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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Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Seven Saints

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!

Seven Saints (review)
217-351-7775
32 E Chester St, Champaign, IL 61820

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Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Howbowda Bagel

02:00 - Howbowda Bagel
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.
It was a nice clean shop with a lot of bright light. It’s perfectly situated on Green St. (where all the Campustown bars are located) for all the late-night after bar-hopping group.
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!

$7.03 plus tax
Total spent - $42.03, we’ve got to spend less! 

Howbowda Bagel (review)
217-328-0200
611A E. Green Street, Champaign, IL 61820

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Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Geovanti's Bar and Grill

03:00 - Geovanti's Bar and Grill
Like many bars in college towns across America, Geovanti's provides college students with late night munchies. As the name might suggest, Geovanti's specializes bar food with and Italian twist. Food specials occur from midnight till 3am. That's what we're after tonight. Seriously, how many places are open this late!
The first time I went to Geovanti’s was in the afternoon for lunch. I thought that the chicken sandwich I ordered was tasty and that I would return back. Well, revisiting Geovanti’s in the early hours of the morning is another story. Imagine a lot of drunk college students shouting orders at calm yet fed-up workers. The atmosphere of the restaurant left more of an impression (unfavorable) one than the food, but really it’s not Geovanti’s fault.
So much to write, so much to write, and almost none of it is about the food. Most of it is about what comes with drunk food...drunk people. So we get inside, and the place is a mess. Soda is spilled on the floor with trash, and the place is packed. There are drunk people everywhere. I ordered a Italian sausage sandwich ($4.95), and the cashier rings it up with fries ($6), but I let it slide because I feel bad for the guy. While I was ordering a girl was attempting to carry on a conversation with him...here’s how it went:

Girl: Did you just call out #96?
Cashier: Yeah.
Girl: I think that might be my order, but I’m not sure
Cashier: What’d you order?
Girl: I’m not sure....do you know what I ordered....do you know if that’s mine, because I think it might be. Hey (to random guy behind her), do you know what I ordered?
Random Guy: I'm not sure what I ordered.
Cashier: I don’t know if it’s yours....
Around that time, the real owner of order 96 showed up. When my order was called, and we opened it up we found out that it was some kind of roast beef. Once again, I let it slide because I felt bad for the employees....plus I thought they would kill me if I returned it. Here’s the conversation that went on when I got my food (order #114):

Cook: #114
Guy (not me): That’s mine.....hey wait, this isn’t a calzone!
Cook: Let me see that...this isn’t your order...you’re not #114
Guy: Oh, well I ordered mine a while ago, so I figured this would be mine
Cook: Calzones take 20-30 minutes
Guy: No one told me that! That sucks....
Cook: It's right there on the sign you used to order.....
Guy: NO, it only says that calzones take 20 minutes, it doesn't say that the one I ordered takes that long.
Me: I'm order #114

Two things I learned from this experience: 1) Reasoning with drunk people is not fun at all, and 2) Watching someone try to reason with drunk people is really fun. Anyway, on to the food. The fries were thick and crispy, and the roast beef...or whatever it was was tasty, but a little dry. It would have been great if there was some kind of sauce to go over it. Bottom line, the food was plentiful, tasty, and hot, and if I was drunk, I'd stumble my way to Geovanti's any night.

$6 spent
Total spent - $48.03

Geovanti's (website)
217-344-4600
401 E Green St, Champaign, IL 61820

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Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Fat Sandwich Company

04:00 - Fat Sandwich Company
Fat sandwich company is a late-night fast food joint which has just opened in Champaign. It boasts gigantic greasy sandwiches with everything, and I mean everything inside. 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. There are also 4 cheeseburgers inside. It's as big as a football...everything someone looking out for a lot of food, and not their health could ask for. We had to see it for ourselves.
Okay, this sandwich shop is not in my territory of “foods I like to eat” it actually falls into the category of “foods I avoid like the plague.” Just imagine, anything that can be fried up and unhealthy (cheese, chicken fingers, etc) all stuffed into an 8” roll topped with sauce and a couple of handfuls of fries. On the other hand, I do believe in the philosophy of “you cannot go wrong when you fry food...or add bacon to it.” So I am quite certain the Fat Sandwich Company will appeal to your typical college student. We stepped into this crowded shop and our lungs were treated to the smell of fried food, oil and our attitude soured. I wanted to turn around and check out another restaurant, but my inquisitive nature also wanted to see and taste one of these Calorie-dense sandwiches.
I thought that the sandwich was good, and full of fried goodness! Would I return, probably not, but I think that the Fat Sandwich Company is here to stay because I am in the minority when it comes to loving fried goodness in the wee hours of the morning. If someone would have picked up a sandwich from the Fat Sandwich Company for me, I would have thought it was the greatest thing since pre-cooked bacon, or beer with bubbles. I loved the sandwich. The Fat Sorostitute with buffalo chicken bites, mozzarella sticks, jalapeno poppers, ranch and fries ($7.25) was an odd, but really good combination. It was all hot and crunchy, and the mozaralla sticks were gooey. Sandwiches here are kind of like the meat parfait in "Friends." If you like everything that goes into the sandwich individually, why not have them all together. But going into this place changed my mind a bit. It was really crowded when we got there, but it thinned out as we waited for food. The vacated tables, shown above were left with food all over them, bottlecaps, coins, beer, and other assorted things strewn about under them. It looked like the scene of a really good frat party. The worst thing though was the air. It was like their ventillation system was the human lung...inhale super oily smokey air, trap some of it inside of you, and exhale clean air...repeat.
I was hungry before we went into the Fat Sandwich Company, but by the time we got our food, I felt like I had inhaled 2 pounds of lard. I wasn't even hungry anymore. To sum it up , sandwich good.....so have someone pick it up for you....then run 4 marathons to burn off the calories.

$7.85 plus tax
Total spent - $55.88

Fat Sandwich Company
502 E. John St.
Champaign Il, 61820

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