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| This is a picture of the raspberry and syrup mixture prior to blending |
What's more, we'll attempt to do it all in under $300! I think this is kind of like Rachel Ray's $40-a-day, except that she usually only goes to 3 restaurants (~$13.33/restaurant), and we're hitting 8 times as many (way more extreme!). Also there are two of us, so when you do all of the math, we should be using about $640 for the whole event. Lauren and I will try our best to fight off fatigue, and save our pocketbooks to experience all that Chambana has to offer.
Please click on the links below to see our adventure.
00:00 - Radio Maria - Kicking it off
Tonight we'll see if this Champaign hotspot lives up to its hype. A link to the takeout menu is provided below. (Click here for more) 
$19 spent including tax and tip
Total - $19
Described as "the quintessential downtown bar" by General Manager Andy Borbely, Seven Saints wows patrons with sliders, salads, and many other culinary delights. (Click here for more) 
$16 spent including tax and tip
$35 total spent...can we make it? And can Lauren stay awake? Her head has already hit the table as I’m writing this!
$7.03 plus tas
$6 spent
$7.85 plus tax
$11.23 - plus tax and tipThey were topped with a load of whipped cream and a generous serving of spiced butter. (Click here for more)
I wonder if bread shops in Spain or Mexico are called La Panderia, or if it's a "only in America" thing. (Click here for more)
$3.95 plus tax
Total spent - $84.20
09:00 - Market at the Square
Urbana's Farmer's Market at Lincoln Square is open every Saturday from May through the beginning of November. This week, the market is renamed to "Market at the Scare" to celebrate Halloween. (Click here for more)
$10 - plus tax and tip
I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to El Charro. It seems like an authentic Mexican shop/restaurant serving up Mexican favorites. (Click here for more)
$4.86 - plus tax
Jarlings is a mainstay in Champaign and has been around since 19 Frozen custard is NOT ice cream. (Click here for more)
18:00 - Cakes on Walnut
$10.04 - plus tax
The Bread Company is known for their fondue. I pass by this restaurant a few times a day since it's located a few blocks away from my lab. Every time I walk home I see couples sharing fondue..(Click here for more)Bacaro has been open to foodies in Champaign since 2001. As one of the most expensive paces on our tour, I'm hoping that the "traditional Italian fare, combined with a modern American twist" lives up to its gastronomic hype. (Click here for more)
$49 - plus tax and tip
Total spent - $234.59
22:00 - Escobar
Escbar's is a Nuevo Latin resturant.....We've only heard rave reviews about the food at Escobar, (Click here for more)
$59 - plus drinks, tax and tip
Total spent - $315.59, okay, we busted our budget here....
23:00 - Murphy's Bar & Grill
Irish nachos. That is the reason that Murphy's made our list..... (Click here for more)
$10 - plus tax and tip
Total spent - $325.59, All done!
We start our adventure at Radio Maria, the offbeat creation of artists David Spears and Sharon Owens. For over 10 years Radio Maria has stretched the imagination of diners and art lover alike with their innovative food (wonderful tapas) and decor....or so the reviews say. Tonight we'll see if this Champaign hotspot lives up to its hype. A link to the takeout menu is provided below. 
My first thought on entering Radio Maria was "I hope Mike made reservations, because this place is packed." We managed to find an open table, and sat down. The service was good, within 5 minutes of seating ourselves we were asked for our drink order. 
We decided to order the arancini ($5) which peaked my interest because it consists of a "rice ball rolled in panko, filled with Mozzarella and Topped with a Spicy Tomato Sauce" I think it's bizarre to couple rice with a tomato sauce and cheese, but decided to try it. Mike ordered the Chili-lime shrimp ($7) which was spicy shrimp with garlic and seasonal vegetables. He also decided to kick off the night with a Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat beer.
My first thought on entering Radio Maria was "I hope tapas are small, because I'm not even that hungry right now." The steak and shake I had for late lunch is still somehow with me. I was impressed that my beer came in 3 minutes, and even though it came in a warm glass, it tasted great. I tend to like unfiltered beers, though I usually need to add a lime, but this one already had hints of citrus in it.
