From our BEST new restaurants of the decade feature:
Nando, named for a now 13-year-old dachshund you see in the logo, moved into Downtown Champaign in 2016 as a second location. The original is in Wicker Park. This is not your every weekend date night restaurant, unless you have a lot of discretionary dollars to spend on dining, but for an occasional treat it is quite a lovely option. The interior of the restaurant is just what you want from a fancy Italian joint: sleek and modern, yet warm and cozy, though in the past couple of years I’ve discovered the delights of dining on the patio on a nice summer evening. Highly recommend. This is not the place to go if you are in a rush; there’s a leisurely pace to the service, but I’ve enjoyed a few long, lingering, polish off a couple bottles of wine kind of dinners there that have been simply wonderful. The Vullo brothers, Chef Alessio and owner Dario, seem committed to providing C-U with fresh, well-prepared food and a solid option for fine dining. (Julie McClure)
Photo by Anna Longworth