

WE NOV 13


7:30pm UI Trombone Choir // School of Music

TH NOV 14

5pm Krannert Uncorked // Marquee


7:30pm Falstaff // School of Music Opera Program

7:30pm November Dance: Big Tiny Little Dance // Dance at Illinois

7:30pm UI Chamber Orchestra // School of Music

Corporate Power Train Team Engine

C A L L 3 3 3 . 6 2 8 0 • 1. 8 0 0 . K C P A T I X

These sponsors make good stuff happen:

Irish Chamber Orchestra featuring JoAnn Falletta, conductor; Sir James Galway, flute; and Lady Jeanne Galway, flute

Helen & James Farmer

Carole & Jerry Ringer

Helen & Daniel Richards

Beth L. Armsey

Susan & Michael Haney

Maxine & Jim Kaler

Lisa & Mark Klinger

Lois & Robert Resek

Selma Richardson

Shirley & Arthur Traugott

Anonymous

Falstaff

Gay Roberts

Marquee performances are supported in part by the Illinois Arts Council—a state agency which recognizes Krannert Center in its Partners in Excellence Program.

40 North and Krannert Center—working together to put Champaign County’s culture on the map.

HAVE THE LAST WORD. Learn Yiddish or speak geek. Write like Poe or find inner peace. Share a haiku on your filing cabinet. Dig into a Magnetic Poetry box for motivation—or just plain fun.

THE EXCEPTIONA LLY ECLECTIC A N D A RTFU LLY A FFOR DA BLE STOR E

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BESTDanielle Janota

Iwasn’t sure what to expect when I made my fi rst trip to a piercing shop. To my pleasant surprise, my excursion to Pinky’s Piercings, winner of CU’s

Best New Business, was the least intimidating ex-perience I could’ve asked for. In fact, going to the new shop, located within the Rod Sickler Salon and Spa, feels more like you’re getting your nails done than getting a piercing.

Having a location within a salon was a “godsend” to owner and pro-piercer, Karla Pinky Grimes. Formerly of No Regrets Tattoos, Pinky said she is thrilled to have her own shop on her own terms. “I have my own business which I can control, and still I get all the benefi ts of having these other business-es here in a professional environment,” she said.

Professionalism and safety is present in every-thing Pinky does. The main idea behind Pinky’s Piercings was a shop that could meet APP (Asso-ciation for Professional Piercers) standards. This means that all the jewelry is implant-grade quality, and the shop has the best hygiene methods pos-sible. “One of the fi rst things I did was get rid of the junk jewelry,” she said. “I know what’s in my metal. I know how it’s polished. Long story short, it makes everybody happy.”

Not only is her jewelry high quality, it’s also low priced. Pinky was annoyed by huge disparity

between the cost and value of a piece of jewelry at most shops and wanted to change that at her own place. “At most piercing shops, if you’re paying $15 for piercing, it’s mostly likely only worth $0.30," she said. "I saw there was a tremendous markup on cheap jewelry, so I wanted to offer really nice jewelry to people at a decent price. I don’t mark my stuff up much.”

Pinky offers a standard $25 fee plus the cost of jewelry on any, and I mean any, type of piercing. Many may not realize there are piercing trends, but whatever the hot, new piercing is, Pinky can do it and has great jewelry to match. “Last year was the trend of the triple forward helix, that’s the three itty bitty gems at the top of the ear and it goes small, medium, large," she said. "Pinterest started it. It went gangbuster ... and septum piercings are really hot right now on girls and guys.”

Of all the great things Pinky’s Piercings has to offer, the biggest asset is Pinky herself. From the environment to the pricing to the styles, everything she does at her shop has her customers in mind. She even has a “no pressure piercing” policy where she won’t pierce anyone, especially young kids, without proof of desire for a piercing. She has new markdowns every month and even offers discounts to people with good grades.

If I ever feel the need to get a piercing, I will most defi nitely go to Pinky’s Piercings. She’s experi-enced, sweet, and fashion-forward. Pinky is the cool aunt I always wanted.

NEW BUSINESS:Allison Macey

2nd

3rd

Revolt Tattoo StudioFlying Machine Coffee

Pinky's Piercings2520 Village Green Place, Champaign

Pinky's Piercings is run by Karla Pinky Grimes in Champaign.She is dedicated to having a clean, comfortable and professional shop.

Your Champaign-Urbana location for hair, skin and nails!

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Pros and cons of making food: pros = food ... cons = making.

4ɄȇȐɑȽNails Salon

Elegant and AffordableComplete Professional Nail Care and Spa for Men & Women

217-954-05001711 W. Kirby Ave.Champaign, IL 61821

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BESTGREEN BUSINESS/PLACE TO BUY ORGANIC GROCERIES:

Natalie Czarnota Alyssa AbayCommon Ground Food Coo p

300 S. Broadway Ave., Urbana

Asmall store found in Urbana, Common Ground Food Co-op, is a hidden treasure that is filled with healthy food, friendly staff

and a passion for sustainability.

Founded in 1974, this place is one of the few in the area that is devoted to providing healthy, or-ganic food to the community. Many of the items sold there come from local suppliers, in addition to being organic.

“Purchasing local foods strengthens our local economy, supports sustainable farming and uses less fuel, since they are not transported as far as non-local products,” said Joy Rust, Common Ground’s marketing manager. “When consider-ing a new supplier, we take all of these things into account and also consider the overall quality of the products they offer and consumer demand.”

After an expansion to the store last year, there are more choices for customers, especially for pre-made food. Soups, sandwiches, salads and crois-sants are only a few of the options available at the deli counter for a quick, healthy lunch on the go.

Common Ground also makes it easy to be sus-tainable. Customers can bring their own reusable bags to carry their groceries in or use the paper bags made from 100-percent recycled paper. In addition, there is a bag tree where customers can leave their reusable bags for others who have for-gotten theirs. In the bulk food section, customers

could bring their own container to fill up with cer-tain items that are priced by their weight, reducing the environmental threats caused by waste from unnecessary packaging.

In addition to the great food options, Common Ground also supplies eco-friendly cleaning and paper products, helping people in the community be more sustainable in their homes.

Common Ground composts its produce and prepared food waste, and starting sometime in the near future, the store will begin composting food scraps, paper plates, cups and napkins from meals eaten by customers at Common Ground.

This is part of a program called Round up for Good. According to Common Ground’s website, “the

Round Up for Good program began in February 2010, following the earthquake in Haiti. Customers had expressed a desire to donate to the humani-tarian efforts in Haiti through the Co-op. After a month of doing so, customers expressed interest in continuing to donate, and so the Round Up pro-gram was born.”

Whether you’re looking for a healthier lifestyle or desiring to be inspired to lead a more sustainable lifestyle, Common Ground Food Co-op is the per-fect place to check, every day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Common Ground Food Co-op in Urbana.

2nd

3rd (Green) Ippatsu/(Organic) Farmer's Market (Green) IDEA Store/(Organic) Strawberry Fields


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Find us on Facebook

206 W. North Street, Normal, IL 61761 | 309.858.2337

www.ApricotLaneBloomington-Normal.com

Fun, Fearless, Fashionable

Find us on Facebook

206 W. North Street, Normal, IL 61761 | 309.858.2337

www.ApricotLaneBloomington-Normal.com

Fun, Fearless, Fashionable

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BESTTeresa Anderson

2nd

3rd

Circles BoutiqueUrban Outfitters BEST 2nd

3rd

RagstockCarrie's Antiques and Jewelry

NEW CLOTHING STORE: Apricot Lane

Ariell Carter

Acharming little boutique sits on the corner of Green and Wright streets. The new shop, opening only a couple of months ago, is filled

with trendy clothes and customers. Apricot Lane Boutique received this years Best of CU’s award for Best Place to Buy New Clothes, and many of their shoppers would attest to that.

Apricot Lane is a family-run clothing franchise opened by mother and daughter Jena Green and Renee Dixon. The two are from Peoria and opened their first store in Peoria's Shoppes at Grand Prairie mall. They have opened other locations in the past five years, including boutiques in Normal, Ill., and Nashville, Tenn.

The store has the best of both worlds in being a boutique and a franchise. Franchises have flexibility in the merchandise that they bring in and the set up of the store itself. Store manager Lindsey Flessner said they have the ability to bring items to the store

that they want. She also said that if a lot of people are asking for the same thing, they can get it in the store to cater to their shoppers' needs.

“I think the owners really know what to stock in their stores,” Flessner said. “Their daughter, Jena, works with a buyer in LA to bring in merchandise that’s right for each demographic.”

This store and the one in Normal are both geared toward the college student, especially with the af-fordability. However, the store, though in Campus-town, also works to cater to more than just students; the store has clothes for women from their teens to older women as well.

Even though it’s a franchise, the store works hard to keep the feel of a boutique, Flessner said. Unlike in big chain stores, shoppers don't need to be hesitant to buy clothes because they think they will be one of many wearing the same thing. Apricot Lane only keeps six of each item, which helps with the unique-ness of the store. Keeping the stock to a minimum helps each shopper who makes a purchase know that she won’t be one of many wearing the same outfit. That’s hard to find these days.

Apricot Lane is also big on customer service. They greet every single customer walking through the door, and they recognize that some customers may have a hard time putting together an outfit and help them. The store has everything from outfits to shoes to accessories and nail polishes. It’s a one-stop shop for their customers.

Flessner said the customers keep coming back because of the affordability of the items. The clothes in the shop are of good quality and aren’t going to break the bank just to put together one outfit.

627 S. Wright St., suite 101, Champaign

VINTAGE CLOTHING STORE:Dandelion Anwen Parrott

N estled in the heart of downtown Cham-paign, Dandelion Retro, Vintage & Used Clothing has been providing the

wardrobes of CU residents with pops of color and charm for nearly 20 years.

The successful vintage store was opened by Sara Hudson in the early ’90s as an experiment.

“I didn’t know if my customer base would be more students or more regular folks, so I did the experi-ment where I had clothes on campus and ... at a more antiquey store where everyone walked in,” Hudson said. “What happened was they were both successful, so I decided to meld my two ideas and do one store, Dandelion, which is a mix of clothes for younger people and everyday people, as well as costumes. We do vintage, we do recycled, we do retro and we do some new stuff.”

If it sounds like Dandelion carries a bit of every-thing, that’s because, frankly, it does. There are huge displays of hats with fun, feathered details; brightly colored sweaters from the ’50s and ’60s; and racks of those classy vintage suit jackets that will undoubt-edly make any person sporting one look incredibly cool. There are sunglasses, earrings, motorcycle jackets, petticoats and prom dresses. There seems to be no limit to what can be found in this lively store; the one requirement for merchandise appears to be spirit. This, Hudson explains, is entirely intentional.

“I’ve incorporated everything so you can mix it up

and smush it together and make it your own style,” she said. “Instead of going to the mall and having them dictate what fashion you’re supposed to wear and where all the stores kind of look the same ... wear what you want to wear and what makes you who you are. Make it a statement about your personality. ... My husband is an artist, and we share a lot of com-mon theories. He takes a blank canvas every time he starts a painting and he makes it his own thing. He paints whatever he wants. I think your body is your own canvas, and you can put whatever clothes on it you want to make it your painting.”

The amount of thought, care and heart that Hudson has put into her store does not go unno-ticed. Dandelion has been a local favorite since it first opened its doors, and customers have noth-ing but kind words for the store and its upkeep. Pa-trons rave about the large men’s section, which is all too often absent from stores of this nature. The meticulous organization of the shop is also greatly appreciated; the store is packed with items, yet everything is clean and perfectly spaced, with racks that are not overly stuffed but instead allow for easy and enjoyable browsing.

Dandelion is a labor of love. Whether it’s travel-ing around the Midwest in search of vintage pieces or spending hours carefully arranging each hand-picked item, Hudson puts a part of herself into every aspect of the store. Dandelion is her masterpiece.

9 Taylor St., Champaign

Allison Macey

Store owner of Dandelion, Sara Hudson, brings in vintage, used and new goods into the store in Champaign on a regular basis.

Apricot Lane Boutique in Champaign was voted best new cloth-ing store for Best of CU 2013.

COMMUNITY


SAIL

Meet your newest neighbor ó a real tough act with a soft spot for the environment. And an appetite for all things recyclable. Glass. Aluminum. Paper. It doesní t matter. Just toss it in and stand back. Way back. Because this is The Thing. And no matter how much you feed it, ití s always hungry for more.

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To learn more about Champaigní s new multi-family, non-sort recycling program, please call 217-403-4700 or visit www.feedthething.org.

BESTAnimah Boakye

2nd

3rd

Urbana Free Public LibraryGrainger Engineering Library

LIBRARY: Champaign Public LibraryRebecca Jacobs

A library is more than books. It’s a meeting point for readers, a place for adventure, a source of information and a com-

munity of friends — both fi ctional and real. The Champaign Public Library was voted as the Best Library, being home to the world of books for the Champaign-Urbana community.

Large concrete letters spell out “library” in front of the building, which is covered in huge windows. Walking inside, patrons see that the space is open and clean. Shelves of children’s books are vibrant, and the information desk is lit up with bright col-ors. The stacks for adults are neatly lined. The Latte Da! Cafe fuels visitors in the lower level. Natural light fi lls the open space, making every-thing vivacious and welcoming.

The Champaign Public Library receives around 3,000 visitors daily, with around 6,300 items checked out per day. Visitors experience an award-winning setting, as the library was named a four-star library by Library Journal and is one of the top 100 public libraries in the U.S., according to Hennen’s Public Library Ratings.

All ages visit the library, and programs are de-signed to accommodate the various generations. The most popular programs are story times for younger children, including Toddler Tales and Ba-bies Love Books. Caregivers and children come together to introduce pre-reading skills through songs, rhymes and stories.

Families of preschoolers are provided literacy kits for their early stages of reading through Ready, Set, Read! This was made possible by indi-vidual donors, a grant from Target and Champaign Unit #4 Schools. Ready, Set, Read! meets weekly at the University’s Main Library to continue read-ing development skills.

Adults are attracted to events like Cover to Cov-er and BYOB (Bring Your Own Book). Book discus-sions allow readers to dig deeper into the books while interacting with fellow reading enthusiasts.

Library services encourage readers outside of traditional books. Digital magazines and more than 30,000 e-books are available for the tech savvy.

Visitors can purchase books in the FriendShop. The shop is run by volunteers in the lower level of the library. Books, along with CDs and DVDs, are sold at low prices, with most books costing less than $1. The store is open Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Free Wi-Fi is available at the Douglass and Main Library branches. The free high-speed Internet ac-commodates around 400 computer users every day. Students from the University of Illinois Grad-uate School of Library and Information Science provide one-on-one computer help at the library.

