R.I.P. Aunt Sonya's

[BromleyHall94]

Made the trek back to C-U and saw this- I heard rumors it was coming but...
http://www.illinoisloyalty.com/Gallery/data/500/10aunt_gone.JPG

[krillini76]

Sincerely sad. Shows you what happens if you cross the folks at Merry Ann's Diner.

I can only imagine they're going to build a "Super Aunt Sonya's" on the same spot. We can only hope so.

[Dan]

I think I'm going to be ill.

[illini4everjp]

I believe that actually happened in late May (#1augie, is that right?). I know I went the last time I was in Champaign, it was glorious. Thank you, Aunt Sonya, for all the good times.

[#1AugustineFan]

They actually just tore it down about a month ago. The doors closed at the end of May. Yea, since I work at the grocery store right down the street, I get to pass that lovely site everyday.... it sux.

[orange100]

I had lunch there the last day. heartbreaking...
I had so many birthdays there as a boy with my grandparents who were huge Illini fans. That was our home restaurant for many years. before games, after games, sunday lunch...and the memorobilia in that place... wow.

Our last meal there, my wife and I sat in the booth facing an 8x10 of thomas rooks diving into the end zone to beat Michigan, sharing blueberry pancakes. I was only 9 or 10 that year, but I knew what the Rose Bowl meant because my family were huge Illini fans. Losing Aunt Sonya's is like that memory slipping away... :(

[Dan]

...and the memorobilia in that place... wow.Yeah man, it was wall-to-wall Illini. The one thing I'll always remember is, in the check-out counter case, the "kissing rotator"... which was this thing where a boy was on a rotating platform surrounded by 3 girls, and when he passed each girl they would lock lips (through the miracle of magnetics :) ).

Does anyone know what will replace it?

[#1AugustineFan]

I've heard Walgreens.... but I believe a Tatman bought it. Not 100% sure.....

[illini4everjp]

As long as they never take down Mary Ann's, I'll be ok.

[#1AugustineFan]

Mary Anns is nothing compared to Aunt Sonyas though... Neither is Perkins or IHOP or Taffies.... *sigh* Breakfast for a hangover will never be the same.....

[illini4everjp]

Never was a Perkins fan, but the Campustown IHOP was an insane party at 3am on a Saturday night.

[#1AugustineFan]

Not saying Campus IHOP isn't a party waiting to happen..... cuz any college student should know it is! Just saying I will miss Aunt Sonyas blueberry pancakes & biscuits & gravy....

[illini4everjp]

Mmmmmm blueberrry

[krillini76]

You all are making me hungry!!!

Oh, and I have to say (pretentious correction alert!)...it's "Merry Ann's Diner", not "Mary Ann's Diner". Ann just so happens to be merry, I guess.

Here's a link to their menu. It's no Aunt Sonya's (or Perkins, for that matter), but I miss it still the same.

Merry Ann's Diner (https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/ro/www/CampusVegetarianSociety/restaurants/MerryAnns.html)

[signots]

Major bummer. We came down for Homecoming and stayed over. Was looking forward to Aunt Sonya's strawberry pancakes. It had been a loonngg time since I'd been there but I was pretty sure it was on Kirby just down from the Stadium. Up and down Kirby, up and down Neal- nada. Took a nice tour through campus accidentally on purpose <G>. Ended up at IHOP. OK but not as good as I remembered it. I don't remember any empty lots (other than the one in front of the new convention center). Is something else there now or was I just missing it? Steve

[#1AugustineFan]

It was on the corner of state and kirby... which is now a pile of rubble. You didn't miss it, you just must not have seen the huge fenced in area filled with bricks and crap. Yes.... I am bitter about there not being an Aunt Sonya's anymore.

And so sorry for the misspelling of Merry Ann's, krillini.

[krillini76]

And so sorry for the misspelling of Merry Ann's, krillini.

No no, it's all good. I just had to give Ann her due for being so merry all the time.

[#1AugustineFan]

Sorry you can't sense sarcasm online... heh. If you could have only heard the sarcasm in my voice. :)

I'm still really bitter about there not being an Aunt Sonya's anymore. I don't care how merry Ann is... her food is not as good.

[illini4everjp]

there is a very good reason merry ann is so merry ;) . . . and its the food :p

[krillini76]

there is a very good reason merry ann is so merry ;) . . . and its the food :p

...and because i'm drunk there on a saturday morning at 2am.

