Smile Politely. Speak Directly. A Champaign-Urbana Culture Blog

In my travels, I rarely turn down a bowl of matzo ball soup from a restaurant menu. It's not that I find the soup to be all that interesting or spectacular; chicken broth and a dumpling made of matzo meal are hardly what I consider to be the most dynamic or flavorful items on my virtual menu.

What drives me to order this item, or simply add to my order no matter what I've chosen to eat that day, is the sheer fact that I cannot get it on any menu in Champaign-Urbana. And while I'd like to point out that I am always quick to accuse people of latent anti-semitism, I don't believe that this is the case this time. I simply think that there is no one in town that really seems to know the value of serving up this traditional delight — also known as "the Jewish Penicillin."

But let me tell you, there's more than value. There's gold.

For as far back as I can remember, I've wanted to own and operate my own restaurant.

Of course, I do in a fantasy land — within the confines of my own kitchen. But I also, however, have always had a sincere and true desire to offer up some of my favorite dishes to the community at my own joint; a place where my special recipes of matzo ball soup and meatballs mix together on one fantastic menu.

In truth, I just don't have the time right now. Plus, any one who wants to open a restaurant probably needs to get their head examined; one in five upstarts close and lose money within the first two years of existence.

I am involved in other projects, and other realities are taking precedence for me, such as Smile Politely. So, instead, I've decided to dedicate a particular column to pleading — no — beseeching someone in the community with the financial and mental capacity to open up and sustain a few different restaurants that I would most certainly frequent.

This week — A stand alone French Fry shop, modeled after the one we visited in Amsterdam this past week.

Whenever we're in Chicago, we try to stop by Greektown for a meal. The prices are reasonable, there's free valet parking, and one can choose from the numerous high quality restaurants lined up on Halstead Street. One of our favorite Greektown restaurants is Greek Islands because their grilled octopus is absolutely fabulous. Tender and chewy, crusty and smokey, the octopus is simply dressed in an oregano-vinegrette sauce. We can never get enough of this very popular appetizer.

Urbana's Sweet Corn Festival isn't for another three weeks but that doesn't mean we can't start celebrating. We don't grow much sweet corn here in Illinois; as a matter of fact, of the millions of acres of corn planted on all four sides of Champaign-Urbana, and across the state, only a fraction is suitable for human consumption. So eat all the local corn you can this summer, as it is a precious commodity. If you've never picked up corn from Market at the Square, the Schottman brothers in Effingham or the Kleiss farm in Tuscola grow perfect ears.

Every time I think I know what to expect at Market at the Square, someone shows up with something new. Case in point: early orange plums from Jeff Meyer of Villa Grove. Last Saturday, I bought a quart for five dollars and they were well-worth the cash. Sweet and slightly tart, these little orange beauties made a great little tart perfectly paired with vanilla ice cream — definitely summer at its best.

Just off Interstate 74 at the Mahomet exit (Route 47 south, exit 172) is a small Chinese restaurant that's one of central Illinois' best kept secrets. At first glance, this generic-looking strip mall joint looks like a second rate Chinese take-out restaurant in the middle of nowhere. The dining room looks sparse, the fluorescent lighting a little harsh and it's sandwiched between a Subway and a nail salon.

But take a closer look and you'll see red strips of paper with Chinese writing hanging on the wall. That's a good sign — that's their "secret" Chinese menu. Look around at the tables and you'll see at least one or two tables with Chinese people eating (that's another good sign). Go up to the counter and Tina will greet you like a regular, just like she did at the old Mandarin Wok on Green Street more than three years ago.

Last Saturday was the worst weather in current market history. Heavy rains and strong wind gusts made the opening hour of the morning difficult for farmers and vendors who were holding on to their tents and protecting their goods.

The rain didn't end until 8:30 a.m., and several vendors packed it up and headed home calling the day an entire wash. (Pun intended.) Eventually the skies cleared, and patrons showed up in droves turning it into a pretty good day for everyone involved.