The computers are available for everyone. Us-ers can get help creating resumes, fi lling out job applications, learning how to use and download e-books, searching the library catalog for materi-als and using mobile apps for Mango languages and My Media Mall.

Computers and other spaces are used for homework help and study areas. Students use the library as a quiet atmosphere for schoolwork. Conference and study rooms are also available.

Anyone who lives in Champaign can get a free library card, allowing them to take advantage of these services. Using the library’s resources and managing books is easy with an online service to check fees and due dates.

The bright, open space of the Champaign Public Library refl ects the world opened to readers by opening the cover of a book.

200 W. Green St., Champaign

Champaign Public Library, winner of Best of CU 2013: Best Library Award.

Congrats to all - winners or otherwise - who make Champaign, Illinois the best darn small city in America!

Mayor Don Gerard


owWant to know where you can park, when you can park, and when payment is due?

Visit our websites today for answersto these questions and more.www.urbanaillinois.us/parkingwww.ci.champaign.il.us/parking

BESTDani Rudy

2nd

3rd

West Side ParkHessel Park BEST

Dani Rudy

2nd

3rd

Champaign CycleThe Bike Project of Champaign Urbana

PARK: Meadowbrook ParkRicardo Plaza

Ever needed the surroundings of a peaceful, scenic location when your life gets to be too much? Perhaps the frantic, bustling

streets of CU can make one long for a quiet, relaxing place to pass the time. Sometimes a simple visit to a park is the best remedy for a stressful and eventful day. Meadowbrook Park was crowned Best Park of CU this year partly because of that. Located at 2808 S. Race St. in Urbana, a multitude of long trails encompass the park. From trails made for walking to ones designed to let you take in the gorgeous scenery, each one always houses at least one lucky guest.

The park has some of the most beautiful autumn-colored trees at the moment that would leave a lasting impression for many. The grove given by the Timpone family is one of the few groves in the park that makes sure the wildlife around it thrives. The trails and benches around the trees have the fall leaves begging to be crunched with feet. Not only that, but there are several sculptures and

landmarks that lend flare to the atmosphere and will help you find your surroundings if you get lost. There are also many maps around the park that can guide you along your way.

If you wanted to have a nice day with your chil-dren or younger siblings, Meadowbrook is home to a few jungle gyms that would surely attract youngsters at play. Having more options than just walking the trails really sets this park apart from others close to it. There are prairie fields in the park that build up the soothing sense of peacefulness the park contains. You also do not have to worry about seeking shelter if rain or weather gets nasty, as there are buildings spread out that have vending machines and bathrooms.

A park staff member said that most people like the park because of the mingling of forest and prai-rie life and the tranquility they bring, which many other local parks are not fortunate enough to have. It is plain to see why CU has picked Meadowbrook Park as the best one out of so many others.

2808 S. Race St., UrbanaBIKE SHOP: Durst Cycle

Emily Dejka

For 78 years, Durst Cycle has been filling the bicycle needs of students and families in Champaign-Urbana. However, their expertise

does not begin and end with cycling. Store manager Jared Durst said: “We have sold everything.”

This is no exaggeration. Throughout the years, Durst has sold wheelchairs, motorbikes and lawn mowers. Currently, Durst Cycle mainly sells bi-cycles and fitness equipment but will still ser-vice items that are not sold in the store, such as skateboards and wheelchairs.

If you already own a bike, Durst Cycle is still the place to go. The store services all brands of bikes and can also get older bikes, which may have been forgotten, into working order. The motto at Durst Cycle is: “We only sell what we can service.”

Durst Cycle is also aware of the increase in bicycle thefts this year and does its part to help. The store has a strict policy for buying back or trading in bicycles in order to prevent stolen bi-

cycles from being sold. Often, people who have had their bike stolen will call Durst Cycle and ask the store to keep an eye out for it.

But why choose Durst? “Students should come to Durst Cycle because of

our service, location, and array of brands, parts and accessories,” Durst said.

Additionally, location is extremely important to Durst Cycle. Since opening, Durst has moved its Urbana location twice in order to be more convenient and accessible to students. They also have an impressive selection of goods. Lin-ing the walls of Durst Cycle is everything from helmets and cycling apparel to locks and patch kits. Moreover, the employees at Durst Cycle are extremely knowledgeable and can give advice and answer any questions you may have.

“The best piece of advice I can give to people who own a bicycle is to service it regularly and to always lock their bike,” Durst said.

1201 S. Mattis Ave., Champaign

Meadowbrook Park, Urbana.

Durst Cycle, Urbana.

COMMUNITY


Rod Sickler? I hardly knew her!

BESTJohanna Tesfaye

2nd

3rd

Rod Sickler Salon & SpaH2O Salon & Spa

BESTMegan Swiertz

2nd

3rd

Ippatsu SalonAllure Salon

NAIL SALON: Modern NailsEren Franco

W ith an abundance of nail salons in the CU area to treat your tootsies, only one has the distinction of

winning Best Nail Salon: Modern Nails. Salon owner Michael Nguyen said it’s his mission that Modern Nails provides the very best experience for all of his customers.

“We strive to set the highest standards in manicure and pedicure services while providing our clients with the best in customer services, quality products and sanitation with exemplary care,” Nguyen said.

Modern Nails provides clients with an assort-ment of nail colors and products that would strike anyone’s fancy.

“We offer the best in no-chip gel color products with over 200 color choices available from OPI, Essie, CND and Gelish as well as many others, with a variety of color choices,” he said. “We stand by our no-chip services and products with two-week quality control standards.”

Nguyen added that Modern Nails also prides itself on its distinction from other nail salons. He said the business is proud to be different from other salons by paying great attention to details and offering more services than any other nail salon in the area.

“We offer an LED curing light system for our no-chip gel color that cures each color coat in 30 seconds, rather than the traditional UV light that cures colors in three minutes, therefore reducing by six times the amount of exposure to UV rays, as well as time spent on services,

making it quick to catch up on times even in between classes,” Nguyen said.

In addition to the salon’s innovative services, customers will also be pleased to know that Modern Nails is fully staffed and prepared to accommodate groups of varying sizes.

“We have a large salon with 16 pedicure chairs, so we can provide services for large groups and for gatherings for sororities or fam-ily visits to the UIUC campus,” Nguyen said. “Even though we are not located on campus, we strive to be the salon when it comes to the beauty needs of students.”

1711 W. Kirby Ave., Champaign

BEST HAIR SALON: Rod Sickler Salon & SpaLauren Eiden

Step through the door to be greeted by the fashionable staff and a wall full of top-of-the-line-hair products. Move

through the back and pass professional staff cutting, styling and coloring hair. Walk farther and see the cleanest tattoo and piercing par-lors, a makeup bar, a spa, a fitness area, and dentist and chiropractor offices. No, this is not the newest hip salon in LA; it’s the Rod Sickler Salon & Spa right here in Champaign.

Rod Sickler Salon & Spa has been part of the community for eight years and has proven itself not only to be a key asset to central Illinois, but to the development of salons and spas across the country. The owner, Rod Sickler, has been a member of the beauty industry for 34 years. He is an international stage artist for Sexy Hair Con-cepts, worked alongside two world hair cham-pions, trained with one of the top 50 hairdress-ers of all time and has been featured in national magazines including Allure, Style and Elle.

“One of the things that makes me really proud about Champaign-Urbana is that they’ve em-

braced something like this," Sickler said. "I’ve been blessed enough to travel the world. I’ve done hair shows for hundreds and thousands of people in 20-some different countries, and I’ve never seen a salon anywhere that offers as many services under one roof as we do here.”

Employees at Rod Sickler Salon & Spa go through extensive training in order to work there. Once they have graduated and received their diplomas from beauty school, they still have about a year left of training before they can work with clients. They begin by working with Sickler’s top-level staff for the first three months, then move on to work with Sickler as his assistant for the next six to nine months. Throughout this process, they also take extra classes about cutting, coloring, perms, updos, product knowledge and more.

“Our motto is very simple: art, service and pas-sion,” Sickler said. “So until they’re ready to give art at 100 percent and only if they’re passionate enough to last that extra year of training can they work with our clients. For me, it’s about customer service.”

After opening in 2005, the salon went through a major expansion in 2011, adding the spa, medical services and body art and workout ar-eas. Now, the salon is being remodeled again, starting by putting in a new makeup bar and continuing by creating a state-of-the-art, first-of-its-kind blow-out bar designed to manage and style any specific type of hair.

“I think this is the future," Sickler said. "I think this is where our world is coming to, and I think it is about doing the best work and being the most convenient. I want to be here for every-body, all under one roof. Let's do it all."

2520 Village Green Place, Champaign

BESTPLACE TO GET A TATTOO:

Fergus Lynch Alissa Wertz

2nd

3rd

Revolt TattooEscape Artist Tattoo

No Regrets Tattoo117 W. Church St., Champaign

When Danville native Matt Stines — a tattoo artist and proponent of tat-too culture — came to Champaign,

he only expected his tattoo shop, No Regrets Tattoo, to support himself and one piercer. Since it opened in 2006, however, the shop has grown into a staple of the downtown area that supports an energetic group of local artists.

When you walk into No Regrets, you are greeted with a clean and modern facility and a welcoming “What’s up?” There is no shortage of inspiration here. The walls and tables are filled with original artwork by the shop’s artists that, upon browsing, should ease the tensions of many first-timers. The original pieces are unique, varied and undeniably artful.

“We are set up to deliver a great tattoo for ev-eryone that wants one," Stines said. "It’s not like we will throw out someone’s idea just because it is something small like other tattoo shops. Anyone can come in and not be intimidated. You can work creatively with your artist to get

a good custom tattoo and have it be quality, no matter who you are.”

Stines' original vision for No Regrets has been realized, but the owner has not tuned out. He looks forward to finding ways to make his shop become more integrated with the downtown art scene.

“I want to give back to the community now that we have gotten so much,” he said.

Modern Nails, winner of Best of CU 2013 Best Nail Salon award.

Best of CU 2013 Best Hair Salon: Rod Sickler Salon & Spa.

No Regrets Tattoo & Body Piercing.


BESTTeresa Anderson

2nd

3rd

Evergreen TobaccoJoní s Pipe Shop

SMOKE SHOP: The Smoke ShackKaitlin Penn

What’s your flavor? Patrons of the Smoke Shack are greeted by a colorful variety of hookah flavors; there is no short-

age of possibilities for fitting your next smoke session’s specific taste. With flavors ranging from strawberry to French vanilla, there is something for everyone.

After eyeing the variety of hookah flavors upon entering the Smoke Shack, shoppers will lock eyes with an assortment of glittering pieces. Displayed in an easy-to-access manner, the front section of the store consists of glass cases filled with a range pipes, varying from finger-sizes to bigger spec-tacles. Additionally, the shopkeepers are casual but helpful with questions.

Customers will next spy a multifarious exhibition of water pipes and accessories attractively lining the walls. Another aspect that sets the Smoke Shop apart from competitors is its case of snacks and individual beers. Not only can customers stock up for their next smoke gathering, but they can grab some light munchies, too.

Patrons will notice that the store, which is sepa-rated into two sections, is divided by a giant fish tank in the connecting doorway. The tank is home to four fish — one koi, two pleco, and one giant

goldfish — and there’s a story behind one of them in particular. The nearly foot-long goldfish, Fred, is most notable for his astonishing old-fart-status age: 12 years old. Blind in one eye and lacking in some scales, Fred moseys about his bubbling tank, the sound of which is audible throughout the store beneath a low-level of calming overhead music.

Passing the tank, customers will find the Smoke Shack’s selection of other miscellaneous items on display. From hordes of incense that can be smelled pleasantly wafting throughout the store to a looming wall chalkboard covered in colorful markings, the decor makes for quite a relaxing experience. Between racks of band T-shirts, Baja hoodies and tie-dye, there’s some-thing for everyone. In addition to the clothes displayed, there are numerous types of facial jewelry and tapestries available for purchase.

With walls covered in tapestries (including prints of Jimi Hendrix, butterflies, tie-dye, drag-ons, suns and fairies), concert posters and a bounty of beautiful tobacco pipes, patrons can find the perfect pieces for their collections at the Smoke Shack. With a quiet, relaxed atmo-sphere, the shack makes for a pleasurable shop-ping adventure.

208 E. Green St., Champaign

Best of CU 2013 winner for Best Smoke Shop: The Smoke Shack in Champaign.

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Craft League of Champaign-Urbana

31st Annual Art Fair

saturday, november 1610 a.m.-5 p.m.

sunday, november 1710 a.m.-4 p.m.

Urbana Civic Center108 East Water Street

ceramics • woodworking • fiber • jewelry basketry • painting • printmaking • glass • photography

www.craftleagueofcu.org

free admission!

Happy Holidays from Allerton Park & Retreat Center, your cure for cabin fever this winter! Come out for the day or enjoy a relaxing overnight stay at the Allerton Mansion. For a complete list of events or to make reservations, call 217 333 3287 or visit us at www.allerton.illinois.edu.

COMMUNITY

November 8-14, 2013 buzz 13


BESTFolake Osibodu

2nd

3rd

The Station TheatreThe Virginia Theatre

PERFORMANCE THEATER: Krannert Center for the Performing ArtsMelisa Puthenmadom

Inthe 1960s, Herman and Ellnora Krannert decided to make a generous contribu-tion to the University in order to build a

performance arts center because they believed that to experience the arts was “one of the most rewarding and enriching experiences people can enjoy and ... a most needed one.”

Since opening in spring of 1969, the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts remains firmly dedicated to honoring the Krannerts’ vision of

“education through participation in culture” and continuing to build on it. The center’s per-formance spaces can host up to around 4,000 people on any given night; in a year, those audience members fill the seats of over 300 productions. Every production contributes to an incredibly diverse spectrum, but they all hold one common idea: to create connections between various art forms and make them ac-cessible to all sorts of people.

Krannert’s distinguishing quality is that it inspires innovation and recreation while em-phasizing the audience’s interaction with those processes.

There’s something for everyone. Its individual spaces offer unique ways of immersing visitors in a creative atmosphere. Consider checking out a performance space you haven’t visited before — try a totally new genre or tap into some of their traditions.

Foellinger Great Hall is the largest venue with 2,066 seats. Designed by Cyril Harris, its acoustics provide world-class support for or-chestras, dance performances, operas and all sorts of theatrical ventures. Famous acts like the Chicago Symphony Orchestra have per-formed and recorded here, but the University’s School of Music also hosts many performances by students, faculty, the Sinfonia da Camera and the Illinois Wind Symphony.

