The I Hotel, on the University of Illinois Campus, is the perfect place to stay during your visit to the college, or for that matter, any time you visit the Champaign-Urbana area. Read more
I Hotel, Champaign IL: Boutique Hotel on U of I Campus
Big Grove Tavern, Champaign IL: Farm-to-Table Fine Dining
You would think that a restaurant with “Tavern” in its name would be a casual bar that serves only pub food like burgers. Not so at the Big Grove Tavern, one of just a couple of fine dining establishments in Downtown Champaign, a fine dining restaurant whose menu changes with the seasons to use ingredients from local farms, sources that are written on a chalkboard in the dining room.
Yes, there is a bar in the Big Grove Tavern, and yes, they do offer bar snacks. And at lunchtime you can get a burger, too. But the Tavern Burger isn’t your ordinary pub burger. Rather, it’s a combination of beef, bison and pork with red onion marmalade and cornichon aioli.
At dinner a small pail of popcorn on your table continues the tavern theme, but low lighting from bulbs strung across the ceiling creates an ambiance that complements the elegant dinner menu choices. Although you can still order a Tavern Burger for dinner if you’d like, entrees like Seared Mahi Mahi served with charred leeks, glazed chestnuts, broken yolk and celery leaf are offered. I enjoyed the succulent Bistro Filet, medium-rare, on a bed of cider BBQ sauce with sides of roasted root vegetables and crispy fingerling potato chips.
The uniqueness doesn’t stop with entrees, but follows through to dessert, too. I was tempted by the Popcorn Panna Cotta just out of curiosity and thought about the grapefruit sorbet, light and refreshing after a beef dinner. But as usual, I couldn’t pass up the chocolate and went for the Spiced Chocolate Bread Pudding. Its rich brownie-like texture and flavor, offset by cool vanilla bean whipped cream that topped it, was a decadent finale to a delectable dinner.
As for service, it couldn’t have been better. Our server was attentive and knowledgeable about menu choices, water glasses were refilled regularly, and service was prompt but not too rushed.
Whether you’re in the mood for a snack, a sandwich, or a full entrée, Big Grove Tavern’s farm-to-table menu offers unique and tasty options. My opinion is obviously shared by many others, as Big Grove Tavern has won multiple OpenTable Diners’ Choice Awards.
Big Grove Tavern, located in Downtown Champaign at the corner of Main and Neil, is open seven days a week. Check the web site for hours and menu.
Disclosure: My visit to Big Grove Tavern was hosted by the Champaign County CVB, but any opinions expressed in this post are my own.
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University of Illinois Museums: Complementary Themes
Where is the line drawn between art and cultural heritage artifacts? That question came to mind when I visited the Krannert Art Museum and the Spurlock Museum, both on the University of Illinois campus in Champaign-Urbana.
Krannert Art Museum
The Krannert Art Museum, the second largest fine art museum in Illinois, has many pieces in their collection that are obviously categorized as art, like the extensive collection of European paintings, many dating back several centuries…
…and the collection of Lorado Taft sculptures. Lorado Taft, an early 20th century sculptor and University of Illinois graduate, left the contents of his studio to U of I. The Lorado Taft collection includes small plaques portraying the Lincoln-Douglas debate in Quincy, Illinois, and his sculptural group “The Blind.”
I’d say this elevator grill from the Chicago Stock Exchange fits into the “art” category.
But go down to the lower level, and that’s where the question of art versus cultural heritage comes in. There are some stunning glass pieces.
There are ancient artifacts from Egypt…
…and from Greece.
There are lots of other items, too, dating back centuries.
Spurlock Museum
The Spurlock Museum holds approximately 43,000 artifacts in its collection, many that certainly can be classified as art.
During my visit, a temporary exhibit displayed museum textile artifacts. Alongside were new textile and fiber art pieces created by members of the C-U Spinners and Weavers Guild who drew their inspiration from the originals.
The Workman Gallery of Ancient Mediterranean Cultures is filled with statues of gods and goddesses.
