SPlog

V. Picasso is now serving lunch (starting at 11 a.m., Tuesdays through Fridays). The menu will change weekly, and is contingent upon which ingredients are available from Willow Creek Farm.  Check out this week’s menu …

So apparently Governor Rauner signed important beer legistation this weekend, and there’s now a law in place in Illinois that will greatly benefit taprooms such as Triptych. HB 4897 loosens regulations on taprooms, allowing them …

Japan House is gearing up to celebrate its 20th anniversary next month, and now they have a website specifically focused on just that. It’s a great place to stay up to date on the special …

This week begins the new service year for MTD, which means the new maps and schedules for 2018-2019 are up, there are new boards up at the bus shelters, and they have a new website. Here’s …

Sticky Rice opened up in Downtown Champaign just a few weeks ago. The Thai-Lao restaurant offers a variety of dishes at about $10-$12 each, with weekday lunch specials starting at $8. I’m glad to see …

As promised, Champaign Outdoors (formerly known as Champaign Surplus) has opened their new location at 2017A South Neil Street in Champaign. They posted this tweet about their doors being open: Champaign Outdoors has (soft) OPENED!! We …

More news about Campustown bars: Both Firehaus (708 S. Sixth) and The Clybourne (aka Cly’s, 706 S. Sixth) are closing in September, and will be demolished, per the Daily Illini. This news comes a few days after KAM’s …

Rodney Lee Davis, a United States Congressman representing our district, IL-13, recently sat down with Mark Maxwell of WCIA for an interview that will air on Sunday, August 12th. According to a tweet from Maxwell, …

The students are coming! The students are coming! Now’s the time to stop by Maize’s Green Street location for dining in. Yes, seriously, dining in.  Right now I’m very much into the vegetarian nachos, because …

Last night, the Station Theatre in Urbana announced their 47th season. Look no further than our Arts section for plenty of previews and reviews of the work at the Station over the years. Check out …

Leadbelly’s and Fluid Events Center shuttered last June, and now the building has been purchased by Pavlov Media. The facility will serve as the company’s new corporate headquarters. h/t to Champaign County Economic Development Corporation …

Eric Meyer, longtime owner of KAM’s, has sold the longtime campustown staple. Located at 618 E. Daniel Street C, the incoming owners say that they will continue to run KAM’s as usual. Here’s Meyer’s statement …

Though I prefer to walk into my polling place and fill out my ballot and put it in the machine (and get my sticker of course), vote by mail is a great option if you …

If you haven’t hit the Quad for a summer movie yet, this Thursday, August 9th will be your last opportunity. This week’s movie will be I Feel Pretty? and it’s free. You can get popcorn and …

Well they do! They feature local growers that you see week to week at the market giving a bit of background on themselves and sharing information about what they grow. The episodes are short, just …

There’s an informal meet up for comics makers/lovers/readers/enthusiasts at 8 p.m. this Friday, August 10th at Quality Beer.  Per Eisner Award-winning comics maker Damian Duffy: Attn Chambana folk: This Friday: An informal meet-up for cartoonists, …

A couple of days ago, NASA announced the first human piloted trips to space from the US since 2011 — one of which includes a U of I alum Mike Hopkins. Read all about the …

It’s August, and I’m having a hard time accepting this fact. The summer always seems to go way faster than it should. It’s the time when I start to lament the fact that I have …

V. Picasso debuts a new menu tomorrow, Tuesday, August 7th. It reads quite well — I’m looking forward to trying a whole bunch of these new dishes.  Photos from Facebook

Go check out the poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction offerings in this summer’s web edition of Ninth Letter, a collaborative arts and literary project produced by the Creative Writing Program and School of Art & …

Local artists who would like to meet with other artists to share work, get some peer reviews, and build community can join the Art Nerd Club. Founded by Carol Farnum and Kelly Hieronymus they meet …

C-U Days is a yearly community event hosted by the Champaign Park District, and it will take place at Douglass Park this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. There’s lots of family fun planned, …

Drake’s new album Scorpion came out a few weeks ago, and honestly, I’m kind of surprised that I’m able to reference Drake in a post here on SP. That feels good in and of itself.  Anyway, I …

While we have a robust theater and performing arts scene here in C-U, you can also travel just a bit beyond this area to find even more viewing opportunities. Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts …

It’s almost time for the students to move in, and moving in means boxes. Lots and lots of boxes. To help with all of that cardboard that won’t fit in the typical recycling cart, Feed …

Every two years, Krannert Center offers up this opportunity to purchase items from the costume and prop shops, which is kind of awesome. It’s an effort clear out the old to make room for the …

The Red Herring will close for two weeks starting this Saturday, August 4th: Head to the vegan restaurant today or tomorrow for your fix to hold you over until the middle of August. Today’s menu …

The City of Champaign is once again going to offer the opportunity to learn about how local government works. Since my only frame of reference is Pawnee, Indiana from Parks and Rec, and that is …

Last week, we shared that there is a new local ice cream cart making its debut in C-U. The Dash was at Urbana’s Market at the Square last weekend (find future locations on Facebook), and I …

Last year it was announced that Lodgic Everyday Community, a conceptual workplace that would cater to independent professionals, would be opening in C-U in 2018. They are planning for a September opening, and memberships are …

This Friday, August 3rd, Common Ground Food Co-op will be celebrating the work of it’s newest gallery artists: painter Mary Ciaccio and photographer Tom Layman. You can meet the artists and view their work from …

The Champaign Urbana Theatre Company is putting on its final show of the summer season, the iconic Annie, this weekend at the Virginia Theatre. Shows are Thursday through Saturday at 7 p.m. or Sunday at …

For those who enjoy an afternoon/evening pick me up, this is wonderful news. Effective immediately, all medium and large drinks purchased between 5 and 8 p.m., Monday through Friday, can get a double punch on …

Caribbean Grill’s food truck has been off the streets since last May, when Caribbean Grill’s restaurant space opened on South Neil in Champaign. All of that changes today, July 31st — you can find the …

On Thursday, August 16th, you can drink some booze to benefit the Champaign Public Library’s Mother Goose on the Loose early literacy program. Emerging Community Leaders of the United Way is hosting Books & Brews at Bentley’s from 5 …

It’s almost time for this year’s Pens to Lens Gala, an annual celebration of films created by local K-12 students. From the press release: “Pens to Lens is a screenwriting competition that invites K-12 students …

After the previous version of Illini Inn was demolished last year, the reimagined Illini Inn returns on August 22nd at 11 a.m.. They will have a grand reopening, which you can read all the details …

The end of an era: Merry Ann’s Diner in Downtown Champaign has closed after 14 years of business. They’re located at 1 E. Main Street in Champaign — their other locations (one on Neil Street, …

This is a serious piece of meat, friends. Apparently, it’s meant to be shared by 2-3 people. But there’s no judgment here. You gotta do you. I mean, this is glorious. Their Facebook page says …

Miga‘s new summer menu is now available. Check it out below. Miga 301 N Neil St Champaign M-Th 5 to 9:30 p.m. F + Sa 5 to 10:30 p.m. Photos courtesy of Miga

If you like coffee, and you like free things, you should sign up for the “First in Line” email list. You will be notified every time Columbia Street releases a new product. Then, if you are …

If you frequently travel internationally, here’s a great opportunity to ease that process. If you’re interested, it’s a good idea to apply now so you can get conditional approval before the enrollment. Here are the …

Damian Duffy (writer, scholar, cartoonist, and U of I alum and iSchool lecturer) and John Jennings (artist and U of I alum and former professor) have won an Eisner Award in the category “Best Adaptation from Another …

Planning to hit up the Market at the Square tomorrow? Come and visit Smile Politely over in community row. That’s right, we are coming out from behind our computers and mingling amongst the people.  Stop …

Have a kid who is skilled in the art of sidewalk chalking? Here’s an opportunity for them to show it off and win some prizes. 40 North is hosting it’s 6th annual contest next Friday, …

Yesterday I got a behind the scenes look at the work happening at 302 N. Broadway, the site that will be the new Champaign-Urbana Adventures in Time and Space. Currently they occupy two spaces in …

Back in April, it was announced that Prime Social Group and Jay Goldberg Events and Entertainment were planning a festival — PRIME Music Festival — that will take place at the Champaign County Fairgrounds in September. …

The Smackin’ Food Truck is the newest mobile eatery to hit the streets of Champaign-Urbana. This is its first week of operation; the Southern-style soul food menu changes daily. I stopped by the truck yesterday …