It’s funny, I enjoyed the shrimp dish much better than the arancini (which came highly regarded by the waitress). But as Mike says, “That’s what you get for ordering something that you thought was bizarre in the first place.” Point taken. Anyways, the rice in the arancini was actually a risotto-type rice. Contrary to my initial statement, I take it back, yes, risotto is one of the exceptions in which rice is served with cheese.
I do wish I had ordered the fried goat cheese tapas, but oh well. 
I liked both dishes. The panko rice balls were very crispy on the outside, and gooey inside. The risotto was mildly cheesy, and would have needed more, but was offset by the marinara sauce they were served in which was extremely spicy, and even Lauren admitted it had flavor. The chili-lime shrimp tasted like something you’d eat over pasta at an Italian restaurant, and was tasty but not very impressive. All in all, Lauren and I had differing opinions, but we are both excited to have started our culinary adventure. If we come back, I want to try the goat cheese, I hear it’s great!
$19 spent including tax and tip
Total - $19
Radio Maria (menu)
217-398-7729
119 N. Walnut St. Champaign, IL 61820
01:00 - Seven Saints
Described as "the quintessential downtown bar" by General Manager Andy Borbely, Seven Saints wows patrons with sliders, salads, and many other culinary delights. Reviewers enjoy its Modern/Gothic furnishings, and describe the menu with words such as "variety" and "something for everyone." One review that especially excited me said it was "not a place for dieters." Translation into Mike-speak is "a place with some seriously tasty food." I know that in general you've got to be healthy, but when it comes down to it, as I always say "fat is flavor." Seven Saints even has wireless, so we’re sending our first post here.
At the Seven Saints we ordered the smokey BBQ slider (recommended by the waitress($3.79)), the buffalo chicken slider($2.99), and the beet chips and goat cheese sauce ($5.99). Mmmm....beet chips. I saw this on the online menu and already knew I was going to order them and like them...and I did. The sliders were quite delicious too. I preferred the BBQ slider which was topped with 2 large crispy slices of bacon, an onion ring, and BBQ sauce. Extra points for crispy bacon!
The atmosphere in Seven Saints was totally different from Radio Maria. Where Radio Maria was busy and exciting, Seven Saints was relaxed and mellow, although I think it might have had something to do with the fact that we were there at 1:00 am. Lauren and I are both not partiers, so it was more up our alley. My initial impression was skepticism on the sliders, because I wondered how sliders could be “great.” Aren’t they just meat and bread? The variety at Seven Saints impressed me. There is even a salmon slider! And the quality of the sliders we ate was wonderful. The buffalo chicken slider was awesome. The sauce was great, and the ranch side was good too. The BBQ slider had tons of bacon, and the burger was yummy. 
$16 spent including tax and tip
$35 total spent...can we make it? And can Lauren stay awake? Her head has already hit the table as I’m writing this!
One of the newest additions to the Champaign restaurant scene, Howbowda Bagel has quickly become a favorite amongst the locals. From sweet to savory, breakfast to lunch/dinner, Howbowda Bagel serves up all sorts of steamed bagel sandwiches. From what I can gather, a traditional bagel is shaped, proofed, boiled, then baked. The steamed bagel (a recent invention) skips the boiling and instead is baked in an oven with steam injectors. This supposedly make the bagel "fluffier, softer, and less chewy" according to the Wikipedia article I read. I'm excited to try this new bagel shop.
We ordered the “Lox it Up” ($6.49) which was one of the specialty bagels. 
I would definitely go back. The bagels had the perfect texture-chewy in the inside and slightly toasted crisp outside. I think I’d perfectly happy enjoying a flavored bagel without any spreads or fillings. 
I agree with Lauren, the bagel was great, and I really liked the workers. There was a ton of lox inside, but it wasn’t too salty. I also liked that there was red onion, cucumber, tomato, and cream cheese.....mmmmm. If I could make one recommendation, it would be to put pepper on the bagel (or more of it if they already put some). Bagel dough is delivered weekly from New York, which is another interesting fact. We also interviewed one of the owners Dustin Canter, since he was there making bagels. It’s not the most exciting interview, but hey, you know that the guy loves what he does!
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