Tryon Festival Theatre has 979 seats and is home to the School of Music’s opera program. Though it is primarily intended for vocal perfor-mances, the theater also hosts ballet, dances, mu-sicals and plays. Each December, the Champaign-Urbana Ballet and Sinfonia da Camera perform The Nutcracker to ring in the holiday spirit.

Colwell Playhouse seats 674, serving primarily as the main performing space for productions by the University’s theater and dance departments. Its acoustics are perfect for dramas and produc-tions that focus on the spoken word.

Studio Theatre seats up to 200 people and serves as a black box theatre for experimental productions. Flexible seating configurations and an intimate space creates an open workshop for students and performers to explore and educate.

The center’s amphitheatre and Stage 5 are open to the public, but these spaces are also bridge the gap between audience and performer. The amphi-theatre outside is a perfect space to relax or study, and it has also hosted student productions and the summer music festival. Stage 5’s space has been used for two specific music festival tradi-tions: Ellnora Guitar Festival, held every two years since 2005, and Pygmalion Music Festival, held every September since 2005.

What makes the center such a great part of Champaign-Urbana is that it can take all these spaces, all these expressions of art and culture, and invite them into a single home. The Kran-nert Center for the Performing Arts is inclusive — it wants you to come on in and experience anything and everything it has to offer.

500 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana

BESTPLACE TO SEE A MOVIE:

Kaitlin Penn Alyssa Abay

2nd

3rd

Goodrich Savoy 16 IMAX TheaterThe Virginia Theatre

The Art Theater CoOp 126 W. Church St., Champaign

It has been three years, and the Art Theater is still worthy of winning CU’s Best Place to See a Movie. With an unmistakable, one-

of-a-kind atmosphere, the theater offers a variety of experiences for viewers who attend the show-ings. From special programs like “Shocktober,” with the whole month of October dedicated to special scary flicks, to interactive viewings of classics like Ghostbusters and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or The Room, there’s something for everyone at this cinematic melting pot.

Besides being the first cooperatively owned art movie house in the country, the Art Theater offers something much more than a movie.

“There’s different ways of engaging with the films, but we are really trying to not have it be that kind of passive commodity experience,” said general manger Austin McCann. “We want there to be a high level of engagement with what we’re showing.” McCann said that during the past few months at the theater, political films have been shown with Q&A sessions afterwards.

One of most essential ingredients to the the-ater’s success though, is caring. “(The Art The-ater wants) to preserve the classic movie-going experience," McCann said. "There is a sense in which, when people come into this 100-year-

old theater, they want to feel themselves as part of a very, very old tradition of sitting in the dark with friends and strangers, being in the church of cinema.” With films introduced beforehand, the atmosphere is charged with the likes of a formal theater. In fact, in some instances – much like events to occur at the theaters’s impending centennial anniversary

– live music is performed during some films.“The experience is still something I can tell

that people really value, so to extent whatever we can, we try to have it be a clean, professional but very characteristic presentation,” said Mc-Cann. Unlike giant multiplexes or Netflix, the theater offers something of a dying art – im-pacting customers. When asked what he loves

most about his job, McCann said, “Seeing the Art is making an impact on peoples’ lives is always great.” McCann also said he loves talk-ing with customers.

“Just hearing the way that this was valuable to people as it was to me before I worked here, you know, it really makes a difference as an institution,” he said.

Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.

ENTERTAINMENT

The Art Theater on West Church Street in Champaign, IL.


It's a bit disconcerting when a bathroom always smells like Froot Loops and weed.

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Christina Nowicki

Aside from having a killer deal on beer, Memphis on Main is also a stellar com-edy venue to visit at the end of a long

day to get a good drink and a hardy chuckle. Nestled in the heart of downtown Champaign, Memphis on Main is a classic Mason jar bar where there’s a bit of entertainment for every-one. Aside from comedy night, Memphis on Main has a theme for each night of the week.

Whether it’s poetry, trivia, simply music or, of course, comedy, there’s a night of the week for anyone in the community.

But the night of interest is naturally Wednes-day, comedy night. Hosted by Champaign-Urba-na’s own comedic talent, Jesse and Justin Tuttle, comedy night is open to laugh-snatching vet-erans and newbies alike. Performer experience ranges from three months to three years, making

comedy Wednesdays pleasantly unpredictable. But when comedy night fi rst started fi ve years ago, anyone was allowed to perform. “It was like comedy in the Old West,” said Richard Wentz, who is in charge of running comedy night.

While it is not an open mike night, the per-formers range from traveling featured comics to newer comics in the area. During each show, there is a variety of comics, with about 8 to 10 that perform throughout the course of it, Justin and Jesse Tuttle and Wentz included.

This brotherly duo began showing off their brand of comedy about four years ago after end-ing their aspiring wrestling career, realizing that they could use their twin relationship to play jokes off each other and grab the attention of a laugh-seeking audience. Their show is a series of back and forth comments, made up of personal attacks and never-ending arguments. But that’s what makes their show so dynamic and amusing to viewers. They began running shows in 2009, to which audiences reacted with enthusiasm. Following this came the launch of CU Comedy in April of 2010, giving local comics a chance to show what they’ve got up on stage.

They continued to run the show up until only a few weeks ago, when comedian Wentz took over organizing the show. To Wentz, the best part of the entire show is the audience. “They’re just so respectful and ready for a good laugh,” he said.

The show, rated R and for only those 19 and older, has what some could call raunchy con-tent, but it’s all in the name of a good laugh, and regulars say that you get used to it. And clearly,

that doesn’t affect the show attendance, with shows constantly being packed. Additionally, there is no cover charge for the show, meaning the show is free to the public.

So the next time you’re having a bad day and looking for a good laugh, make sure to check out comedy night at Memphis on Main every Wednesday. Being the number-one venue for stand up comedy in Champaign-Urbana and the winner of Best Comedy Venue, they’ll be sure to give you a chuckle and a tall Mason jar fi lled with brew to go along with it.

BESTCOMEDY VENUE:

Animah Boakye

2nd

3rd

Memphis on Main55 E. Main Street, Champaign

Clark BarMike ë Ní Mollyí s

Memphis On Main, winner of Best of CU's Best Comedy Venue award.


Showtimes:

Fri: 5:00, 7:30 · Sat & Sun: 2:30, 5:00, 7:30Mon: 6:00, 8:30 · Tue: 2:30 · Wed: 3:30, 6:00

Thu: 2:30, 5:00, 7:30

Fri & Sat:10:00PM · Sun:11:30AM · Thu:10:00PM

Wed: 8:30PM

Tue: 6:00PM

Tue: 8:00PM

All Is Lost�(PG-13)

Freaks (1932) (NR)

VAMPYR (NR)

Part One: From Nickel to Pixel

Part Two: TIME TRIP

Acclaimed new Robert Redford fi lm

Featuring pre-movie cult shorts

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Live music from the Andrew Alden Ensemble and short fi lms!

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THOR: THE DARK WORLD (PG-13)11:00, 12:45, 1:15, 1:45, 3:30, 4:00, 4:30, 6:15, 6:45, 7:15, 9:00, 9:30, 10:00FRI/SAT LS 11:40, 12:10 3D THOR: THE DARK WORLD (PG-13)$2.50 PREMIUM PER 3D TICKET11:15, 1:00, 1:30, 2:00, 3:45, 4:15, 4:45, 6:30, 7:00, 7:30, 9:15, 9:45, 10:15FRI/SAT LS 11:55D-BOX ADDS MOTION SEATING MAGIC TO MOVIES: D-BOX LIMITED SEATING AVAILABLE: 1:00, 3:45, 6:30, 9:15FRI/SAT LS 11:55 12 YEARS A SLAVE (R)12:30, 3:20, 6:10, 9:00FRI/SAT LS 11:50 ENDER’S GAME (PG-13)11:00, 11:30, 1:35, 2:05, 4:10, 4:40, 6:40, 7:15, 9:20, 9:50FRI/SAT LS 11:55 FREE BIRDS (PG)FRI, SUN-TUE 11:55, 12:25, 2:05, 2:35, 4:45, 6:25, 6:55, 9:05SAT 11:55, 2:05, 4:45, 6:25, 6:55, 9:05WED 11:55, 12:25, 2:05, 2:35, 6:25 3D FREE BIRDS (PG) $2.50 PREMIUM PER 3D TICKET4:15, 8:35 FRI/SAT LS 11:00 LAST VEGAS (PG-13)11:20, 1:50, 4:20, 6:45, 9:10FRI/SAT LS 11:45BAD GRANDPA (R)12:55, 3:10, 5:25, 7:40, 9:55FRI/SAT LS 11:20, 12:05CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (PG-13)12:40, 3:35, 6:30, 9:25 GRAVITY (PG-13) 4:503D GRAVITY (PG-13) $2.50 PREMIUM PER 3D TICKET12:20, 2:35, 7:05, 9:20 FRI/SAT LS 11:35

3D THOR: THE DARK WORLD (PG-13)11:30, 2:15, 10:10 ENDER’S GAME IMAX (PG-13)5:00, 7:35

9 E. University Ave., ChampaignArt Gallery:

Julianne Micoleta Allison Macey

2nd

3rd

Krannert Art MusemCinema Gallery

indi go Artist CoOp

When indi go Artist Co-Op in Champaign opened in April 2009, gallery director Caroline Baljon said that the commu-

nity simply did not understand its purpose.“We had a very slow start,” Baljon said. “Not a

lot of people understood the concept of this gal-lery and how we would rent space out to artists at basically no cost to them.”

However, four years later, indi go has now be-come a staple in the Champaign-Urbana com-munity and is voted as this year’s Best Art Gallery.

“It took a while to catch on,” Baljon said. “But these past couple of years, we have been booked solid. The community really has taken (indi go) under its wings, and they have really began to understand how to make use of this space.”

James Barham, owner of indi go and Barham

Benefit Group in Champaign, founded the gallery as a way to support local artists by giving them a gallery space that is basically free.

“Indi go is essentially James’ gift to the com-munity,” Baljon said.

Artists can go on http://indi-go-art.com and fill out an online application for an exhibit. Artists can then get to use to space for the low cost of $50 ($25 for students), promotion that includes publicity in their newsletter and social media accounts, and staff help with anything they need.

“For many of these artists, this is their first or second step out in to the light, and what we are doing is kind of holding their hands and helping them to be a bigger artist,” Baljon said.

Recently, indi go held a dance exhibit, Orange You, by University student Jessie Young. The

gallery also hosted 4000 Years For Choice, a solo show by Heather Ault and a fundraiser for the NARAL Illinois Choice Action Team, from November 1 to 3.

Though the gallery had a slow start to booking exhibits in the beginning, it has developed and continues to, Baljon said.

“It took about two years for us to get a solid basis,” Baljon said. “After that, we started sell-ing out. It really has turned out to be something incredible. We have built up our fan base and artists started to build up everything that they have. We have also picked up a clientele, and we have had artists come back to do multiple shows with us.”

Indi go’s reputation as a first step for local art-ists in the community to showcase their work is also what separates indi go from other galleries around the area, Baljon said.

“It’s a gallery given to the artist,” Baljon said. “It’s not based on us and what we want. It’s what the artists want. We’re here to cater to them to create a space that they want to project with their dreams. We don’t tell them what to put in their art. We don’t have a price point. We want them to make it theirs.”

BEST

BESTLIVE MUSIC VENUE:

Danny Stankus Alissa Wertz

2nd

3rd

Cowboy MonkeyThe Highdive

Canopy Club

I t is no surprise the venue to be honored as the greatest in CU is the Canopy Club. The venue has had many massive acts

such as Neutral Milk Hotel, Dropkick Murphys, Big Gigantic, Aaron Carter and Gogol Bordello grace their stage over the past year, as well as many more before that and surely more to come. In addition to recognition by these art-ists, the venue hosts weekly events such as the locally famous Piano Man on Tuesday nights, among others. They’ve also provided many lo-cal bands an opportunity to play on a profes-sional stage and spread their music.

Director of operations Mike Armintrout said of the Canopy Club’s goal, “We live for live mu-sic. Our primary mission is to bring shows to town and stay on the forefront of what’s popu-lar, whether it’s a country show, a rock show or an electronic show, and bring people in and sell tickets.”

This mission is evident at every show. The at-mosphere that the venue has created allows fans to feel a connection with the bands playing. The intimacy provides for the much-needed inter-action between the performers and the crowd. I found myself standing within 10 feet of Titus Andronicus front man Patrick Stickles when his band played on the venue’s Void Room stage.

Dropkick Murphys are well known for their row-dy encores in which the fans take to the stage to join in and at the Canopy Club, the whole venue was singing loud and proud together, the room becoming one, leaving all attendees with the feeling that they got to participate.

Whether you’re a fan of country, rock, elec-tronic music or anything else, the Canopy Club is seeking out and hosting artists for everyone. Many great performances have already taken place and many more are to come. The Canopy Club makes it easy to join the fun and take part in live music.

Indi go Artist Co-op focuses on providing a space for up-and-coming artists and established artists in the CU community.

708 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana

Best of CU 2013 winner of Best Venue For Live Music: the Canopy Club in Urbana.

ENTERTAINMENT


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T here are good reasons Exile on Main St. has won Best Place to Buy Music three years running now. Some might say it's their selec-

tion of new music: shelves of shiny new LPs still in their plastic wrapping line the walls, and their new CD offerings are the biggest of any local retailer. Whatever hot new record you're looking for, Exile is almost always sure to have it in stock. Or maybe you prefer to browse the used vinyl bins, perpetually on sale, but always great quality. At Exile, you can exponentially expand your personal record collec-tion without threatening your bank account.

But the true power behind Exile's expanding popularity seems to be its connection to the local community. Owner Jeff Brandt was born and raised in Champaign, so after working at record stores all around downtown throughout the '90s, it was only natural that Exile on Main St. would set up shop in the heart of it all.

"Having it downtown, it's a nice area for peo-ple who don't want to go to campus," Brandt

said. "In addition to all the nightlife and res-taurants, there are way more students coming downtown than there were even nine years ago, when we first opened. Even if we had to move out of this specific location, I would definitely look for another place downtown before I would even consider putting it anywhere else."

Conveniently tucked into the heart of downtown Champaign, it's as easily accessed by students coming from campus as local residents coming from the other side of First Street. Being downtown, it's also super close to the action, especially during Pygmalion Music Festival and Record Store Day, when Exile hosts special in-store or outdoor perfor-mances. Those special performances are only a tiny part of Exile's dedication to the local music scene.

"Since the very beginning when we first opened, we've always carried local music, and I've always made a point to tell any and all local musicians to tell other musicians who may not know my store or haven't been in here yet that I want to carry as

much of their stuff as possible," Brandt said. The size of Exile's collection of local LPs and CDs spans an entire section of the wall, and features the lat-est releases from buzz favorites including Hank., Elsinore, Grandkids and more.

