Hawaiian Shave Ice...in Champaign, IL?

About a month ago, Aaron mentioned that he saw a Hawaiian Shave Ice van in Champaign and asked me if it was the real deal. I was a bit skeptical about the place because at the "Taste of Champaign" a couple of years ago, the "Hawaiian Shave Ice" was similar to the texture of the coarse ice in a "Snow-cone."
Aaron brought it up again and said that he tried it and the ice texture was similar to snow, rather than crushed ice. Here's a picture of a slightly melted cup of shave ice.
So last Saturday, one of my Hawaii friends (yeah, there are a few others from Hawaii who attend school in Illinois) and I finally checked out the shave ice van on Neil St. in Champaign, IL. She's posing next to the shave ice van.
The workers were super nice and friendly and there were TONS of flavors to choose from. We tried the mango and the banana cream pie flavors. We then unintentionally got the cups mixed up and told/convinced Aaron that the mango was the banana cream pie flavor. He even said, "Mmm...that banana cream pie is really good." Then he some how figured out that he was eating the mango one. So, those flavoring in particular could use a little tweaking, but our taste buds could have been shot because we had been cooking and tasting all the food for our "Grown-Up Kids Party."Overall take home message, the shave ice van gets my stamp of approval. It is not as soft as Matsumoto's shave ice or Waiola's, but it's the best I've tasted on the mainland and definitely similar to other shave ice stores in Hawaii. I'd definitely go back, but I would try other flavors. Maybe stick with one of the more traditional flavors like strawberry.

Goats and Bagels-Prairie Fruit Farms

Doesn't this goat look like a dog with buggy eyes? It's still very cute to me.
My fascination with goats began when my dad told me the story of how we once had a goat out in the backyard/mountain. Apparently the goat was tied to a stake in the ground and ate all the vegetation in a circular area with a radius of the rope he was tied to. After that, I thought, man...I want a goat so I never have to do yard work. But then there is video footage of me at a petting zoo crying for my mom as a goat starting nuzzling my arm; so I admit, I'm slightly scared of these animals.

Anywhoo, last Saturday, a few of us took a morning drive to Prairie Fruit Farms to buy some local produce and breads and see the new 10-day old baby goats.
After reading a post by Lisa, i had to try "Stewart's Artisan Breads" bagels. Six bagels for $4.25 or $4.50(for flavored ones) seems like a steep price for bagels, especially when you can buy a 6-pack of Lender's bagels for $1.00 on sale. I bought the plain ones since I figured the best litmus test of a good bagel is to stick with the basics (just like the test for a good ice cream is to taste the vanilla flavor). Erika bought the egg bagels and was not too excited about them. She felt that they were too dense and that they " would probably bounce" if she threw one on the ground. I think I'm quoting her correctly.
I enjoyed my plain bagel after I lightly toasted it. I wasn't gaga over it and I am not sure if they tasted so good that I would wake up early on a Saturday morning to purchase them at the Urbana Farmer's Market.

Prairie Fruit Farm Dinners

Prairie Fruit Farms Dinners are posted now!!!
Last year Erika, Aaron, Mike and I enjoyed ourselves at a Dinner on the Farm. If you want to check out our dinner, look at this previous post. Hopefully we will be able to snag a few seats for one of the dinners this summer.
If you have the cash (the dinners range from $45-100 a person), you should definitely check out Prairie Fruit Farms for dinner. All ingredients are grown/raised from local farms, so it's a great way to support local farmers.

Also, if you're interested in checking out the cute goats or purchasing Prairie Farm cheese, they are having a open house on Saturday, March 21st from 9-12noon. Not only will they be selling their goat cheeses, you'll be able to purchase produce, bread, and eggs from farmers that are usually at the Urbana Farmer's Market.

My research

For the past few years, my "job" has been being a Food Science graduate student. I'm specializing in Sensory Science which involves evaluating and understanding foods/products, etc. using human senses. It also involves a LOT of statistics. I'm not doing the discipline any justice with that definition, but trust me, it's super duper cool and if you're interested, here's a link to the Institute of Food Technologists' (IFT) Sensory Evaluation Division (SED).

Sometimes we run acceptance tests to determine the level of liking of a product. Other tests like a Descriptive Analysis panel involves training panelists to hone in on key attributes(sweetness, flavor, texture, etc.) of products and rate the samples on these attributes. It's a great field to be in, plus there never seems to be a shortage of sensory scientist jobs on the mainland. You could work for companies focusing on food, pet food, skincare, household products...pretty much any company that involves consumer insight.

Yeah, so my lab is great! We all really enjoy food,like to eat, and like to study food. That's probably the reason why most of us decided to pursue Food Science and specialize in Sensory Science.

In February I'll be conducting a Descriptive Analysis panel for 4 weeks, so the blog posts will probably be sparse next month. I'll be training my human subjects to be "instruments" in rating attributes in solutions.
Does it sound like fun? Email me uiucsensory 'at' gmail.com if you're in Champaign, IL and interested in participating. This semester a few of my labmates are conducting panels, so if you want to be a human guinea pig, let me know.

My panel runs from Feb. 2-Feb. 27 (~1 hour/day, five days a week, four weeks) and we're paying you! Plus every day you get a snack (chips, snack bar, etc) too.

