About every month or so, the Red Herring restaurant transforms itself into a very special Indian restaurant. Simply called “Sambar,” Indian people of all ages – students, professors, families, children – gather in the basement …

There was a time when sushi was perceived as exotic and foreign. Raw fish? Isn’t that down-right un-American? Today, sushi is available everywhere in Champaign-Urbana – even at your local grocery store (i.e. Schnucks and …

A perk of teaching at Parkland College is the privilege of participating in international exchange programs. Recently we met Danny and Leni, two Indonesian exchange students who are here as part of a U.S. state …

With all the hullabaloo about Carmon’s in downtown Champaign reopening as a crêperie, we thought it would be a good time to revisit Champaign’s first crêperie in to compare. Originally called Tout Sweet, the brightly …

Salads are best when the veggies are fresh — direct from the farmer’s market. But even in winter, I find myself needing a good salad every now and then. Fortunately, it’s pomegranate season so there’s …

Whenever my wife Bonnie and I take an excursion to big cities such as Chicago or St. Louis, we look for dining opportunities not available in our little towns. Since there are no Ethiopian restaurants …

With Strawberry Fields remodeling their cafe, despairing foodies have one less quality place to lunch. Fortunately, Sunsinger Wine Bar Cafe is doing quite well, and they are welcoming those in need of exceptional sandwiches, soups, …

On festive holidays when there’s a large party to feed, turkey usually comes to mind. For those of us who just can’t seem to conform to this tradition, a whole leg of lamb might be …