All things considered, Exile's local popularity is not at all surprising — the store manages to attract customers of all ages and musical tastes. With the addition of various gaming merchandise, the typical Exile customer is hard to pin down.

"Our demographic is pretty wide just because of the things we sell," Brandt said. "Real little kids come in because they love video games or because their parents are getting them into music. We have

several customers in their 70s and even 80s who come in and order stuff, either because they don't want to order things online or they liked coming into records stores still. Since we sell so many different kinds of records now, we have more and more kids and students coming in and buying records. Teen-agers are buying lots more vinyl records now, where they didn't really do that in the past."

With no foreseeable decline hitting Exile's popularity anytime soon, it's no wonder Brandt rejects the idea of a typical Exile customer. As he said: "It's a pretty broad stroke." Exile is not just for music-lovers; it has become an integral part of Champaign itself.


BESTAlyssa Abay

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Error RecordsRecord Swap

Exile on Main St.PLACE TO BUY MUSIC:Tyler Durgan

BESTBEER GARDEN:

Maddie Rehayem Diana Diggs

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The Blind PigCowboy Monkey

Mike 'N' Molly's105 N. Market St., Champaign T he lovely outdoor atmosphere of a music

festival is often paired with such things as mud, obnoxious people and high li-

quor prices. In CU’s Best Beer Garden, however, these things are not an issue.

Mike ‘N’ Molly’s beer garden is an outdoor area of the bar that, in the warmer months, is graced by some fantastic musical performers. This summer it was host to local math-punks Hank.’s record release show, and in the fall, several Pygmalion Music Festival shows like Potty Mouth and Sat-urday Looks Good To Me took place there.

In this beer garden, there are tables and chairs to sit on, a fountain, and a wall covered in ivy within which warm summer wind creates beau-tiful waves. And if there is a show, PBR tallboys are only $2.

It’s also a sort of community hub, especially for music-lovers who can, more often than not, find some good tunes there on any given weekend. Although in the winter, the garden become noth-ing more than a smoker’s exile, it will always recall fond memories of summers past and anticipation of good times and good music to come.

Mike 'N' Molly's, winner of Best of CU 2013: Best Beer Garden Award.

ENTERTAINMENT

Exile on Main St. in Champaign.

1 Main St., #108, Champaign


BEST Folake Osibodu

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Rod SicklerQuizmaster Chris, Tom Grassman, Heather Roberts

Don GerardCU PERSONALITY:Sean Neumann

Don Gerard sat outside of the Illini Union, discussing his political and economic goals for Champaign, when a yellow la-

dybug crashed into his face and then landed on his crotch, forcing him to awkwardly brush it off.

“Glad this isn’t on video,” he said with a laugh.Gerard, 48, isn’t your everyday mayor. He

used to work at record stores, write columns and play in bands, even dropping out of school twice. But now he’s a father and the mayor of one of the largest cities in Illinois.

“I got a C in rock ‘n’ roll,” Gerard joked, referring to a music class he regularly missed in college because he was busy touring with Husker Du.

Gerard also currently works at the University as a facilities manager, remodeling laboratories and classrooms.

The first-term mayor, who was elected in 2011, said he tries to embrace the student pop-ulation in Champaign. Gerard can often be seen at University sporting events and local concerts or as an active promoter of fundraisers, such as the Illini 4000’s fight against cancer.

This year will be remembered for Gerard’s help

in constructing a micro-urban dynamic for Uni-versity students and Champaign citizens, includ-ing a Hyatt Place hotel in downtown Champaign and multiple buildings along Green Street.

“To have a part in something that’s going to stand the test of a century is really cool,” Gerard said. “I’m really pretty lucky to have stumbled into all these great things.”

Gerard referred to himself as a cheerleader in office, rather than a coach.

“A lot of it is just reflecting that which people are already doing and promoting it,” Gerard said. “My goal isn’t to have a statue of me downtown. My goal is to look around, when I’ve hopefully lived to be an old man, and say, ‘Yeah, I remember I was part of that.’”

While Gerard may be seen as the best person-ality in Champaign-Urbana, the mayor simply sees himself as a reflection of the community around him.

“I feel like every time I step out of my office, I’m representing the city of Champaign,” Gerard said. “What people really see when they see me is themselves.”

Don Gerard, mayor of Champaign and winner of Best of CU 2013: Best CU Personality.

Worst social media campaign #titsforpizza, Drew's Pizzeria

Right next to the Illini Media Building sits Drew's Pizzeria, the now-infamous pizza joint that went on a pretty awful Twitter campaign in order to boost exposure. I don't know what about it is more ridiculous: the sheer lack of business savvy or political correctness, the childish wording of the tweets ("WE WANT MORE TITS!!! #showusy-ourtits #uiuc FREE PIZZA" and the affinity for the word "nips" come to mind) or maybe the fact that Drew's had the nerve to think posting all this to Twitter wouldn't backfire. Either way, the backlash was strong enough to get picked up by The Huff-ington Post and Deadspin, making it a surefire front-runner for Worst of CU.

—Evan Lyman, Editor-in-Chief

Worst bike pathBetween Lincoln Avenue and CRCE, and cam-pus beside Bevier Hall

I’ve had a rather frustrating time recently with flat tires on my bike, and I think I have pinpointed the culprits. One would be the road going past Lincoln Avenue Residence Hall by the Jimmy John’s parking lot that might as well be made of gravel. The other is a giant crack in the cement path past Bevier Hall. CU boasts its status as a bike friendly city, and it definitely is, but the condition of some of the bike paths only suits mountain bikes.

—Maddie Rehayem, Music Editor

Worst rodentSquirrels

Don’t get me wrong – I used to love those furry little bastards. I found their beady eyes and bushy tails adorable. I’d even bribe them with french fries in the hopes of becoming some

kind of embittered, less-orphaned, modern-day Disney princess with a legion of devoted rodent helpers to fetch me coffee and type my papers. But then my (admittedly stubborn) dog came to live on campus with me, and now every time we’re walking and she sees one of Champaign-Urbana’s 18 million squirrels, my arm is nearly ripped out of its tender, weary socket as she lunges at it with all the force her 30 pounds can muster. Then, to add insult to injury, the little dickheads make this angry clucking sound at me, as if I were involved in the decision. I hate those furry little bastards.

—Lauren Cox, Copy Chief

Worst driving streetThe stretch of street on First Street between Peabody Drive and Armory Avenue

I swear I am going to blow a tire every time I drive down this road, or I’m going to get in an accident because I’m swerving so much trying to avoid the giant holes and mountainous bumps. Riding a bike down this street is also not fun, especially when you have boobs and an uncomfortable seat.

—Andrea Baumgartner, Arts & Entertainment Editor

Worst pizzaPapa D’s

There is probably nothing more sacred than good pizza. As a devout follower of the Del’s, I am outraged at the blasphemy supposed by this name change. How dare you try to enter this church and disrespect the most exalted pie this side of Interstate 80. I am pizza Jesus, coming into this temple and casting out the money changers. Not in my Papa’s house! As for anyone who falls for D’s tricks: forgive them, Papa. They know not what they do.

—Tyler Durgan, Online Editor

OF CU E!"#$%&' P"'(&

WORST


REGIONAL ATTRACTION: Curtis OrchardMaggie Su and Joel Godard

T here’s no place like Curtis Orchard. Since the orchard opened, visitors have flooded through their yellow brick road

in search of the best apples, pumpkins and cider in Champaign-Urbana. Yet, the family-owned farm began modestly in 1977, when Paul Curtis began planting apple trees.

“Curtis Orchard has grown and taken on a life of its own,” said Chris Curtis, the office manager and son of Paul Curtis. “It’s bigger and much more involved than what we thought it would be when my dad first planted.”

Curtis Orchard now attracts visitors beyond CU with many traveling from Danville, Bloom-ington and even Chicago to get a taste of their number-one-selling apple donuts and cider slushes. Located on Duncan Road in Cham-

paign, just off of Interstate 57, Curtis Orchard brings together local families, Illini alums and out-of-towners alike.

“The old saying, ‘If you build it, they will come,’ is true,” Curtis said.

Because of the orchard’s popularity, the family does their best to make even busy and crowded days feel special.

“We don’t really have an apple fest or a pump-kin fest,” Curtis said. “Instead, we try to make each weekend a festival.”

This means face painting, pony rides, kettle corn and live bands, as well as other kid-friendly options. Visitors can also pick from 30 differ-ent types of apples, enjoy a hearty lunch at the Flying Monkey Cafe or take a wagon ride tour of the orchard.

Despite the orchard’s growing regional ap-peal, the Curtis family will always have a special relationship with CU.

“It’s not just about an out-of-state visitor who sees a billboard on I-57. We depend a lot on lo-cal customers who come in once a week,” Curtis said. “We’re thankful for Champaign-Urbana and those who live close to us.”

Curtis Orchard also works closely with the University to develop different ways to make their farm more sustainable and environmen-tally friendly.

With sometimes several thousand visitors com-ing in a day, there’s no doubt that Curtis Orchard has come a long way from a few apple trees.

“Sometimes we just shake our heads and think, ‘Dad, what did you start?’” Curtis said.

3902 S. Duncan Road, Champaign

BESTMegan Swiertz

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2Allerton Park(Tied) Downtown Champaign, Hardyí s Reindeer Ranch, Krannert Center

GAYF RIENDLY NIGHTLIFE: Chester Street Bar

Chester Street Bar has yet again been voted CU’s Best Gay-Friendly Nightlife. Its wel-coming environment makes it a fun spot

where people (19 and over, of course) from all walks of life can let loose and be themselves for the night. Many straight guys may be intimidated by the “gay bar” stereotype, but it’s much more than that. C-Street may be a gay bar, but if you look on the club’s website, nowhere does it iden-tify itself as one. Before anything else, C-Street is a dance bar where absolutely anyone — gay, straight, whatever — can have fun. Want a night of creep-free dancing with your best girlfriends? No problem. Feel like dancing on stage in a shiny red speedo for all to see? Please, go ahead. Just want some great music to dance to? Well, you’ll definitely get it at C-Street.

Another splendid thing about C-Street is that the cover charge isn’t too much. Sundays have a $4 cover charge for Drag Night, but on Fridays and Saturdays, it only takes your photo ID and $3 to get in and make your way to the dance floor. Saturdays usually tend to be the bar’s busiest night, when DJ Substitute plays top-40 remixes. For those dancing queens who need a break or an extra drink to fuel the fun, there is a separate bar area and an outdoor patio where it’s easy to just sit and talk. The bar also hosts parties on Halloween, Christmas and New Year’s. It may be a few extra turns off of campus, but as long as you can catch a bus to the Illinois Terminal, the walk is only just a few minutes and well worth it. No matter who you are, if you’re looking to have fun in a friendly environment, C-Street will accept you.

63 E. Chester St., Champaign

BESTKaryna Rodriguez Animah Boakye

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Emerald City Lounge

The Clark Bar

Curtis Orchard, winner of Best of CU 2013: Best Regional Attraction award.

C-Street, winner of Best of CU 2013: Best Gay-Friendly Nightlife award.

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Great festivals in CUBoneyard Arts Festival

Days upon days (four, to be exact) of art beau-tifully scattered around the community, bringing joy to all! I love this festival. The festival features a lot of venues, including cafes, galleries and bookstores, which gives me the opportunity to delve into my poetic loner side and visit them all at once, sometimes alone, like a sudden burst of flavor. It is also open to all art genres and media, adding flavor to the burst of flavor. —Karolina Zapal, Community Editor

Pygmalion Music Festival Major Lazer may not have made as cool a

headliner as Grizzly Bear did last year, but fi-nally seeing Caveman, Damien Jurado, Youth Lagoon and so many other bands that never seem to make their way through central Il-linois otherwise is probably the best part of this CU tradition. Positioned just as the hot summer begins to cool into fall, the weather is much better suited to outdoor venues as well. I couldn’t bring any flannel or sweaters to Lolla, Bonnaroo or Pitchfork, but you can be damn sure that’s my entire wardrobe the weekend Pygmalion comes around. —Tyler Durgan, Online Editor

Skeletal Lightning FestChampaign needed a DIY festival. Some-

thing like Skeletal Lightning Fest, a two-day event that went down for the first time this past April. Organized by Sean Hermann, whose label shares the same name, the fes-tival brought together bands from the label and from across the Midwest together to play at the Red Herring. From sludgy metal to emo and pop punk, everything the Mid-west has to offer musically was there for the tasting. Big things are in store for next year too. —Maddie Rehayem, Music Editor

ENTERTAINMENT


You're from the '70s, but I'm a '90s bitch

90's DaughterLOCAL BAND:

Four years ago, Tom Grassman was playing in an '80s cover band called Brat Pack, which was fine, but the passing years called for

something new. The band 90's Daughter formed then as a logical progression — a CU cover band that specializes in '90s tunes but often branches out into the modern realm and is CU’s best band of 2013.

The band celebrated its fourth anniversary on October 30, and Grassman said that it’s only uphill from here.

“This past summer was probably our best season yet,” Grassman said. “We did a lot of festivals. We played the state fair. We really upped our profile and got a lot of good work and a lot of self-exposure.”

Although they started playing exclusively hits of the 1990s, their motto now is “90s, 2K and today.” “The Cupid Shuffle” is popular among fans, people who were in high school during the ’90s. Other pop-ular songs include Chumbawamba’s “Tubthumping” and recently, Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines.”

No matter what the band is playing, the goal is to make people dance and put on an exciting show. 90's Daughter has been known to feature light shows and throw out glow sticks. In short, as Grass-man said, they “don’t just stand around and play.”

The band travels a lot, and Grassman — who sings and plays guitar — as well as bassist Mi-chael Guido Esteves played in a live karaoke house band for the Chicago Blackhawks at every home game in the 2011-2012 season.

No matter where 90's Daughter is playing, however, they appreciate CU.

“It’s always nice to come home to a hometown crowd,” Grassman said.

BESTMaddie Rehayem Used with permission from 90's Daughter

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ElsinoreThe Dirty Feathers

Best house venueThe Math Lab

I think the most entertaining local shows I’ve been to have taken place at the Math Lab. I swear, this house must have been built for mu-sic too — there’s a stage in the living room. Whether it’s a punk band like Iowa’s Slut River, which played a super fun show there in the fall, or just some sheer noise, The Math Lab is a

friendly and accommodating venue that is es-sential to the CU DIY scene. Plus, come on, it’s got the best name ever.


Best place to buy a punk recordError Records

It’s surprising it took this long for a place like Error to open up. While Exile on Main St. usually

reigns supreme in the “Best Place to Buy Music” category of our poll, Error Records, which opened in March, quenches CU’s thirst for a different kind of record shop. You’re more likely to find that punk or metal record you’re looking for here, among the growing supply of new and used records and CDs and old VHS tapes. Error is also open for all-ages DIY shows multiple days of the week, making it a great community space as well.


