Jim Gould (Champaign)

Jim Gould's Sunday brunch is perhaps the best breakfast I have ever had, even though it may have been the most expensive. Actually, it makes sense that it would be the best with how much I ended up paying for it. At $25 a person, the price of entrance is steep, though you are given access to a full breakfast/ brunch buffet. On its surface, this may sound like a rip-off, but the quality and variety of food made it worthwhile (at least worth doing once).

Jim Gould is a relatively expensive restaurant in downtown Champaign. That just helps it to fit in with all the other relatively expensive restaurants in downtown Champaign. Having somewhat of a dress-up atmosphere, Jim Gould is relatively classy, with live jazz music and excellent service.

For the brunch, the drinks were complimentary. The coffee was excellent, on par with any of the coffee joints in the area, and my girlfriend got tea, which had perhaps the most attractive teabag I have ever seen.

There were two different tables set up in the main dining room, and patrons were at liberty to go and help themselves to food at their leisure. There was also a line of chefs who were making eggs to order, with whatever toppings one wanted to choose. This reminded me a bit of the university dining hall breakfast, even though most of the audience probably didn't have the experiences necessary to make this comparison.

The two buffet tables had such a wide variety of food, it would be difficult to go over all of it. There was cold salmon (lox), creme puffs, french toast, pasta salad... the list goes on and on. Everything that was available was incredibly high-quality and delicious, though there was too much for any one person to sample. There was also a small dessert table off to the side of the two main buffet tables, which had a variety of small bite-size desserts to try.

Overall, the meal was worth having. The high price of entry could serve as a barrier to some, though I feel like that might be the point. The food was delicious, and it was a good experience to have at least once. I might not be going back again any time soon, or at least until I get a signing bonus for my full-time position after school, but I would highly recommend it to anyone who has the discretionary income to spend on such things.