The Best
I almost love Champaign-Urbana.
I know that I definitely prefer it to the suburbs.
There is something delightfully rundown and personable about the place and I love the restaurants, at least those that have not been transplanted directly from the strip malls to which I am accustomed. Green St. is home to a host of mediocre restaurants grafted from the Northwest suburbs. They are unpleasant reminders of home and they make me angry. I do not want to be on a single street with a Chipotle, a Noodles & Co., AND a Potbelly's. I love the local restaurants, how small they are and how unlike the carbon-copy franchises that I grew up with. Siam Terrace, my favorite Thai restaurant in Urbana is not the finest food in the world; it is far inferior to I Am Siam in Wheeling. Still, it is superior to every other strip mall Thai joint in the 'burbs. The pizza is not the best I have ever eaten either, but it is good enough that I miss it when I am at my parents' house. The grocery stores here are far inferior to those at home, but what they lack in decent deli and produce, they make up for with ungroomed and mindless hicks who cannot control their carts. The movie theatre is more expensive, but worth every penny. It is clean, has superior sound, and only one screen. It may take longer for movies to make it down here, but there are better movies playing at Boardman's than there are at Kerasotes.
I'm not sure that I ever want to leave. I still feel a pressing urge to travel-- to Europe, I suppose--, but I would want to come back here.
I cannot think of a town where I have felt more comfortable.
I have added a list of my favorite establishments in Champaign-Urbana to my sidebar.
I know that I definitely prefer it to the suburbs.
There is something delightfully rundown and personable about the place and I love the restaurants, at least those that have not been transplanted directly from the strip malls to which I am accustomed. Green St. is home to a host of mediocre restaurants grafted from the Northwest suburbs. They are unpleasant reminders of home and they make me angry. I do not want to be on a single street with a Chipotle, a Noodles & Co., AND a Potbelly's. I love the local restaurants, how small they are and how unlike the carbon-copy franchises that I grew up with. Siam Terrace, my favorite Thai restaurant in Urbana is not the finest food in the world; it is far inferior to I Am Siam in Wheeling. Still, it is superior to every other strip mall Thai joint in the 'burbs. The pizza is not the best I have ever eaten either, but it is good enough that I miss it when I am at my parents' house. The grocery stores here are far inferior to those at home, but what they lack in decent deli and produce, they make up for with ungroomed and mindless hicks who cannot control their carts. The movie theatre is more expensive, but worth every penny. It is clean, has superior sound, and only one screen. It may take longer for movies to make it down here, but there are better movies playing at Boardman's than there are at Kerasotes.
I'm not sure that I ever want to leave. I still feel a pressing urge to travel-- to Europe, I suppose--, but I would want to come back here.
I cannot think of a town where I have felt more comfortable.
I have added a list of my favorite establishments in Champaign-Urbana to my sidebar.
posted by jw at
12:01 PM
2 Comments:
Hey Hey now,
It's nice of you to compliment my city, but let's talk about us being mindless hicks. Sure, there are a couple, but the grocery stores aren't filled with them. Where in the wide, wide world of sports do you go shopping?
And hey, you should check out Exile on Main Street in Champaign. Great DVD selection, plenty of music (lotsa local stuff), locally owned and operated, and the owner's a nice guy. Check it out.
Is The Art really more expensive than the burbs? I don't belive you. They're playing MI3 this week. Ugh.
I clearly said that Boardman's was more expensive than the mediocre theatres in the suburbs. There are some pretty expensive theatres, but I never go to them.
Meijer is chock-full of stinking and stupid townies who cannot push a cart straight. I am not judging all of your people, I'm just saying that I am more comfortable with the soccer moms at Dominick's and Jewel.
And I will never go to Exile. I fear fanboys and only buy from Amazon.
And Fuck MI:3.
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