Best local indie bandElsinore

Elsinore is shooting for the stars, and it's not that far off the mark, judging by frontman Ryan Groff’s shining smile. Elsinore's music is also radiating with that same joy and positivity, and with the band's ambitious second full-length record PUSH/PULL released in October, it

seems as if nothing can stop Elsinore from ra-diating that energy all over the country and the world.

But as our poll has shown, Elsinore gets a lot of love right here at home in CU. Though the new album was produced by Death Cab for Cutie producer Beau Sorenson and streamed on Paste Magazine's website, and though the indie rockers have done their share of touring and making a national name for themselves, the spirit of their hometown shows is unmatched.

The band has played Bud Light Summer Stage, Urbana Basement sessions and Unionfest in the Illini Union, as well as a number of regu-lar venues around town. It’s hard to corner the band into a certain part of the local scene here. Elsinore is simply a good, talented band that anyone and everyone can (and does) enjoy.


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Local band Elsinore.

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Local band 90's Daughter.


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T AROUND TOWNE!"#$%&' P"'(&

Best gra!ti“Occupy Your Heart” at apartments on Armory Avenue

Every day I walk down Armory to get to class, and every day I get to see graffiti on the concrete walls of a garage. That graffiti reminds me to not be concerned with outside worries, but to keep my focus on my own heart and what I can do to share the love with others. It’s so easy to get caught up in what’s bringing me down, rather than looking at the blessings I have in my life. Who knew that graffiti could be so deep? —Andrea Baumgartner, Arts & Entertainment Editor

Best place for karaoke The Clark Bar

If you’re like me, when it comes to karaoke hosted in public places — like a bar — it all depends on the atmosphere. In most places, you have to wait forever to even get a chance to sing ONE song. Or the song selection looks like a short order menu. Or the bar is so packed with people that no one cares that you and your friends are singing your little hearts out. Or (Da Worst) the bar is so small and unwelcoming that karaoke becomes like a middle school talent show. That stage fright becomes ever so real when trying to cover Britney Spears’ “...Baby One More Time.”

I think The Clark Bar is a local gem with many hidden qualities that make it not only a great place for karaoke, but a great place to eat and drink with friends. When you walk in, you see different seating options that accommodate different group sizes or bar experiences. You also have the choice of an out-door patio or indoor seating with comfy, sectional-like couches. As you move toward the bar, you have restaurant-style seating that welcomes you to try the delicious barbecue. Some might hate me for say-ing this, but its barbecue can definitely compete with the best of ‘em: Black Dog. Upon stopping to grab a drink from the bar's friendly staff (the bar has really good drink specials), you will see the glitzy lights and stage of karaoke heaven. It’s an average-size room that’s tucked away from the rest of the bar, but the seating positions the crowd towards the stage. The karaoke song list is as big as a phone book. I usu-ally have to be heavily under the influence or with a big group of friends to even consider karaoke, but one night I was ordering a drink and peeked into the room, only to find myself mesmerized by the singers and the crowd’s level of respect for each performer.

I excused myself from my friends, signed myself up, and within 10 to 15 minutes, I found myself both channeling Lana Del Rey’s lounge singer facade and belting out Radiohead’s “Creep” (classic karaoke song). The Clark Bar somehow got me out of my comfort zone and onto that karaoke stage.

—Animah Boakye, Photo Editor

Best place to runUniversity of Illinois Arboretum

I am in love with the Arboretum off Florida and Lincoln avenues. Before the weather gets chilly and after we’ve shaken off the snow in winter, the Ar-boretum is a beautiful sanctuary full of the most colorful life you could imagine. The Idea Garden and sunken garden are host to an array of flowers and plants that paint the leafy green canvas behind them with an amazing spectacle. The Japan House and neighboring ponds are also serene and inviting for early morning runs. It’s my favorite place to go to forget about the stress of school and just reflect on all the beautiful things in my life.—Andrea Baumgartner, Arts & Entertainment Editor

Best neighborhood catSunny the Calico

Living in historic Urbana, there’s no shortage of happy dogs going for walks. Without fail, there is a dog on some street corner in this neighborhood joy-ously trotting around with its owner. However, cats are a different story. My next-door neighbor has this slim calico cat named Sunny. Not named after her disposition, Sunny recently became an outdoor cat, and I’ve become acquainted with her. The first time I met this cat, my neighbor picked her up and held her Lion King-style in the air, and Sunny flailed like a blender rotator before falling, landing Sunny-side-up and running for dear life. On many occasions since this, I’ve run into Sunny stalking around the neigh-borhood, but not really warming up to me — until now. I have now reached a point with this regular neighborhood puss in which I can slowly approach her (sometimes she has even come up to me) and carefully stroke her belly. It’s become such a casual companionship that I’ll often yell her name if I see her, and she’ll trot up to me. However, we’ve become friendly enough that when she doesn’t allow me to

approach her, I can yell “HEY, MOTHERFUCKER! YOU KNOW ME! C’MERE, PLEASE? NO, GET OUT OF THE STREET” without it being too informal.—Kaitlin Penn, Movies & TV Editor

Best bus driverSunshine

It was the beginning of the fall semester, and free of midterm woes, I had made my way into downtown Champaign to go to a show. I usually feel perfectly safe and comfortable doing this sort of thing be-cause the CU MTD bus system usually does a good job of transporting me from the Illinois Terminal back to Urbana. This particular night, CU MTD did an especially good job. As I walked up to the plat-form, I saw the 50E Green bus pull around, and for a moment I thought I had missed it. Luckily, CU’s best bus driver was on duty, and despite being on the wrong side of the terminal, she opened her door and beckoned me in. She introduced herself — a gesture that goes beyond usual bus driver etiquette — as Sunshine. The rest of the way back was full of pleasant conversation and laughter. I’ve not forgot-ten her, and though it’s not often that I get to do so, I’m always happy to ride the Sunshine bus.—Maddie Rehayem, Music Editor

Carrieí s favorite bathroomBoltini Lounge

My affection for public bathrooms has gone back a long way, and the curiosity and satisfaction thrives in Boltini Lounge's ladies’ room. Stocked full of femi-nine hygiene products and lotion to boot, it’s like visiting an infinitely better version of my own bath-room. The tampons aren’t hidden in a box like some disgrace, and they don’t cost $1 in quarters, either. They’re displayed on the wall, in the open, for the taking. Pair this with clean stalls and a dimly lit, yet practical aesthetic, and you have CU’s best ladies’ room. —Carrie McMenamin, Food & Drink Editor

Best bike rackWalgreens on Neil Street and Kirby Avenue

Although not on campus, the bike racks out-side of Walgreens on Neil Street and Kirby Av-enue are fantastic. Their perfectly proportioned S curve is ideal for placing your front wheel without having to worry about your bike tipping over. The slots are also spaced far enough apart that having another person’s bike knock yours over or your locks getting tangled is not even the slightest of concerns (such a relief, right?!). If every building on campus donned these won-derfully engineered beauties, life would be so much easier.

—Andrea Baumgartner, Arts & Entertainment Editor

ENTERTAINMENT

Award Winning Cookies & Desserts!

217.359.4500116 N. Neil St. Champaign, IL

pekarabakery.com

!an" Yo# for your vote$& makin% u$

#1 i& 2012

60 E. Green St. NEW LOCATIONCOMING SOON!

E!"#$%&' P"'(&

November 8-14, 2013 buzz 23


117 Sterling Ct | Savoy IL, 61874P-217-355-1579 | F-217-355-2781

[email protected]/ThePlaceAt117

Mon-Fri: 9-6 | Sat: 10-5 | Sun: 1-5

All Inclusive Student Living• 24-Hour Fitness Room, Game Room,

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• Free Tanning

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Individual Leasing Fall 20142 Bed 2 Bath-$552 3 Bed 3 Bath-$4254 Bed 4 Bath-$4144 Bed 2 Bath-$368

• Free Shuttle to U of I

• Includes Cable, Internet, Water, Sewer

• Fully Furnished Units

BAKERY: PekaraShalayne Pulia

Nostranger to the Best of CU spotlight, Pekara Bakery and Bistro has been serving up the finest baked good-

ies since its opening in 2005. Owner Seka Cuk realized the need for traditional European baked specialties as soon as she emigrated from Serbia.

“As soon as she (Cuk) came to the Unites States, she realized that there was a need for a true, old-world, artisan bakery in Champaign,” said Robb Tobias, Pekara's sales marketing director.

Tobias said the original idea was to be a bake shop simply for delicious breads and pastries, but the shop soon tacked on breakfast and lunch items

like quiches, omelets and fresh-made sandwiches. Pekara also serves a variety of coffees and teas from the local company Boneyard Coffee and Tea.

Bakery favorites such as the popular baguettes and almond croissants come straight from the affectionately nicknamed “Bakehouse” commer-cial bakery located on First Street. To give an idea of how popular the pastries are, Tobias said that the almond croissants, which were invented in France as a way to utilize leftover croissants, are so popular that there is no way the shop could have enough left over from one day to cover the next. All of them are instead baked fresh daily at

the Bakehouse. The busiest times for this artisan bakery are

lunch hours on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays. Monday’s popularity comes from a special called “Monday-Yumday" in which every customer is treated to a free chocolate chip cookie.

Pekara also has had success with special oc-casion cakes. The shop started baking wedding cakes just this year, and business has been on a slow but steady incline since.

You can find Pekara products in many of best restaurants in Champaign-Urbana, such as cakes at Farren’s Pub, deli rye bread at Black Dog and

various breads at the Common Ground Food Co-op in Urbana. All of the Espresso Royale coffee-houses in town feature some of Pekara’s products as well. Tobias said that Pekara wants to focus on expanding its wholesale business in the future. Business has been booming for the bakery since they began their wholesale business in 2008. Pekara also wants to focus on selling at farmer’s markets.

Tobias said, “That’s seasonal (farmer’s markets), but it’s, you know, a short day where you go and sell dozens of loaves of bread and pack up and go home. And that seems very, very trendy now.”

116 N. Neil St., Champaign

BESTDani Rudy

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Mirabelle Fine PastriesCream & Flutter

Best of CU 2013 winner for Best Bakery: Pekara Bakery and Bistro in Champaign.

DINING


The best time for bacon is always.

24 HOUR HANGOUT/ BREAKFAST/ DRUNK FOOD: Merry Annís Melissa Espana

There are a lot of reasons Merry Ann’s Diner won three categories, and among those reasons are the cozy atmosphere,

the friendly staff and the tasty dishes that come out of their kitchen.

One of the best things about this diner is that it’s always open. While other 24-hour hangouts are usually libraries, Merry Ann’s has food, and the best way to stay up is with a hot cup of their coffee or a creamy milkshake.

Students and members of the community alike can be seen at all hours of the day, just

casually reading a paper, surfing the web or even working on group projects together. While most people crowd up the library, especially Grainger, for a long night of work, you’ll actually find a place to sit at the diner.

Tony Pomonis, co-owner of Merry Ann’s, said that the diner’s consistency and availability is what has made the restaurant so successful over the years.

“We’re open all the time and readily avail-able,” he said. “Not many 24-hour places are open (around CU). We have a good vibe going.”

Depending on what time you go and what day of the week it is, you just might run into some classic entertainment at good ol’ Merry Ann’s: drunk college kids.

There’s a diner on campus, and whether stu-dents live as close as Allen Hall or as far as the frat houses, you’d be surprised how many people like to flock over to Merry Ann’s to drunkenly devour a stack of hotcakes drenched in syrup.

“Our menu, although we do alter it season-ally and we do add things, our hotcakes recipe has been unaltered for 30 years,” he said. “It’s a secret recipe, and I could put our recipe up against anyone and we would win.”

Merry Ann’s really is the definition of good drunk food, mostly because after spending money like there’s no tomorrow at a local bar, those last few bucks in your wallet could buy you a filling and delicious meal at the diner, like a stack of hotcakes.

For about $6, you can get an omelet, hash browns and toast, or substitute toast for hot-cakes, and your wallet isn’t going to feel as hungover as you do the next day.

The diner is by no means a fancy, five-star place, but the cheap prices and hefty portions are what makes it better than any fancy schmancy place out there. Pomonis pointed out that Merry Ann’s corned beef hash as a good example of this.

“People come in and they expect our corned beef hash to be from a can,” he said. “But we cook it, grind it, saute onions, add butter. If you go to a competitor, you pay more and get corned beef hash from a can.”

Another reason customers keep coming back is because of the friendly atmosphere and fa-miliar faces. Customers who visit often know the waiters and waitresses and might even get to see the owner himself cooking up some meals on the hotline on a busy weekend.

While some other breakfast locations around CU have lines going out the door and around the corner, there are three different Merry Ann’s locations around town, so as long as you have a car, there’s a way to get some of their cheesy omelets or savory hash browns.

If you live in CU or even if you just come to visit, there really is no reason not to pay a visit to one (or all three) of Merry Ann’s locations. One bite of their food and you’ll wish you had found out about this triple threat sooner.

BESTMadison Ross-Ryan

2nd

3rd

(24 hour) Steak 'N' Shake/(Breakfast) Original House of Pancakes/(Drunk) Fat Sandwich(24 hour) Planet Fitness/(Breakfast) Le Peep/(Drunk) Cracked

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BESTCOFFEE SHOP:

Erron Perez Allison Macey

2nd

3rd

Expresso RoyaleAroma Cafe

Cafe Kopi109 N. Walnut St., Champaign

Although Cafe Kopi is one of Champaign’s largest cafes, it still manages to maintain a cozy atmosphere. Owner and manager

Paul West compared sitting in Cafe Kopi to “being in your living room at home.” Aside from coffee, the cafe’s drink menu offers fresh fruit smoothies and a variety of seasonal drinks, meaning there’s is always something new to try. West said he was particularly excited about the peppermint mo-cha, which will appear on the menu in November and is garnished with fresh peppermint candies. All coffee beans are locally roasted at Columbia Street Roastery in Champaign, ensuring that the coffee is always fresh. As if Cafe Kopi needed help drawing a crowd, it offers daily food and drink specials, which are posted on the cafe’s Face-book page. The shop is so popular that four years ago, the business expanded into the then-empty space next door, upping the cafe’s table count to 40. Although a fairly large establishment, Cafe Kopi provides a great alternative to other bustling cafes in the CU area. The atmosphere is not only peaceful, but also quite unique. A new art exhibit passes through the coffee shop every four to six

weeks, providing a nice change in decor. The most recent showing featured movie posters for scripts written by area high school students. The scripts were adapted into short films by local directors, and the Champaign-Urbana Design Organiza-tion produced the posters. In addition to exhibits, there is plenty of original local art hanging in the main room. Cafe Kopi is one of downtown Cham-paign’s many wonderful food establishments and should definitely be on your list of cafes to visit.