This urn looks a lot like some of the pieces I saw at the Krannert Art Museum.
In other galleries you’ll find items like this costume used in Carnival rituals in the Andes…
…and Barong Ket, the mythical lion said to possess magical powers. The beast is carried in ceremonial processions in Bali.
So where is the line drawn between art and cultural heritage artifacts? It seems the line is so blurred it’s difficult to tell the difference. Perhaps there’s a technical explanation that can be answered by an art expert or an anthropologist. I am neither. I was just visitor who enjoyed both museums equally.
The Krannert Art Museum is located at 500 E Peabody Drive in Champaign. The Spurlock Museum is located at 600 S Gregory in Urbana. Both museums are free but suggest a donation of $3. Check the web sites for hours.
Thank you for reading Midwest Wanderer. If you enjoyed this post and would like an e-mail notification when other posts are published, enter your e-mail address below and click Subscribe. Be sure to click the link when you get the e-mail asking you to confirm.
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The Art Party Studio, Champaign IL: Discover Your Inner Artist
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The Art Party Studio, Champaign IL: Discover Your Inner Artist
Paint? Me? I have trouble drawing a stick figure. They say you don’t need prior experience to create a painting at The Art Party Studio in Champaign. Just bring your own bottle of wine, if you’d like. They take care of ice, glasses, painting supplies and the lesson. So being the adventurer that I am, off I went to The Art Party Studio, bottle of wine in hand, figuring I could use the wine as an excuse if my painting was a disaster.
It turned out most everyone in the class was the same as me, little to no painting experience and just there for the fun of it. The canvases were all set up on easels when we got there, the sample painting up front (I’m really going to paint a lighthouse?), so I settled in with a glass of wine. I was happy to see some of the design already outlined on the canvas.
After our instructor, Chance, shared a few tips about using and rinsing the brushes, we dove into painting, Chance explaining and demonstrating the techniques as we went along. Soon the canvas was almost filled with sky and water. I don’t know whether it was the wine or getting involved in the painting that did it, but I was relaxed. I no longer cared if my painting didn’t turn out well. I was having fun.
On we went to fill in the lighthouse and rocks. My lighthouse wasn’t exactly straight, even having had an outline to follow. Oh, well, must be the wine. Adding in the sun and additional rocks freehand was a bit challenging, but I managed.
A little wash of watered down white across the water, a tad more white in the sky, add my initials, and voila!
Every one of the 25 paintings done that night turned out decent. There may have been no future Rembrandts in the class, but we all had a great time.
The Art Party Studio is located at 111 S Walnut, Champaign, Illinois. Tickets are $35 for one person, $60 for two, art supplies included. You must be 18 or older to attend, 21 to drink alcohol. Visit their web site for the schedule and further details.
Disclosure: My visit to The Art Party Studio was hosted by the Champaign County CVB, but any opinions expressed in this post are my own.
Thank you for reading Midwest Wanderer. If you enjoyed this post and would like an e-mail notification when other posts are published, enter your e-mail address below and click Subscribe. Be sure to click the link when you get the e-mail asking you to confirm.
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Bartlett’s Gourmet Grill & Tavern, Beverly Shores IN: The Name Says It All
Editor’s note: Unfortunately, Barlett’s is no longer in business.
Who would ever guess that behind this door with the beer drinking deer carved into it you could feast on Grilled Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breast or Rigatoni and Smoked Amish Chicken? If you miss the word “gourmet” in its name, from the street you would think Bartlett’s is a typical roadhouse. But one look at the menu tells a different story. Although the atmosphere in Bartlett’s Grill & Tavern is casual and comfortable, the food has a gourmet flair, whether you order a dinner entrée or a sandwich. Read more
The Coffee Pot, Kenosha WI: Where the Locals Go
Everyone knows the way to find a good place to eat at a reasonable price is to ask a local. One of the breakfast hot spots that Kenosha locals will direct you to is The Coffee Pot.
Editor’s Note: The Coffee Pot is temporarily closed due to fire damage.