I can't tell you how many people in the last several weeks have commented about the organic salad greens from Blue Moon Farm. How much they have come to love and depend on a generous bag every week, how remarkably fresh and interesting they are, how they stay so fresh in the fridge, and how they are such a great deal compared to the lesser quality greens one finds in the grocery store.

Jon Cherniss from Blue Moon takes his salad seriously.

On our recent trip to Italy, I tasted a simple pasta dish with pesto sauce that changed my perception of Italian food. The memory of that dish stayed with me. When we got home, I immediately set out to try to recreate it. After several attempts, I think I have come fairly close.

We can only hope that the city of Urbana continues to improve upon its recent trend of creating and sustaining events in the downtown area. Certainly, the Sweetcorn Festival has a niche, and despite the fact that they charge a 500 percent markup (roughly — it used to be totally free) on an ear of corn, the festival is still a good thing for the C-U community, and traditionally marks the end of a quiet summer with the large crowds; the university students have just arrived in town and generally mill about with the townies.

Market at the Square has been shaping up nicely and every week it just gets better and better. Last week brought us fuzzy peaches, beautiful apricots and more cherries, raspberries, strawberries, gooseberries and blueberries. The folks at First Fruits had a mountainous display of sweet broccoli and cauliflower, along with a gorgeous stack of tri-colored beets that had my mouth watering. This coming Saturday market patrons can expect to find this year's first apples and plums along with more green beans, zucchini, cabbages and potatoes. There are still plenty of greens, kohlrabi, sugar snap peas, garlic scapes and radishes.

It couldn't be easier to come up with a simple pasta dish, soup or salad composed exclusively on what the market has to offer.

Over 250 wines competed for medals at the Illinois State Fair Competition held at Bevier Hall on the University of Illinois campus. The judges assessed entries using a predetermined rubric. While each of the 12 judges added their own professional wine experience and personal taste to the process, this scorecard allowed objective comparisons between wines of different styles, sweetness and ingredients.

Truth be told, I didn't make it to the market last week. Only an event such as the marriage of dear friends can keep me away this time of year, and I am thankful to the Common Ground Co-op and a steady supply of goat cheese for getting me through the week.

Broccoli, cauliflower, green beans and beets are some of my favorite vegetables — finally in season — and I cannot wait to start eating my fill. But really, right now it is all about the berries, and Market at the Square is due to have quite the supply this coming weekend.

The Red Herring Vegetarian Restaurant and Coffeehouse, located at 1209 W. Oregon in Urbana in the basement of the Channing-Murray Foundation, has taken a brief break for the summer. The Lean Shebeen, however, is a community space that hosts vegetarian African cuisine, music, dance and films while creating an open and artistic environment is now currently residing on Thursdays and Sundays from 7 p.m.–11 p.m. in the downstairs space of the Channing-Murray Foundation. Created by current community members of the Champaign-Urbana area, Marisa Manríquez, Nick Pelafas and Treva Ellison have worked hard to put together a list of amazing events and delicious menus. Even better, all the dinner's proceeds go towards Camp Uhuru 2008, a summer camp for Champaign-Urbana youth from ages 6–13. So, if you don't have plans for Thursday or Sunday, bring a group of friends, a date or family members to enjoy a healthy vegetarian meal, a community environment and great entertainment. Make sure to hit it up tomorrow night.

For more information or for their menu call: 217-367-2340 and for more of The Lean Shebeen's upcoming events and schedule, click the jump.

A couple of weekends ago, the Boneyard Union of Zymurgical Zealots (B.U.Z.Z.) hosted their 14th annual Boneyard Brew-Off. The event was a refreshing break from the binge-drinking culture that dominates most college campuses, including our beloved University of Illinois. It’s easy to forget the pleasures one can get from drinking a good beer, but the Zealots are dedicated to drinking, brewing and learning about these great fermented beverages. There were 239 entries within 26 categories in the competition, all submitted by home brewers. The categories varied from American wheat to brown ales to darker porters and vegetable and fruit beers. The variety was astounding, and reminds us that a 30 pack of ‘Stones isn’t the only way to go.

