Smile Politely
@smilepolitely.com
Champaign-Urbana’s Culture Magazine
Ambar India in Campustown has closed its doors, ending the restaurant’s 12-year tenure on Wright Street.
Ambar India has closed, and Mama's Kitchen is moving in - SPlog
Ambar India in Campustown has closed its doors, ending the restaurant’s twelve-year tenure on Wright Street. Located in the same building as Ten Second Rice Noodle, Cravings, and Jerusalem Middle East...
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January 7, 2026 at 12:53 AM
Ambar India in Campustown has closed its doors, ending the restaurant’s 12-year tenure on Wright Street.
Kick off month one of the new calendar with a custom falafel bowl, hot-honey cheese, hot chocolate, hot fried chicken in a Caesar salad wrap, and a top-notch hash stack.
Five things to eat or drink: January 2026 - Food & Drink
Hi, hello, it’s me, again, back from a little winter hibernation. Ready or not, the newest new year just dropped. New years can sometimes spark new intentions and new behavior. Perhaps 2026 is the yea...
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January 6, 2026 at 3:10 PM
Kick off month one of the new calendar with a custom falafel bowl, hot-honey cheese, hot chocolate, hot fried chicken in a Caesar salad wrap, and a top-notch hash stack.
Specializing in customer-cooked ramen, the new casual restaurant offers an impressive variety of flavored noodle packets ranging from $3.99 to $5.99.
JTP Noodles Lab is open on Green Street - SPlog
Green Street’s newest eatery JTP Noodles Lab is now open. Specializing in customer-cooked ramen, the new casual restaurant offers an impressive variety of flavored noodle packets ranging from $3.99 to...
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January 6, 2026 at 2:34 AM
Specializing in customer-cooked ramen, the new casual restaurant offers an impressive variety of flavored noodle packets ranging from $3.99 to $5.99.
No safety net, no departmental backing, just Yocum trusting that we’d recognize what he was offering: live bodies on a stage, three feet from your face, doing something that can’t be replicated on a screen.
Dustin Yocum delivers analog strike at Urbana's Station Theatre - Arts
Dustin Yocum staged Pendleton King’s 1916 Cocaine at the Station Theatre the first weekend of our shared new January, in that dead zone between semesters when the university empties out and the town g...
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January 6, 2026 at 2:33 AM
No safety net, no departmental backing, just Yocum trusting that we’d recognize what he was offering: live bodies on a stage, three feet from your face, doing something that can’t be replicated on a screen.
From layered cakes to epic brownies to cinnamon rolls, the sweets of Hunny Bunny Bakes will be missed.
Hunny Bunny Bakes bakery has closed - SPlog
Sad news: Hunny Bunny Bakes has closed. For eight years, the small bakery served beautiful small-batch baked goods to Champaign-Urbana and beyond. From layered cakes to epic brownies to cinnamon rolls...
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January 5, 2026 at 8:47 PM
From layered cakes to epic brownies to cinnamon rolls, the sweets of Hunny Bunny Bakes will be missed.
This Espresso Royale's location at Village Green Plaza recently reopened after a total remodel of the coffee shop. As a frequent flier of the previous model, Maggie was very excited to see what it had in store.
Good vibes at the remodeled Espresso Royale - Food & Drink
The Espresso Royale nestled in a strip mall in the Village Green Plaza recently reopened after a total remodel of the coffee shop. As a frequent flier of the previous model, I was very excited ...
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January 1, 2026 at 6:56 PM
This Espresso Royale's location at Village Green Plaza recently reopened after a total remodel of the coffee shop. As a frequent flier of the previous model, Maggie was very excited to see what it had in store.
Omkar pays a visit to Oozu Ramen Bar in Campustown and reviews the experience.
Warm, comforting flavors at Oozu Ramen Bar - Food & Drink
When I had first moved to Champaign-Urbana, I didn’t know anyone in town other than my partner. Over those first few weeks, I slowly became better acquainted with many of her colleagues at work and .....
www.smilepolitely.com
January 1, 2026 at 6:56 PM
Omkar pays a visit to Oozu Ramen Bar in Campustown and reviews the experience.
Given the portion sizes at their cost and the speed at which they received their food, El Paraiso would make for a great lunch spot for anyone who lives or works around Downtown Urbana.
