Best Chambana restaurants and bars

#177      

illynifan34

That's a winner!!
OH
OH, I almost forgot about Cravings, how can you be an engineer and not eat at Cravings at least once a week, whether or not you can afford it?

Fried rice, so good.

Noodle dish I liked, but can't remember the name of, so good.

Not to mention, its so close to the best building on campus. (Talbot)
 
#178      

Champaignillini

C
Guest
I know fazzoli's shut down while she was still in school but is panera still on campus?

Panera Bread (one that was next to Rentertainment) has shut down few years ago and Bar Louie had occupied that space until recently. I've heard that they too moved out.

There was a new Panera Bread coming up near MarketPlace Mall on Neil when I left the campus.
 
#179      

Champaignillini

C
Guest
OH, I almost forgot about Cravings, how can you be an engineer and not eat at Cravings at least once a week, whether or not you can afford it?

Yes, cravings was pretty good. Being a vegetarian, I always used to 'customize' my order for fried rice/noodles and they had no problem preparing it for me; even when the dish was not on the menu.

Not to mention, its so close to the best building on campus. (Talbot)

Looks like we have an aero/tam nut among us :thumb:
 
#180      

Champaignillini

C
Guest
My all-time favourite : ZAS


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Source: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3219/2298848166_20d8aa6c07.jpg
 
#181      

Champaignillini

C
Guest
More Cravings:

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The Bread Company - on
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Source: http://lh4.ggpht.com/_lb6IlfIdUgk/S... http://picasaweb.google.com/TasteofChampaign
 
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#182      

mdeming

M
Guest
My all-time favourite : ZAS

You mean Mia Za's ;)

I asked the cashier at Green Street what the new name was about and she said something about franchising. Not sure if that means Za's is beginning to open franchise locations or if they were bought up by someone else. I thought the owners of Za's were locals, so it may be they're expanding beyond CU.
 
#188      

JW

Vancouver
That Indian restarurant on Green St. ruled.

Is that Le Peep breakfast place there? Very good, certainly better than IHOP.
 
#189      

ilphotog

The camera never lies
Champaign
Anyone remember the Red Wheel or the Home Stretch (haystack)
 
#190      

JW

Vancouver
The strawberry shortcake at Strawberry Fields was some of the best dessert I've ever had.

Do they mix Blue UV Vodka with Pepsi anywhere else aside from Station?
 
#195      
Panera Bread (one that was next to Rentertainment) has shut down few years ago and Bar Louie had occupied that space until recently. I've heard that they too moved out.

There was a new Panera Bread coming up near MarketPlace Mall on Neil when I left the campus.

Yup, it was there when I graduated and it was still there last fall when i visited.
 
#196      

illini4everjp

I
Guest
Yup, it was there when I graduated and it was still there last fall when i visited.
I'm not sure what occupies the place now (I think nothing) but Fat Sandwich is right there in Johnstown which is awesome.
 
#197      

BananaShampoo

Captain 'Paign
Phoenix, AZ
Panera Bread (one that was next to Rentertainment) has shut down few years ago and Bar Louie had occupied that space until recently. I've heard that they too moved out.

There was a new Panera Bread coming up near MarketPlace Mall on Neil when I left the campus.
Rumor has it that Panera is moving into the space on Green Street formerly occupied by the Mettler Center (between the Subway and Follett's).
 
#199      

BananaShampoo

Captain 'Paign
Phoenix, AZ
I'd like to know more of the history of the chain, if anyone can fill in the details. I'm pretty sure that when I came to townin '97, I seem to remember that there were 4 Garcia's in town. They were:
1. 709 S. Wright St., across from Altgeld (the very first dining experience I had in this town)
2. Green and Second intersection
3. On the east side of Mattis, a little south of Springfield
4. Someplace in Urbana.... for some reason I seem to think it was Lincoln and Nevada, where Caffe Paradiso is today

The business on Mattis was the first to close. Actually, it moved north to 313 N. Mattis, up near County Market. I think there may have been a short period of time that both Mattis locations were open at the same time.

Around the same time, the Urbana location closed. I never actually at there, and I can't figure out where it was located now.

Later, the flagship location on Wright closed. The Green St. location became the main at this point, which was probably fine, since it was the largest anyway.

In December? 2008, the Green St. location closed, leaving only the Mattis location open. A new location was announced -- the old Baskin Robins in Urbana on Philo.

Now, I read that the Philo location has been canned. Instead, they'll start selling slices to County Market shoppers:
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/business/2009/02/06/county_market_to_sell_garcias_pizzas

I think that there are still a number of Garcia's in other cities. It's a shame that they haven't been to keep open the ones in C-U, since this is their original market.
Your memory is quite good.

As for the Urbana location of Garcia's, it was in the space next to Jimmy John's that Jimmy John's recently expanded into. I had friends that worked there for a while. We'd play pool on the pool table in there all the time. It close right around late '99 or early 2000.

The Philo Road location is in fact dead. They do have the new location inside the County Market at 4th and Springfield, though.
 
#200      

BananaShampoo

Captain 'Paign
Phoenix, AZ
Anyone remember "The Bombay Bicycle Club"?
Ha. That was up on North Cunningham in Urbana next to what is now a Steak n' Shake. Did that place burn down? The site has been vacant for years but the parking lot remains intact. It would be nice if something new went there.