Our Air Berlin flight took us from Berlin to Bergamo, about an hour east of Milan. Upon landing, we immediately hopped into our rental car and took off for Vernazza, one of the five Cinque Terre towns on the west coast of Italy.

Italy's autostrada is no different than our interstate toll roads — easy driving and plenty of rest stops on the way. What was surprising was the quality of food available at these rest stops. When you see the knife and fork symbol along the autostrada, more likely than not it's going to be an Autogrill restaurant. As it turns out, every Autogrill is different, and the food they serve is dependent on which area of Italy you're in. Since we were in the Liguria region of Italy, there was pesto everywhere.

With the fear of sounding redundant, I must say that we had a great market again last Saturday. Beautiful weather, great produce and a ton of patrons — the vendors couldn't have asked for a better day.

This week, visitors to the market can expect to find many of the same vegetables we have seen over the past few weeks as well as raspberries, gooseberries, cherries, blueberries, broccoli, green beans, squash and onions. Make sure to visit all five aisles to really cover what the market has to offer. New vendors are popping up everywhere, and you never know what new treasure is to be found.

My Swiss exchange partner Immanuel Willi insisted that we check out the hottest city of the moment in Europe — Berlin. So we booked a flight on Easyjet, one of those cheap-o European airlines and spent two nights and one day in Berlin. As it turned out, both our Irish friend Julie and our Russian friends Katya and Dima wanted to visit Berlin as well, so we all met up for dinner on Saturday night and brunch the next day.

This week's salmonella scare in the nation's tomato supply should make us realize how lucky we are to have such a vibrant farmer's market here in Urbana. We can get to know our local farmers, where our food was grown, how it was handled and feel safe about what we are putting in our bodies.

Market at the Square was packed last weekend and patrons filled their shopping bags with the largest variety of vegetables we've seen thus far this season. I had the benefit of shopping early and was able to get some gorgeous Red Russian and Lacinato kales, swiss chard, turnips, salad greens, radishes, purple and green asparagus and of course, strawberries.

Cary's Garden of Eatin' had strawberries piled high with crate after crate of the blushing beauties. She was selling them packed in four different sizes suitable for all appetites and canning needs. I'm sure there will be plenty more to be had this coming Saturday, and I've got strawberry daiquiris in mind.

Editor's Note: For the next month or so, our roving food writer will be reporting from Europe.

It's probably not possible for a foodie to leave Switzerland without tasting fondue, so we saved this special meal until went to the Alps. The Swiss Alps are as majestic as you can imagine and perhaps it is this steep rock backdrop that makes the food taste better (either that or all that hiking makes you extra hungry).

Market at the Square is starting to really get going this Saturday with a larger variety of fresh spring produce due to the warmer conditions. The early bird still gets the worm though; don't sleep too late, or you might miss out on some of the newer items.

We are starting to see a variety of crucifers including cabbages, bok choy, and maybe, we can hope for some kale, broccoli, and cauliflower in the next few weeks. Luckily, we can expect to have asparagus for about two more weeks. Make sure to get your fill — paired with some peppery arugula — asparagus makes an amazing salad. Radishes and rhubarb are still going strong as are the early harvest strawberries.

Now is definitely the time to bake a strawberry rhubarb pie for your honey or buy one for that matter.

Few things do it for me like the sound of an ice cream truck rolling by my house. I am 28 years old now, and still, that warped and wobbly jingle pumping out of those crummy speakers makes me drop my rake and go dashing into the house for money without thought.
Last night was no exception. At around 7:45 p.m., an ice cream man named Ralph, from Thomasboro, stopped by the neighborhood and sold his icy confections to the masses.

Be sure to look for him this summer, as he plans on scouring the streets from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. every day — unless the weather is rotten, that is.