Merry Ann's has locations in both Champaign and Urbana.

Winner of Best of CU's Best Coffee Shop award: Cafe Kopi in downtown Champaign.

For an establishment that routinely churns out the best burgers in Champaign-Urba-na, Farren’s Pub and Eatery is a bit hard

to find, a small green building tucked away be-hind the Art Theater and a Thai restaurant on Randolph Street. However, that and the traffic light ramp way that leads patrons down into the one-room dining space all add to the ap-peal of the place. Grab a burger, enjoy a local soda or beer, and hang out with the regulars and disarmingly friendly staff – this is all part of the Farren’s experience.

Farren’s has been serving up gourmet burg-ers to the CU area since 2000, a long enough chunk of time that has resulted in a clientele that is made up of nearly all regulars. But what to do with the yearly onslaught of potential new customers? Well, Farren’s routinely churns out special menus and daily specials, which gives them cause to experiment with burgers and fl ex their creative muscles. “We’ve done a few things this summer, like The Barbacoa,” Ben Fitzgerald, manager of Farren’s, reported. The Barbacoa is a spectacular creation, heaping a mound of pulled pork and a creamy cilantro-ranch sauce atop a half-pound of beef patty. He adds that on “Dad’s

Day, we had the Mac Daddy with macaroni and cheese on top with bacon, that was pretty tasty.”

Exotic game is also a bit of a weakness for the chefs at Farren’s, and it ranges from bison to elk to venison; check out Farren’s Facebook page, which cheerfully documents any and all new iterations of burgers. Fitzgerald explains that “we alternate those burgers around, to keep people interested and coming back.”

He credits their success to the quality of their beef, which is sourced from local areas. “Old Time Meat and Deli do a really good job on the quality of our meats,” he said. “The only thing we add to it is salt and pepper.” The cultivation of

relationships with local businesses and estab-lishments is also important to Farren’s: “Our so-das are from Homer Soda Company, and we are trying to get drafts from Triptych for local beers; they brew their own beers in Savoy. Also, we are working with Pekara Bakery for our desserts.”

And just what burger should you order when swinging by the eatery? Fitzgerald recommends either the Spicoli or the Russell, a savory over-load of mushroom, bacon, bleu cheese and ja-lapeno, two of Farren’s most popular options. If you want to get a little fancy, go for the oft-talked-about American-style Kobe.


BESTLiz Brinckerhoff

2nd

3rd

Joeí s BreweryMeatheads Burgers & Fries

BURGERS: Farrení s Pub & EateryJasmine Lee 308 N. Randolph St., Champaign

Farren's Pub and Eatery.

DINING

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(BBQ) Lilí Porgyí s (Restaurant) Big Grove Tavern(BBQ) Clark Bar (Restaurant) Bacaro

REGIONAL RESTAURANT AND BBQ: Black Dog Smoke & Ale HouseSherry Yuan

Swathed in Tuscan orange walls and a beau-tiful brick exterior, Black Dog glows with the urgency of succulent, smoked barbe-

cue complimented by an amicable, down-to-earth staff. Behind the modest grey front door, an oasis

of warm food and people flood eager patrons. No matter the dining hour, a swarm of eager barbe-cue connoisseurs salivate in the crowded waiting area. Navigating expertly around them, smiling servers come bearing gifts on low-key aluminum treys laden with the daily special. Once in a while, a shimmering combo platter possessing mountains of beef brisket, spare ribs or the infamous Black Dog Burnt Ends comes drifting by. Lips smacking and fingers dripping with homemade sauce and slow-cooked goodness, every patron shuts their eyes to pay homage for the taste of perfectly done smoked meats. Due to this restaurant’s constant devotion to authentic and true flavors, not to men-tion ridiculously welcoming service, Black Dog won a double dose of awards this year.

Upon sitting down with the humble owner Mike Cochran to discuss Urbana BBQ, he says Black Dog barbecue distinguishes itself from the aver-age smokehouse because “we just try to take care of the food and do it like it’s supposed to be done,” meaning they use “the traditional ‘low and slow’” method without hiding the meat’s true smoky notes “with any sauces.” They “do the dry rub traditional right using the best quality products [they] can find.”

Black Dog surfaces as a distinctly Midwestern

establishment complete with casual, prompt servers manning “more of a pub, sit-down at-mosphere” than a Texas line-up for barbecue. By pairing beer and whiskey drinkers with the BBQ restaurant goers, “you get table service, you got the bar as part of the room and it’s a very casual, relaxed atmosphere.” With gracious servers who double as bartenders, patrons receive the benefits of a hybrid restaurant-bar establishment.

When asked about his inspiration, Mike admit-ted, “I wasn’t getting what I wanted when I was going out for BBQ, and so I thought there were some other people who maybe thought the same way. It kinda worked out.” With customers wait-ing impatiently in the front of the restaurant at all hours, Black Dog more than just worked out, it now throbs with people positively aching to try Black Dog’s latest culinary creations.

With daily lunch and dinner specials every single day of the week, Black Dog runs the gamut for di-verse yet localized food. When asked about the se-cret to Black Dog sauces, Mike replied, “Our biggest secret is that we make it all here. We don’t really use anything besides our basic ingredients, which is, since we do several kinds of sauce, we focus on different regions and kinds of sauce.” However,

Mike Cochran also says the sauces veer from the traditional as “we put our own spin on it.” From their house special Carolina Red to the sweet Georgia Peach, each sauce represents an Urbana-twist on a regional classic.

With so many delicious menu items, the own-er himself cannot pick a favorite—as he says: “That’s like asking to pick a favorite kid. It’s not really gonna happen.” Instead, Mike admits the undying popularity of Burnt Ends, the succulent cuttings of barbecue which possess the perfect balance of crispy exterior and buttery interior. On his most popular culinary child, he says they “re-ally kept things going.” Considering the diversity of the menu and the countless opportunities to try something new, you too may not be able to “pick a favorite kid” out of the Black Dog bunch.

Locally established and sourced, Black Dog Smoke and Ale House not only offers meticu-lously prepared food but also a cheerful, profes-sional staff always willing to show customers around the hectic kitchen or recommend an ex-cellent dish. With a warm establishment, people feel at home in Black Dog. Mike Cochran puts it best, for, “We put a lot of love and effort into ev-erything, and I think it shows.” It definitely does.

201 N. Broadway Ave., Urbana

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Black Dog, Winner of Best of CU 2013: Best BBQ/Regional Restaurant Award.


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Jimmy John's43 E. Green St., Champaign

MEXICAN: MaizeMaricela Lopez

The only words you need to know in order to reach a destination of simple, authentic Mexican goodness are "first" and "green."

To the untrained eye, this corner spot may just be a small burgundy building, but those familiar with the establishment know it as Maize Mexican Grill, a place of close interaction and an atmosphere that smells of fried tortillas and grilling meat.

The owner and manager of the elbow-to-elbow eatery, Armando Sandoval, takes his family-learned skills to create dishes that have his own unique twist while still keeping them close to home.

“I’m trying to replicate what I love in Mexico, like the tacos, the quesadillas,” Sandoval said. “All of those things are my favorite dishes in Mexico, so that’s what I’m trying to bring here.”

Among his favorites is the Taco Mexica (Meh-he-kuh), a self-invented grilled cheese taco that without his fiance’s persistent shove would not be on the menu. Taking his love for the burnt cheese on a quesadilla, Sandoval one day de-cided to flip the tortilla over and discovered the golden brown beauty of the Taco Mexica.

Although this is one minor change to a recipe, he said he tries to keep them “simple and fresh.”

“I think a lot of people get into trouble when they try to change too many things about it,” he said.

Staying simple has certainly made his restaurant explode with excited customers waiting to experi-ence the crunch of homemade tortilla chips and the burn of fresh salsa on their tongues. And don’t forget about the gulp of a sweet horchata to cool it down. Despite the bumping of elbows and limited space within Maize, the customers are taken in by the ta-cos, gorditas and more, while Sandoval delights in the chatter that transpires.

The visual of buzz amongst friends or strang-ers is what he likes best, and it hits close to his passion as a sociologist major. Sandoval said the customer base is “very eclectic.”

“Sometimes you’ll see a Mercedes parked and a construction truck and when you’re eating here you’re all eating here together,” he said.

Whether you decide to eat amid the crowd or de-cide to take it to go (yes, there’s carry-out), you’ll be experiencing the Best Mexican Food in CU.

60 E. Green St., Champaign

Asa patron of the sandwich shop's simple yet effectively delicious sandwiches, I've spent more dollars than I’m proud

to admit at Jimmy John’s. Self-described as “freaky fast,” the Jimmy John's motto doesn’t lie. Whether it’s an existential crisis when hunger strikes or you’re up late scrambling to complete coursework, fear not. With a menu offering nearly something for ev-eryone, the sandwich connoisseur's quick service and fresh ingredients will trip your trigger. With an abundance of locations on and off of campus, Jimmy John’s manages to cover a wide map of availability for delivery.

Established by Jimmy John Liautaud in 1983, the business has grown from a simple sandwich shop into a bustling enterprise that includes over 1,600 stores.

According to the Jimmy John's website, “What makes Jimmy John’s different from the rest is that it’s honest, it’s damn good, it’s damn fast, (and all) at a decent price!”

The sandwich shop’s conception by then-19-year-old Liautaud may not be nearly as exhila-rating as when Bill Cosby births a sub, but it’s believable and honest. Whether it’s the freshly baked bread — additionally available in day-old loaves for only $0.45 — the real meats or the

crispy veggies, all of the ingredients come to-gether to form one damn fine sandwich.

Even more impressive than the delectable, lip-smacking sandwiches is the Jimmy John's de-livery service. Having helped me multiple times throughout nefarious winter snowstorms and ut-ter laziness, Jimmy John's means business when it comes to delivery. The delivery drivers will get you your nourishment, stat. Having performed a minor Mythbusters-esque experiment through-out the years in trying to find out exactly how fast “freaky fast” is, my experience is that Jimmy John's should have your sandwich to you in under 10 minutes. Though I can't guarantee this, know-ing that my sandwich should get to me safely and scrumptiously is more than enough.

Maize, winner of Best of CU 2013: Best Mexican Food award.

Jimmy John's, winner of Best of CU 2013: Best Delivery Food award.

DINING


This orange reminds me of my goldfish, Woobie ... RIP

Best dessertsJarling's Custard Cup’s pumpkin pie and cheese-cake snowstormI don’t even care if it’s 25 degrees out, I will happily subject myself to the blissful brain freeze of Jarling's Custard Cup’s pumpkin pie and cheesecake snow-storm. This creamy chilled dessert is the perfect combination of two sweet treats that I love, even when they're not harmoniously paired. Flaky, but-tery pie crust; spiced pumpkin bits; and soft, tangy cream cheese pieces is seriously a heavenly blend. —Andrea Baumgartner, Arts & Entertainment Editor

Jarling’s Custard Cup's cold fudge on ANYTHING AT JARLING’SOne of these days, I’m going to go to Jarling’s and just order a vat of the stuff. It’s so good. I dream about that fudge. Why is it cold fudge? Is it served cold so it doesn’t melt the custard? I’m not sure, but that sounds right to me. You’re so smart, Jar-ling’s. I’ve been pouring scalding hot fudge on my ice cream for years like an idiot. —Dan Durley, Managing Editor

Best food truckThe Cracked TruckWhile there are plenty of other great trucks driving through town, there’s only one that remains parked in a permanent spot: my heart. That, my friends, is the Cracked Truck. With their fluffy eggs and deli-cious sandwiches, they’ve salvaged a few nights and satisfied plenty of stomachs in their short reign. Portable, fast, affordable, convenient and seemingly always there when you need it (even at Bonnaroo!), the Cracked Truck never disappoints. —Evan Lyman, Editor-in-Chief

Best burgerThe Russell at Farren’s Pub and EateryOh mah goodness, I just discovered Farren’s about a week ago, and it was the best burger to ever happen to me in Champaign-Urbana. Not only was my burger HUGE, but the buns were toasted, the toppings (mushroom, bacon and bleu cheese) were plentiful, and I could hardly finish the second half of it because I was just so

full and content. Farren’s is definitely a happy hole-in-the-wall hamburger joint. —Andrea Baumgartner, Arts & Entertainment EditorThe Day After at Joe’s BreweryDon’t discredit Joe’s burgers. On half-priced Tues-days, Thursdays and Saturdays, Joe’s should be your lunch or dinner priority. My personal favorite is The Day After, which features bacon, a fried egg and a slice of American cheese. It’s breakfast on a burger. It’s perfect.—Tyler Durgan, Online Editor

The Average Joe and fries at Joe’s BrewerySo here’s the thing: My friends all have this constant need to party it up at Joe’s every weekend, but I’m not about that life. Joe’s to me is what Murphy’s is to frat daddies. But do you know what makes up for Joe’s sweaty, frat-boy-infested dance floor? The fat, juicy burgers and crispy fries. The Average Joe Burger is simple: beef patty, a bun that’s not too big or small, onions, lettuce, tomatoes and condi-ments of your choosing. It’s a delicious classic. For you more adventurous burger lovers, Joe’s also has different burgers with toppings like mushrooms and eggs. And don’t get me started on those fries. They’re delicious and they’ve NEVER been soggy or too crispy. They cook 'em just right. So Joe’s, thank you for making your burgers and fries good enough to make up for the fact that you’re kind of trashy.—Melissa Espana, Food & Drink Assistant Editor

Best Mexican dishesChicken tacos at MaizeBeauty always shines despite adversity. Just like the phoenix rising from its own ashes, any of the dishes at Maize is 100 times better after you have gone through the awkward process of squeezing inside that tiny restaurant, ordering, then maneuver-ing through the shoving mass of hungry customers behind you to get back outside. But Maize’s chicken tacos are the best thing on the menu. It’s my favorite item, it’s owner Armando Sandoval’s favorite item and it is quintessential Mexican food. You get the ba-sic, street-smart combination of meat, cheese and lettuce, but with the oddly sophisticated aesthetic they somehow imbue in every item on the menu. I don’t know what is happening in my mouth, but I never want it to stop. Simple, easy and delicious: the chicken taco is perfect in every way. —Tyler Durgan, Online EditorDollar tacos at El CharroEl Charro’s dollar taco Wednesday is a treat for ev-eryone, especially wallets and taste buds. No mat-ter what your favorite choice of meat is — chicken, steak, chorizo, pastor or even tongue (try it, it’s good!) — you can get tacos filled with it for $1 each on Wednesday. This underrated Mexican restaurant and grocery store, located right across from Maize, definitely rivals its neighbor with great eats and awe-some prices. Pick up some Jarritos to wash it down.—Evan Lyman, Editor-in-Chief

Best place for Sunday Funday

BoltiniWhether you’re looking to cure a weekend hangover or keep the party goin’ with some midday Sunday drinking, the best place for Sunday Funday is at Boltini Lounge. I discovered this place one bright Sunday afternoon, when a friend and I were looking for a place downtown that had reasonably priced drinks but was also lively enough that it wouldn’t put us back to sleep. We walked into Boltini to find $2 screwdrivers, $2 Mimosas and $2 make-your-own bloody marys! To our delight, we didn’t have to seek out another place for food, as we loaded our empty stomachs with complimentary pasta and bread.