[#1AugustineFan]

drunk or hungover it may be fine... but sober- ick

[signots]

But is the consensus that Merry Ann's is better than IHOP?? Steve

[#1AugustineFan]

i would say no, but these guys will probably say yes.

[illini4everjp]

IHOP is better than Merry Ann's in the sense that it is closer and easier to get to when drunken (at least the campustown IHOP is). But if you can make it to Merry Ann's, then nothing beats a Stack after a long night a drinking.

[Illini25]

Does anyone know what will replace it?

Hilton Garden Inn and I think another small hotel. Not sure exactly what. There's a project sign up on the site saying what's being planned on the site. There was an article in the News Gazette a few weeks ago about the project I think. Not exactly sure on the date.

City of Champaign just passed in favor of another project on the former Burnam Hospital site as well. A twenty story condo/apartment complex (maybe two of them, but one for sure) small grocery store or small strip mall included. Project start date is scheduled for spring and tentative finish date sometime in '08.

[#1AugustineFan]

where is the burnam hospital site? i think i have heard of this before but can't remember where it is.

[Dan]

Springfield & 4th St.

[illini4everjp]

City of Champaign just passed in favor of another project on the former Burnam Hospital site as well. A twenty story condo/apartment complex (maybe two of them, but one for sure) small grocery store or small strip mall included. Project start date is scheduled for spring and tentative finish date sometime in '08.
I am totally in favor of all of that except for the strip mall. The last thing Champaign needs is another strip mall. We don't want to become Iowa City, do we?

[Illinidad]

I just saw the picture and became sad. "All in the name of progress", they would say. Sometimes progress is not always better. As far as IHOP, Denny's, and the rest, "NOT EVEN CLOSE". The "Original Pancake House" is probably the best now.

Memories of football game weekends, Homecoming, Dad's and Mom's weekends..........sigh

:( :( :( :( :( :(

[AugustinesFutureWife]

I know this is a little off the subject but whats the deal with this bar there called "Cowboy Monkey" theres a chick in my class who works there and they are always going on about how cool it is.

[illini4everjp]

Cowboy Monkey rocks. It's on Taylor Street downtown and is an older crowd (so if you are looking for freshman, don't go there). It has live music and great outdoor seating. Pretty good beer/drink selection and only slightly over price. It's owned by the same guy that owns High Dive but totally different scenes. Great summer place. Gets 4 out of 5 stars.

Anyone know it Rocks is still around?

[Mo+o]

Yeah, Rocks is still around. I find that place a little antiseptic, though.

I've been tempted (usually late at night after the bars close) to jump the fence around the Aunt Sonya's site and steal a cinder block or two. Don't know what I'd do with an orange sided brick, though. Maybe put in an orange patio in the back yard?

[AugustinesFutureWife]

Knowing this girl who is in my class and who works there and things she has said about the players, makes me not want to go, which I probally wont, I have heard a lot of people say it isnt that great.

[illini4everjp]

Cowboy Monkey really is a great place, though I have never talked to, nor hung out with the people that work there so I can't say. As for the general feeling of my friends still in Champaign, the people that work there mainly are those that aren't cute enough to work at the campus bars.

[AugustinesFutureWife]

Well I wouldn't say cute is this chicks issue...She was saying some rather interesting things about the players. She's always trying to get me to go there and saying she would hook me up with some free drinks

[BromleyHall94]

I just saw the picture and became sad. "All in the name of progress", they would say. Sometimes progress is not always better. As far as IHOP, Denny's, and the rest, "NOT EVEN CLOSE". The "Original Pancake House" is probably the best now.

There was a place called Le Peep that opened up several years ago on south Neil St., is it still there? They had great breakfast. I like the downtown Merry Ann's- that way you can go over and shop at Exile on Main St. records (please send gift certificate).

This thread has gotten a little strange, but I'll dive in to the bar topic- Cowboy Monkey was the best when it was the Blind Pig. End of story. That and Mabel's (on campus) were the two spots to see good live music. Not that they were great venues, they just had history and character. The downtown bar scene is great, and I love that downtown is back, but most of these new bars seem like clones of each other.

[Dan]

Found the 11/6/2005 News-Gazette classifieds:

ILLINI MEMORY:
Complete entrance canopy from Aunt Sonya's- excellent condition, complete with steel framework & Chief on end. $500. 10'W x 15'L x 5H. Call 369-3700.

[family1]

I just wanted to thank you all for the kind words. My grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Durward Judy owned Aunt Sonya's. I miss it already! However, nobody asked me what I thought of my childhood being sold! :( I will miss the Swedish pancakes!