"When it rains, it's worthless," Ralph quips. "I stay home."

And I can't blame him. Even though the temperatures only got to the upper 60s yesterday, the sun beating down was enough to inspire me to drop a fiver on an array of ice cream treats. There goes the diet. Again.

Editor's Note: For the next month or so, our roving food writer will be reporting from Europe.

An advantage of teaching at Parkland College is the privilege of participating in international exchange programs. Last year, I was accepted and matched with an exchange partner from Switzerland. In October 2007, I hosted Immanuel Willi, an IT professional at University of Applied Sciences/Northwestern Switzerland in Basel. He stayed with us in Champaign for two weeks, and now it's my turn to to stay with him in Basel.

We had another beautiful day at the Market last week. The morning clouds parted and gave way to some incredible sunshine along with a little spell of wind. Many of the vendors were holding down their tents to keep them from flying off, and I witnessed a few minor injuries. If you haven't had the chance to check out the market yet this year, Saturday looks like another great opportunity with outstanding weather and more incredible local products.

With my wedding just 16 days away, and a burning yet misdirected need to somehow shave off as many pounds as possible, my mind has been on one thing and one thing alone come dinner time: chicken. The fried kind.

We’re fortunate to live in a community that serves up some great choices if you’re willing to get your ass on the treadmill the next day, and so I present to you my Top 3 Places to Eat a Fried Bird in C-U:

Dig in after the jump.

There's barbecue and then there's Jackson's "pit" barbecue.

Located on First Street, across from the police station, this windowless storefront hides one of the best barbecue joints in town. Inside, the decor is sparse and clean, just your basic unfussy dining room with a full-service bar area (open only during the evening). The soda fountain is self-serve and so is the beer cooler. You order at the counter and pay first, but this is definitely not fast food. If you're in a hurry, go to Li'l Porgy's. But if you want authentic down home cooking, then stick around. The food will come eventually.

It was a great day at the Urbana Farmers' Market last week, and customers enjoyed the gorgeous weather, catching up with the local farmers and running in to friends, while exploring all the market had to offer. Although the variety of available produce was less than market goers are accustomed to this time of year, the bounty was plenty. Asparagus was the vegetable-of-the-day, and although I went slightly overboard on my purchases, I have no regrets, and will likely indulge again.

I was lured to Crazy Buffet in the North Prospect Big Box Retail District the other night on the recommendation of a friend who told me that this place was “better than the others.” By the others, I’m assuming he meant Chinatown Buffet, the now defunct Four Seasons House and Eastern Taste down in Savoy (conveniently located next to Friar Tuck). Of course, my excitement at eating at Crazy Buffet was fueled by the fact that I hadn’t eaten much all day and, aside from its abundance and variety, it dished up food that looked and smelled good. Yet, on finishing my third plate, I looked down at the substantial leftovers (bits of this or that I didn’t feel like eating) and thought to myself: Nothing here was really very good.

With the recent acquisition of a rice cooker to our kitchen, we thought we should experiment and see what our new toy can do. Sure it cooks rice fine, as it should. But can it do more?

The answer is "absolutely."

Howard Lyman at the Holy Land Diner, Springfield, Ill.
Friday, April 25

At Springfield’s Holy Land Diner, the Springfield Vegetarian Association hosted a talk by the “Mad Cowboy”— reformed cattle rancher, outspoken vegan, activist and author Howard Lyman. The restaurant provided an excellent vegetarian, all-you-can-eat buffet.

Cristy: At $8.50 a person — which included the food, drinks, dessert and tips — the buffet couldn’t be beat. A capital city institution, the Holy Land Diner serves traditional Middle Eastern fare, including mouth-watering falafel, fava-bean salad, garlicky hummus and chickpea-battered cauliflower. Many of the guests also took advantage of the soft-serve ice cream, which was hilarious given the vegan message of Howard Lyman’s lecture.