Prairie Fruit Farms Dinner

On the Sunday after our 24-24-24 feat, we attended Dinner on the Farm at Prairie Fruit Farms. I've been meaning to post about this experience for a while, but was blogged out after the 24 meals in 24-hour post from that weekend. I had been looking forward to this dinner for a while and was fortunate enough to nab some highly sought after seats to the event. I first read about it on Champaign Taste and quickly emailed Leslie Cooperfield (the owner of Prairie Fruit Farms) asking for seats. She was sold out, but a few days later I found out there was space available.
I've heard the dinners are AMAZING and everything is just wonderful . All the dishes are prepared by Alisa DeMarco and are made from locally produced meats and produce.
Homemade warm apple cider. I think Mike drank more than his share.
Moore Family Fresh Deviled Eggs
Prairie Fruit Farm Roasted Organic Red Beet Bruschetta with goat's milk Ricotta Salata and mint
Miniature Biscuits with Triple S Farms Ham and Prairie Fruits Farm Pepper JellyThe cute goats at the farm. There are over 50 goats there and they all have nametags. How cute is that? Leslie and Wes treat their goats well and almost like their pets. No wonder their goat cheeses taste great. Happy goats-->good goat milk-->tasty goat cheese?
Mike and I attended this event with A. and E. They were both troopers too, because they had joined us for some of the restaurants the day/night before during our 24-hour food event.

Moore Family Farm French pumpkin soup with Toasted Curry Cream
Blue Moon Farm Organic Green Salad, warmed fresh Chevre croquette, edible flowers and house-dried Juliet tomatoes
Triple S Farms Roasted Porchetta with Fennel and Sausage
Prairie Fruits Farm Organic Apple Sauce, Three Sisters Garden Flageolet Beans with Herbs
Prairie Fruits Farm Cheese Board
Honeyed Carrot Cake with Goat Cheese Frosting

If you ever are in Champaign, IL during the late Spring to Fall months (May-October), definitely check out Prairie Fruit Farms.

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Grazing Champaign-Urbana: A 24-hour meal

Today.....well, tonight.....this morning.....I'm not quite sure how to start it off, but anyway, on October 25, 2008 ("Today"....I guess that would have worked after all) Lauren and I will be attempting the unthinkable. We will be visiting (and eating at) 24 restaurants (focusing on locally owned of course) throughout the twin cities of Champaign-Urbana (also known as Chambana) in 24 hours. In our culinary adventure, we'll visit the fancy, the everyday, the ethnic, and most off all the tasty treats these cities have to offer. We'd like to thank Foodbuzz for sponsoring this event!

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

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. (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!

02:00 - Howbowda Bagel
One of the newest additions to the Champaign restaurant scene, Howbowda Bagel has quickly become a favorite amongst the locals.(Click here for more)
$7.03 plus tas
Total spent - $42.03, we’ve got to spend less!

03:00 - Geovanti's Bar and Grill
So much to write, so much to write, and almost none of it is about the food.....(Click here for more)
$6 spent
Total spent - $48.03

04:00 - Fat Sandwich Company
Their pride and joy, the BigFatUgly (yes, it's all one word) has 20 ingredients, including cheesesteak, gyro meat, chicken nuggets, mozzarella sticks, fried mushrooms, jalapeno poppers, and mac and cheese bites. (Click here for more)
$7.85 plus tax
Total spent - $55.88

05:00 - Merry-Ann's Diner
Merry-Ann's Diner wins the Iron Man award for Urbana restaurants. This place never closes. (Click here for more)
$11.23 - plus tax and tip
Total Spent - $67.11

06:00 - Sweet Indulgence

6 down, and 18 to go! Sweet Indulgence is the furthest drive for any of our stops, but I am assured that it will be worth it. (Click here for more)

$5.45 - Plus tax
Total spent - $72.56

07:00 - Courier Cafe

They were topped with a load of whipped cream and a generous serving of spiced butter. (Click here for more)

$7.69 - plus tax and tip
Total spent - $80.25

08:00 - La Panaderia

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)

$7 - spent, no tax
Total spent - $91.2

10:00 - Mirabelle

It is small and unassuming, but take a look around, and you soon realize that you're dealing with a heavy-hitter. (Click here for more)

$4.39 - plus tax
Total spent - $95.59

11:00 - Tang Dynasty

My first impression of Tang Dynasty was "Wow, this must be a really great place, because they took the time to garnish my cup of water with a green onion on the outside! (Click here for more)

$10 - plus tax and tip
Total spent - $105.59

12:00 - Papa Del's
Oh, the things I've heard about Papa Del's. Most love it.....(Click here for more)

$3.44 - plus tax (half off of slices until the sell out!)
Total spent - $109.03

13:00 - Jerusalem Restaurant
We've never been here, but we see it every week. It's been in Urbana for over 10 years, so it's got to be good right? (Click here for more)

$5.10 - Plus tax

Total spent - $114.13

14:00 - El Charro
I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to El Charro. It seems like an authentic Mexican shop/restaurant serving up Mexican favorites. (Click here for more)

$13.23 - Plus tas
Total spent - $127.36

15:00 - Seaboat
Lauren first described Seaboat to me as a place where everything is fried. I thought "this is my kind of place." (Click here for more) $4.86 - plus tax
Total spent - $132.22

16:00 - Jarling's Custard Cup
Jarlings is a mainstay in Champaign and has been around since 19 Frozen custard is NOT ice cream. (Click here for more)

$5.72 - plus tax
Total spent - $137.94

17:00 - Lil Porgy's
The moment you walk into Lil Porgy's, you know you are in for some good food. You can smell it. (Click here for more)

$8.11 - plus tax and extra sauce
Total spent - $146.05

18:00 - Cakes on Walnut
Cakes on Walnut is a new addition to downtown Champaign. It caters to the night crowd. (Click here for more)
$10.04 - plus tax
Total spent - $156.09

19:00 - The Bread CompanyThe 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)


$29.50 - plus tax and tip
Total spent - $185.59

20:00 - Baraco

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

21:00 - Sushi Kame

Sushi in Illinois? Check it out! (Click here for more)

$22.00 - plus tax and tip
Total spent - $256.59

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!

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Radio Maria

00:00 - Radio Maria - Kicking it off

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

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