One time, they had a four-cheese pasta sauce with bleu, Fontina, Asiago and Gouda cheese. YUM! The fun doesn’t stop there: They always host drag shows starting around 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.. so it’s a great place to go to see some local Champaign-Urbana drag. Or, if you are a true Sunday Funday drinking champion, it's a great place to pre-game before sashaying away to C-Street’s Sunday night drag shows. —Animah Boakye, Photo Editor

Best Asian foodGreen curry at Basil ThaiMy love for Thai food goes way back to when I would gorge myself on green curry at this place near my high school after class got out. Naturally, upon arriv-ing at the University, I was determined to find a place that could satisfy my Thai cravings. Basil Thai has filled that space in my heart. Their green curry must be made of that same soul-warming, deliciously spicy stuff I remember from back home. I’m also a huge fan of the basil or ginger tofu and vegetables. —Maddie Rehayem, Music Editor

Chicken and broccoli at Empire Chinese Restaurant I LOVE CHINESE FOOD. But I’m also really picky. When I’m home in Chicago, I can ONLY get my Chinese food from this tiny place near my house. I refuse to get it anywhere else. But when I came to campus, I had to — GASP — try new things. So, I’ve tried just about every Chinese place that will deliver to my apartment. Also, I always order the exact same thing: chicken and broccoli. It’s some-thing savory and classic, and I’ve finally discovered that it’s the best from Empire. I’ve had it from other places around CU, but the sauce that some places use is a weird yellow color and tastes really bland. It tastes like boiled chicken with some broccoli thrown in there. Yuck. At Empire, the brown sauce is what makes the meal. When poured just right over the white rice on the side, you’ve got yourself a tasty lunch. Don’t get your Chinese food from anywhere else, trust me on this. It’s delicious. —Melissa Espana, Assistant Food & Drink Editor

BES

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802 W. Town Center Blvd., Champaign

BESTLIQUOR STORE:

Will Angelico Liz Brinckerhoff

2nd

3rd

Friar TuckPicadilly

Binny's Beverage Depot

Itis Friday and the time is 5:00 p.m. Your last class of the day ended 10 minutes ago, and the weekend has offi cially begun. Leaving

behind a week chock-full of exams, papers and lectures from that boring, monotone professor won’t be simple. A sure way to start will require a sixer and catching up on Boardwalk Empire. While it would be closer to head to the local liquor store, you decide to make the trip to Bin-ny’s: CU’s Best Liquor Store.

Located at the intersection of Prospect Avenue and West Town Center Boulevard, Binny’s is not a walking distance away from campus. However, what the beverage depot lacks in convenient dis-

tance, it more than makes up for in other areas. Coming up on its second birthday in Champaign, Binny’s seems to have it all fi gured out. When asked what Binny’s offers that your local liquor store doesn’t, Bradley Stein, who works as a con-troller at Binny’s, said: “We really invest a lot of effort into our employees. Making sure that all of our staff is well-educated allows them to provide customers with a great experience in the store.” This rings true. When I walked into Binny’s, I stumbled upon a Francis Ford Coppola wine. I then approached the nearest employee and asked her where his other wines were. Without hesitation, she took me over to each of Coppola’s

products. In addition, she assisted me in choos-ing by describing the differences to me.

Stein also said that there are weekly wine tast-ings held inside the store. Additionally, Binny’s has a team of liquor scouts, trained individuals who aim to discover new beer, wine and spir-its from all over. In the process, they evaluate these potential products by way of taste and price, constantly negotiating for the customer to achieve the best deal. The whole Zero Dark Tequila task force is proof that if you can’t fi nd it at Binny’s, it’s not worth drinking.

While perusing, you decide that you want to change it up tonight. You’ll be sharing a couple

of drinks with Nucky Thompson, so you’ll want to keep it classy. A nice bottle of Bulleit Bourbon and the ingredients for an Old Fashioned fi nd their way into your shopping basket (whiskey stones included because Binny’s carries awe-some items like that). While the massive selec-tion is a perk, Binny’s focuses more on its expe-rience for the customer. You can buy the items the store sells online or in other stores. Binny’s knows this. But by using the store to stage events like wine tastings, complete with the works of a knowledgeable and personable staff, Binny’s truly offers something no other store can mimic. Step in the door and you’ll see for yourself.

Best of CU 2013 winner for Best Liquor Store: Binny's in Champaign.

DINING


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BESTDiana Diggs

2nd

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(Bar) Seven Saints/(Beer) Crane Alley(Bar) Boltini Lounge/(Beer) Crane Alley

The Blind Pig Co.BEER SELECTION/BAR SELECTION:Will Robinson

Take one step into the Blind Pig Co., and it’s immediately evident that it’s not like any other CU bar. There’s no 50-inch flat-screen

TV playing the game and no unbearable pop song piercing your eardrums — just a subtle wooden bar, where the volume of the music is as dim as the lights. But what exactly makes this bar stand out?

“The atmosphere,” said Chris Knight, owner of both the Bling Pig Co. and the Blind Pig Brewery.

“To me, there’s three things that set us apart: atmosphere, beer and our employees,” said Andy Gravlin, manager of both of Knight’s bars.

At any time, there are 26 different beers on tap at the Blind Pig Co. (Six of these are permanent, and the other 20 rotate depending on the bar’s

selection.) The Blind Pig Co. opened in its new lo-cation in November of 2004. The bar first opened in the ‘90s in the same location Cowboy Monkey currently occupies. One block west is the Blind Pig Brewery, which opened in May of 2009.

It’s not the variety of beers the Blind Pig offers that differentiates the bar from its competitors in Champaign-Urbana; there’s much more to it. For starters, “They’re fucking excellent beers,” Knight said.

The Blind Pig Brewery is where Knight’s com-pany brews its own beer. The bar currently has several different homemade brews on tap, in-cluding dark mild, India pale ale, coffee stout and pumpkin ale.

The Blind Pig Co. and Brewery don’t just have a unique variety of beers. They also boast a healthy assortment of liquor. Each has about 100 bottles, with very little overlap between the two bars, Gravlin said.

“We have the biggest scotch selection you’ll ever want to see,” Knight said. Gravlin added: “We’re the biggest Jameson account in Champaign.”

113 N. Walnut St., Champaign

BESTPLACE TO TAKE A DATE:

Ash Valentine Megan Swiertz

2nd

3rd

Radio Maria Restaurant(Tied) The Art Theater/Big Grove Tavern

Bacaro

F rom the moment you walk into the Bacaro Wine Lounge, it’s instantly obvious that you’ve found the perfect place to bring a

date. The establishment’s glass door swings out to reveal a dim but not dark interior, supported but not overpowered by the warm glow of the candles lit on the tables. The diffuse, orange-yellow aura on each table serves to create a beautiful air of inti-macy, and as you take a look around, you find your gaze lingering on the elegant selection of wines displayed on the wall-mounted shelf. You might choose to take a seat at one of the tables for a more traditional dining experience, or perhaps join other patrons at the warm, inviting, yet sophisticated bar.

The charming spell of entrancement you fall under never leaves you, even as you take a seat

and exchange glances with your date. You don’t say anything yet, but that look tells you all you need to know: good choice.

The sophisticated-yet-simple charm of Bacaro does not merely extend to its first impression, how-ever. While the ambiance at Bacaro has already reeled you in, the cuisine will only pull you in deeper. The restaurant’s Italian-inspired cuisine is based on the principle of simplicity.

As chef Drew Starkey said: “We try to keep the food as simple and as local as possible.” Bacaro makes an effort to find its ingredients as locally as possible, and Starkey lists Urbana’s Blue Moon Farm as one of his local farm suppliers. The menu changes often, depending on what the chefs are preparing that day, and Starkey loves to vary his entrees while still maintaining a simple feel to his food.

“That seems to be what’s popular now: food that’s really simple, but local and done really well,” he said.

Bacaro’s softly lit, sophisticated vibe is perfect to set the mood for an intimate encounter, and the food and wine will only make your experience better.

The Blind Pig, winner of Best of CU 2013: Bar/ Beer Selection awards.

Best of CU 2013 Best Place to Take a Date: Bacaro.

120 N. Walnut St., Champaign


1209 W. Oregon St., Urbana

BESTVEGETARIAN FOOD:

Erron Perez Madison Ross-Ryan

2nd

3rd

Siam TerraceCommon Ground Food Co op

The Red Herring

The Red Herring is tucked away in the base-ment of the Channing-Murray Foundation in Urbana. Equipped with a very unassum-

ing stone staircase that takes you down to the entrance of the restaurant, the entryway gives the feeling of walking into a secret hideaway. This unique eatery serves delicious vegan dishes and provides a creative, comfortable atmosphere.

This fall, the Red Herring, owned by the foun-dation, had its grand reopening that consisted of kitchen renovations, menu changes, a major cleanup and new traditions. Head chef and co-manager Adrienne Weber said there changes were an “upgrading (of) the atmosphere,” which includes decorations and more effective use of dining space. She went on to call the whole pro-cess a “fresh start” for the restaurant.

One of the most interesting features of the “new” Red Herring is the weekly Vegan Cultural Dinner. These special dinners are served every Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and feature more than your typical Chinese cuisine. The past couple of weeks have included Malaysian and German food, which are not widely available. On

these evenings, the set price for a plate is $7. Since the dishes are vegan, the chefs take certain liber-ties with ingredients, but Weber said their goal is to be as authentic as possible.

While many may not know it, the Red Herring is more than a neat place to eat and hangout — the basement cafe has a rich history com-prised of confidential communist meetings and strange architecture. Weber said the basement that houses the Red Herring was constructed roughly 30 years after the initial completion of the church. The cafe’s evolution form a clan-destine meeting place to a coffee house and finally a cafe has made for a very interesting space. The brick walls are decorated with old photographs, and the pillars that hold the es-tablishment up are all different, each one hand-painted by a different artist.

In addition to boasting a long and interest-ing history and an amazing menu, the staff is friendly and down to earth. If you are looking for savory vegan or vegetarian dishes, head over to the Red Herring. It is the best veggie-friendly place in town.

Best of CU 2013 Best Vegetarian Food winner: The Red Herring in Urbana.

DINING

1 Papa Del's Pan with Mushroom and Sausage I love pizza. Especially deep dish. I am

from the suburbs of Chicago (like most of this campus), so my standards for dish are extreme-ly high. Papa Del's has an incredibly comparable slice to some of the best pizzerias in the Windy City. They don’t shy away from the sauce — which is my favorite part — and the crust is doughy and soft, and toppings are never slim. And I love that I always have at least another two meals left over after. — Andrea Baumgartner, Arts & Entertainment Editor

2Antonio’s Spicy Chicken Spicy pizza. Spicy sexy flare food + cry

with friends at slumber parties pizza = awe-someness. Sexy crying. Need I say more? Also, it comes by the slice, so you don’t end up shar-ing all your friend’s soggy tears. — Karolina Zapal, Community Editor

3Manolo’s Spotted Goat You can’t just throw goat cheese on top

of anything and make it good that way. There’s a ritual that goes into it. The sacred mixing of alfredo and red sauces, different cheeses and mushroom and spinach make the Spotted Goat prime livestock, fit for sacrificing to the pizza gods (by way of consumption, sober or other-wise). It also might be the best vegetarian bite you can pick up around town. That said, Spotted Goat fits perfectly next to Barbecue Meats on the menu - each fulfills a necessary role in the pizza universe. The two slices are truly the yin and the yang of Manolo’s. — Maddie Rehayem, Music Editor

4Manolo’s BBQ Meats Manolo’s Spotted Goat is great, but some-

times a man’s gotta eat. Like, really eat. A meat-less pizza can’t satisfy the carnivorous urge in my bones. Manolo’s BBQ Meats pizza gets

the job done. Topped with pepperoni, sausage, bacon, ground beef and mozzarella with a spicy bbq and red sauce, this slice is just as tasty in real life as it looks on paper. — Dan Durley, Managing Editor

5Rosati’s Sausage Simple but effective. Rosati’s may not

have invented double dough, but it's certainly the master. There’s a good reason it's the most popular on-campus lunch spot. Plus, the em-ployees are some of the friendliest at any pizza joint in CU. — Tyler Durgan, Online Editor

6Jet’s 8 Corner BLT with Turbo Crust I was introduced to this pizza during this

same exercise last year. While Jet’s 8 Corner BLT pizza may look strange, with its square slic-es and heapings of vegetables on top, it can’t be beat in terms of taste. The thick, crispy-yet-greasy 8 corner crust of Jet’s remains a scien-tific anomaly, while the bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo on top of it pack a ton of flavor that one typically can’t find on a conventional pizza. Add that to the fact that on an 8 corner pizza, every piece is a corner piece (more crust!), and it makes for an unusually delicious meal. — Evan Lyman, Editor-in-Chief

7Papa Del’s American Thin Crust PizzaAs a Chicagoan, I always get asked one out

of these two questions: "You must really hate those Chicago winters, right?" or "You must love deep dish pizza, right?" Wrong! Actually, I LOVE cold weather, and I definitely prefer thin crust pizza any day of the week. While I recognize and appreciate how delicious deep dish pizza can be, I can't quite stomach the overly-stuffed feeling that happens after eat-ing one slice. That's why, when I order from Papa Del's, I always get their American thin crust pizza. Because I love having extra cheese

on my thin crust pizza, I leave half of my pizza cheese (because sometimes eating like a basic bitch never tasted so good), and then I load the

other half of the pizza with sausage, pepperoni and mushroom (eating protein #finnagetswoll). —Animah Boakye, Photo Editor


"Gimme Pizza" -- Mary Kate & Ashley

PIZZA: Papa Delí sShawn Laudencia

Robert Monti, owner and creator of Papa Del’s, decided to introduce Chicago-style deep dish pizza to the Champaign-Urba-

na community in a big way. Located in the Village Green Place as well as on Green and Second streets, the wooden decor and brick setting gives the family restaurant a nice tavern feel, as if you were eating in the city of Chicago itself. Many different kinds of people come from all around the area to get a taste of high-quality pizza made with the finest ingredients.

