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.

Blind Pig Bar (Champaign)

Blind Pig Co. (not to be confused with the Brewery, also in downtown Champaign, which just opened recently) is a full-service bar in downtown Champaign, located at 120 N. Walnut St. The Blind Pig (as I will refer to it for the rest of this entry) differentiates itself from other local bars by offering a HUGE selection of microbrews on tap (well over 20 at any one time) , as well as a large selection of beer by the bottle. This huge selection is one of the reasons this is my favorite bar in Champaign, as well as the fact that you can get a five beer sampler (of any draft beer) for just $8.

The Blind Pig changes its menu weekly, with different beers entering and leaving each time. Another thing I like about the Pig is the fact that it is one of the few places I know of where you can get beer in a cask, which is just for unfiltered beer, and lets the beer continue to age and ferment while it is being stored. Considering the rarity of cask beer, at least in my experience, this alone is a good enough reason to stop by the Bling Pig. There is a different Cask every week.

The Blind Pig also has special events at different times, depending on when the event takes place. These events usually involve some sort of drink special or giveaways. As an example, I attended the Blind Pig's 5th anniversary party just a few weeks ago. A representative from Rogue Ales, one of the first microbreweries in America, was present, and giving away t-shirts. I was lucky enough to get one when I got a Rogue Old Crustacean Barleywine (which was delicious). In addition, there was a selection of 6 Rogue drafts and a Rogue cask, with all pints being $5 each (a rather good deal for Rogue at the Blind Pig).

The Pig tends to draw an older, off-campus crowd. As such, it is usually less crowded and rowdy than on-campus bars, though it gets busier on weekends. One of the reasons I like to go to the Blind Pig is that it offers a different kind of atmosphere that one cannot find in other bars (especially those on campus), as well as the superior beer selection.

The Blind Pig Brewery opened recently in downtown Champaign, and just started serving its own in-house beers (the first brewed in the Champaign-Urbana area since Joe's stopped making its own beer). I haven't gotten a chance to go yet, but I plan on going soon. Look forward to a post about that.

Firehaus

I spend my Sundays finishing homework early in the afternoon because I know that I will be going to Firehaus in the evening. I go because the food is great and there is a great selection of drinks. Firehaus has true $2 you-call-its on Sundays which means you can get any drink you want for $2. I usually start out with a Blue Moon which is one of the many beers they have on tap. After that I will move on to Tanqueray and tonic with a slice of lime. By this time I am ready to order food. My favorite thing on the menu is the Hazmat Wrap. It is a buffalo chicken wrap that comes with a choice of homemade chips, fries, or pasta salad. I usually get the homemade chips because they are always fresh and are unlike any chips I have tried before. They are very hearty and have the perfect amount of dill and salt on them. The wrap is grilled after it is made so the outside is crispy and warm. After I eat, I will move on to the scotch. Firehaus has several scotches: Johnny Walker Red, Johnny Walker Black, Dewar's, The Glenlivet, and Cuddysark which are all $2 on Sundays. My favorite is the Johnny Walker Black. It has very complex flavors that release into a woody, smoky taste once the ice is added. Firehaus is the cleanest bar on campus and its student staff works very hard to keep it that way. Waitresses are very casual and friendly. There is plenty of seating especially in the summer when the beer garden is open and the garage doors are opened to Sixth Street. They have huge televisions throughout the bar and even beer garden making it the perfect place to watch sports. Overall, Firehaus is a very clean, casual, and affordable bar that is right on campus.