There are many other pizza places located right in Campustown, but Robert Monti sets his pizzas on a different scale. Papa Del’s pizzas are always made fresh right to order and start with quality ingredients. The dough is made fresh every three hours, which is a practice that is hardly seen with

pizzas nowadays and contributes to the pizza’s crispy texture and buttery taste. Only the highest quality tomatoes and cheese are used.

Fresh ingredients are key to Papa Del’s piz-zas. Everything about the pizzas is meticulously planned, from the dough to the meat.

“We used to grind our sausages daily at our own restaurants, but now we get our sausages locally and personally sent in,” Monti said. “As always, our pizzas are made with no preserva-tives and chemicals.”

There are many different varieties of pizza of-fered at Papa Del’s, ranging from the thin crust to the special deep dish, the Super Stuffed Pizza. The Papa Del’s sausage pizza brings in a Chicago taste to the community of Champaign-Urbana, which many people enjoy. Some of the

most ordered combinations at the restaurant are the sausage and pepperoni pan pizzas or sausage and mushroom pan pizzas.

Papa Del’s main dish is pizza, but the restau-rant also offers a variety of other succulent foods for patrons to enjoy. Another recom-mended dish is Papa’s Homemade Italian Beef, comparable to their famous pizzas. Made with

choice beef, slow roasted in a secret family recipe and soaked in its own juices, the Italian beef is one of many menu items that people drool over.

For over 40 years, Papa Del’s has served up pizzas that everyone can relate to, love and enjoy. There is nothing like it around, and each visit is a unique experience.

2510 Village Green Place, Champaign

BEST 2nd

3rd

Jupiterí s Pizzeria and BilliardsJetí s Pizza

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buzz staff's Frankenpizza. Photo by Animah Boakye

Best of CU 2013 winner of Best Pizza: Papa Del's in Champaign.

Teresa Anderson

1

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Place an Ad: 217 - 337 - 8337

Deadline: 2 p.m. Tuesday for the

next Thursday’s edition.

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NOW LEASING!AMAZING 1, 2, 3, & 4

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1, 2, & 3 BR units, Spacious, Great Locations.

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1 Bedroom901 W. Springfi eld, U $ 540-595911 W. Springfi eld, U $ 580-6301004 W. Springfi eld, U $ 525-550

2 Bedroom901 W. Springfi eld, U $ 720-760

111 S. Lincoln, U $ 820-860

3 Bedroom1010 W. Springfi eld, U $1080-1380


1 Bedroom901 W. Springfi eld, U $ 540-595911 W. Springfi eld, U $ 580-6301004 W. Springfi eld, U $ 525-550

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INDEXAllerton Park515 Old Timber Road, Monticello, IL 61856 217-333-3287Allure Salon2907 W. Springfield Ave., Champaign, IL 61821217-355-3900Apricot Lane Boutique627 S. Wright St., suite 101, Champaign, IL 61820217-344-7911Aroma Cafe118 N. Neil St., Champaign, IL 61820217-356-3200Art Theater126 W. Church St., Champaign, IL 61820 217-355-0068Bacaro Wine Lounge113 N. Walnut St., Champaign, IL 61820217-398-6982Basil Thai701 S. Gregory St., Urbana, IL 61801217-344-8662Big Grove Tavern1 E. Main St., Champaign, IL 61820217-239-3505The Bike Project202 S. Broadway Ave., Urbana, IL 61801217-469-5126Binny’s Beverage Depot802 W. Town Center Blvd., Champaign, IL 61822217-355-0625Black Dog Smoke & Ale House201 N. Broadway Ave., Urbana, IL 61801 217-344-9334The Blind Pig Co.120 N. Walnut St., Champaign, IL 61820 217-398-1532Boltini Lounge211 N. Neil St., Champaign, IL 61820217-378-8001Cafe Kopi109 N. Walnut St., Champaign, IL 61820

217-359-4266Canopy Club708 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 61801 217-344-2263Champaign Cycle506 S. Country Fair Drive, Champaign, IL 61821217-352-7600Chester Street Bar63 E. Chester St., Champaign, IL 61820217-356-5607Carrie’s Antiques & Jewelry204 N. Neil St., Champaign, IL 61820217-352-3231Champaign Public Library 200 W. Green St., Champaign, IL 61820217-403-2000Cinema Gallery120 W. Main St., Urbana, IL 61801217-367-3711Circles Boutique114 N. Neil St., Champaign, IL 61820217-359-2195The Clark Bar207 W. Clark St., Champaign, IL 61820217-355-0510The Clybourne 706 S. Sixth St., Champaign, IL 61820217-383-1008Common Ground Food Co-op300 S. Broadway Ave., #166, Urbana, IL 61802217-352-3347County Market331 E. Stoughton St., Champaign, IL 61820217-352-4123Courier Cafe111 N. Race St., Urbana, IL 61801217-328-1811Cowboy Monkey6 Taylor St., Champaign, IL 61820217-398-2688Crane Alley115 W. Main St., #1, Urbana, IL 61801217-384-7526

Cream & Flutter114 N. Walnut St., Champaign, IL 61820217-355-5400Curtis Orchard & Pumpkin Patch3902 S. Duncan Road, Champaign, IL 61822217-359-5565Dandelion9 Taylor St., Champaign, IL 61820217-355-9333Dos Reales Mexican Restaurant1407 N. Prospect Ave., Champaign, IL 61820217-351-6879D.P. Dough33 E. Green St., Champaign, IL 61820217-365-9663Drew's Pizzeria508 E. Green St., Champaign, IL 61820217-384-7000Durst Cycle1201 S. Mattis Ave., Champaign, IL 61821 217-352-3300El Charro Mexican Grocery and Restaurant55 E. Green St., Champaign, IL 61820217-337-6647El Toro Mexican Restaurant2561 W. Springfield Ave., Champaign, IL 61821217-351-7024Emerald City Lounge118 N. First St., Champaign, IL 61820217-398-8661Empire Chinese Restaurant410 E. Green St. #1, Champaign, IL 61820217-328-0832Exile on Main St.1 E. Main St., Champaign, IL 61820217-398-6246Espresso Royale602 E. Daniel St., Champaign, IL 61820217-328-1112Evergreen Tobacco309 E. Green St., Champaign, IL 61820 217-337-7777Farren’s Pub and Eatery308 N. Randolph St., Champaign, IL 61820

217-359-6977Friar Tuck Beverage1333 Savoy Plaza Lane, Savoy, IL 61874217-355-7933Flying Machine Coffee208 W. Main St., Urbana, IL 61801217-493-1550Goodrich Savoy 16 IMAX Theater232 W. Burwash Ave., Savoy, IL 61874217-355-3456Grainger Engineering Library1301 W. Springfield Ave., Urbana, IL 61801217-333-3576H2O Salon109 N. Broadway Ave., Urbana, IL 61801217-337-1480 Hardy's Reindeer Ranch1356 County Road 2900 N, Rantoul, IL 61866217-893-3407Hessel Park1862 Valley Road, Champaign, IL 61820217-398-2550The Highdive51 Main St., Champaign, IL 61820217-356-2337The I.D.E.A. Store28 E. Springfield Ave., Champaign, IL 61820 217-352-7878indi go Artist Co-op9 E. University Ave., Champaign, IL 61820217-369-6964Ippatsu Salon73 E. Chester St., Champaign, IL 61820 217-356-6547Jarling’s Custard Cup309 W. Kirby Ave., Champaign, IL 61820 217-352-2273Jet’s Pizza 512 S. Neil St., Champaign, IL 61820217-352-3333Jimmy John's43 E. Green St., Champaign, IL 61820217-344-6200Joe's Brewery706 S. Fifth St., Champaign, IL 61820


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217-384-1790Jon’s Pipe Shop509 E. Green St., #1, Champaign, IL 61820217-344-3459Jupiter’s Pizzeria & Billiards39 Main St., Champaign, IL 61820217-398-5988Krannert Center for the Performing Arts500 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 61801217-333-6700Krannert Art Museum500 E. Peabody Drive, Champaign, IL 61820217-333-1861Le Peep2209 S. Neil St., Champaign, IL 61820217-352-7599Li’l Porgy’s Bar-B-Q1917 W. Springfield Ave., Champaign, IL 61821217-398-6811Maize Mexican Grill60 E. Green St., Champaign, IL 61820217-355-6400Manolo’s Pizza and Empanadas1115 W. Oregon St., Urbana, IL 61801217-365-0110Market at the SquareEast Illinois Street, Urbana, IL 61801217-384-2319Meadowbrook Park2808 S. Race St., Urbana, IL 61801 217-384-4062Meatheads Burgers & Fries1305 S. Neil St., Champaign, IL 61820

217-352-5555Merry Ann’s Diner1510 S. Neil St., Champaign, IL 61820217-352-5399Memphis on Main55 E. Main St., Champaign, IL 61820217-398-1097Mike ‘N’ Molly’s105 N. Market St., Champaign, IL 61820 217-355-1236Mirabelle Fine Pastries124 W. Main St., Urbana, IL 61801217-384-6460Modern Nails1711 W. Kirby Ave., Champaign, IL 61821217-954-0500No Regrets Tattoo117 W. Church St., Champaign, IL 61820 217-351-9902The Original Pancake House1909 W. Springfield Ave., Champaign, IL 61821217-352-8866Papa D's Bar & Grill401 E. Green St., Champaign, IL 61820217-330-5388Papa Del’s Pizza206 E. Green St., Champaign, IL 61820217-359-7700Pekara Bakery and Bistro116 N. Neil St., Champaign, IL 61820217-359-4500Picadilly Beverage Shops

505 S. Neil St., Champaign, IL 61820217-359-8777Pinky's Piercings & Fine Body Jewelry2520 Village Green Place, Champaign, IL 61822217-778-7745Planet Fitness2002 Glen Park Drive, Champaign, IL 61820217-356-8500Quality Bar110 N. Neil St., Champaign, IL 61820217-359-3425Radio Maria Restaurant119 N. Walnut St., Champaign, IL 61820217-398-7729Ragstock627 S. Wright St., suite B01, Champaign, IL 61820217-344-2549 The Red Herring1209 W. Oregon St., Urbana, IL 61801217-367-2340Revolt Tattoo Studio505 S. Neil St., #10, Champaign, IL 61820217-954-0144Rod Sickler Salon and Spa2520 Village Green Place, Champaign, IL 61822217-403-1790Schnucks109 N. Mattis Ave., Champaign, IL 61821217-351-2600 Siam Terrace

212 W. Main St., Urbana, IL 61801217-367-8424Skins & Tins Drum Shop29 E. Main St., #1, Champaign, IL 61820217-352-3786The Smoke Shack208 E. Green St., Champaign, IL 61820217-359-0850The Station Theatre223 N. Broadway Ave., Urbana, IL 61801217-384-4000Steak ‘n Shake2010 N. Prospect Ave., Champaign, IL 61822217-398-1606Strawberry Fields306 W. Springfield Ave., Urbana, IL 61801217-328-1655The University of Illinois Arboretum1800 S. Lincoln Ave., Urbana, IL 61802217-333-7579Urban Outfitters507 E. Green St., Champaign, IL 61820217-328-0277Urbana Free Library210 W. Green St., Urbana, IL 61801217-367-4057Virginia Theatre203 W. Park Ave., Champaign, IL 61820217-356-9053West Side Park400 W. University Ave., Champaign, IL 61820

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LANDMARK APARTMENTS


MAPGo to: www.readbuzz.com/besto fcu 2 013m ap

This year's Best of CU will include a new feature: the Best of CU Interactive Map! Head to readbuzz.com/best-of-cu-2013-map in order to locate all the winners all over Champaign and Urbana, including pictures and de-scriptions for each category. As this issue proves, CU is full of treasures, and this map can help you fi nd them

no matter where they're buried.


Your warm eyes melt the iciness of my heart.

The ReStore is located at 119 E University, [email protected] | 217 819 5118 | www.cuhabitat.org

Hours: Tuesday Friday 10 6pm, and Saturday 10 4Monday Donations & Pick Up/Deliveries only 10am 6pm

Every dollar spent in the ReStore helps build houses in Champaign County

by Matt Jones

“In the Cards” — I’m kind of a big deal��JONESIN’

Across1 Drill sergeant’s syllable4 Formal promise?10 Casablanca’s country:

abbr.13 Land on the Med. Sea14 He wrote of Walden Pond16 Diminutive ending, in

Italian17 Pop artist who used

faceless stick fi gures19 Big shot in the offi ce20 Serial piece21 Budget brand of Intel

CPUs23 “Comfortably ___” (Pink

Floyd)24 Jazz great with the album

“High Priestess of Soul”27 Location fi nder, briefl y28 High-rated search engine,

once29 Hip hop fan, maybe30 Increasingly hard to fi nd

net surfer31 Calvin and Naomi33 “The Devil’s Dictionary”

author36 ___ and Guilder (warring

“The Princess Bride” nations)

37 They may include twists38 Dip ___ in the water39 Handout after a checkup

40 Choke, or a joke43 15th-century Flemish

painter46 “Damn Yankees” vamp47 Vlad, as the legend goes48 Green energy type49 You, to Yves50 He played Locke on “Lost”54 “I’d like to buy ___”

(“Wheel” request)55 With great skill56 Battle (for)57 Ave. crossers58 Had a debate59 Superlative ending

Down1 Outdoors activity2 Depletes3 Rainbow creators4 “Am ___ only one?”5 “Keep it down!”6 Condo grp.7 Part of ETA8 German cameras9 Highway sections10 Of small organisms11 Two-person basketball

game12 Andy and Mickey15 “Unattractive” citrus18 Margarine holder

22 Campfi re remains24 Parachute fabric25 Finishes a cake26 Message response that’s

not really a response28 “Footloose” actress Singer30 Cold sore-fi ghting brand

in a tiny tube31 Mall booth32 “___ get this party

started”33 “Gimme Shelter”

speedway34 Oft-mocked treats35 “Helicopter” band ___

Party36 Dish served with a distinct

sound39 “Cyrano de Bergerac” star

Jose40 Become available to the

general public, as a new website

41 “Thank U” singer Morissette

42 January birthstone44 Utah ski resort45 “I ___ drink!”46 Reed recently deceased48 Flooring meas.51 D&D, e.g.52 “___ Mama Tambien”53 “Bravo, matador!”

Stumped? Find the solutions in the Classifi eds pages.


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buzz magazine: november 8, 2013

Documents

best of cu

best parts of champaign

new business

champaignurbana community

best stuff

average issue of buzz

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