Try Latin American and Ecuadorian cuisine at El Paraiso - Food & Drink
Prior to last week, I don’t think I could have named a single food or dish from Ecuador. Other than knowing what the flag looks like, a few soccer players, and that the Capital was ...
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January 1, 2026 at 6:56 PM
Given the portion sizes at their cost and the speed at which they received their food, El Paraiso would make for a great lunch spot for anyone who lives or works around Downtown Urbana.
Analog Wine Bar has been open since 2019, and Carolyn reviews her experience at the Downtown Urbana spot.
Analog Wine Bar is a chill place to unwind - Food & Drink
Sometimes I just want to have a glass of wine and chill during the weekend either before or after dinner, and Analog Wine Bar in Urbana offers that opportunity. The unassuming storefront evoked a chee...
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December 31, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Analog Wine Bar has been open since 2019, and Carolyn reviews her experience at the Downtown Urbana spot.
Anyone on the hunt for some unique cocktails at reasonable prices, check out Public House 1833 sometime.
Sip on new cocktails at Public House 1833 - Food & Drink
A couple weeks back, by coincidence, my partner and I each had some major wins at our jobs, and we wanted to go out to celebrate. With an empty liquor cabinet and wine rack, we ...
www.smilepolitely.com
December 31, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Anyone on the hunt for some unique cocktails at reasonable prices, check out Public House 1833 sometime.
Theatre changes people. And here in Central Illinois, thanks to these programs and the people who sustain them, that magic is alive, well, and already lighting the way for the next generation.
The spark that never fades: celebrating youth theatre - Arts
The first time I felt the electricity of theatre was in eighth grade, standing under the lights at Urbana Middle School in Guys & Dolls, Jr., part of the afterschool SPLASH program: “Students Playing ...
www.smilepolitely.com
December 31, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Theatre changes people. And here in Central Illinois, thanks to these programs and the people who sustain them, that magic is alive, well, and already lighting the way for the next generation.
The restaurant was carry-out only but conveniently located on Green Street to make stopping by to pick up lunch or dinner easy enough.
Convenient vegetarian takeout at Indian Chaat Cafe - Food & Drink
Nestled in a little corner of shops on Green Street is one of the newer additions to the Champaign-Urbana restaurant scene, Indian Chaat Cafe. The restaurant was carry-out only but conveniently locat...
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December 29, 2025 at 7:48 PM
The restaurant was carry-out only but conveniently located on Green Street to make stopping by to pick up lunch or dinner easy enough.
"Our food is old-school Italian. If people don't like it, that's fine; I respect that. We just want to carry out the family legacy." - Mary Manzella of Manzella's Italian Patio.
The origin story of Manzella's Italian Patio - Food & Drink
For nearly 60 years, the Manzella family has cooked Italian food in Champaign. Before he opened his own restaurant, Frank Manzella made pizzas at the old KAMS, using his own recipe. His from-scratch p...
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December 29, 2025 at 7:47 PM
"Our food is old-school Italian. If people don't like it, that's fine; I respect that. We just want to carry out the family legacy." - Mary Manzella of Manzella's Italian Patio.
The griddle at Sam's Café has been hot since 1987 when Bassam Issa (Sam) opened the restaurant on Walnut Street in what used to be a candy shop.
Sam's Cafe is Champaign's quintessential short-order diner - Food & Drink
The griddle at Sam’s Cafe has been hot since 1987 when Bassam Issa (Sam) opened the restaurant on Walnut Street in what used to be a candy shop. The very definition of casual, this downtown diner ...
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December 28, 2025 at 2:42 AM
The griddle at Sam's Café has been hot since 1987 when Bassam Issa (Sam) opened the restaurant on Walnut Street in what used to be a candy shop.
For Champaign-Urbana, the promise is that under Pinholster’s leadership the College of Fine & Applied Arts at Illinois won’t be walled off from the community but braided into it.
From Pee-Wee Herman to NASA to Illinois Dance, Jake Pinholster is rewiring the arts scene - Arts
When Jacob “Jake” Pinholster became Dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts at Illinois last September, he didn’t arrive with only a Broadway résumé, though he has one, with projection design cre...
www.smilepolitely.com
December 28, 2025 at 2:42 AM
For Champaign-Urbana, the promise is that under Pinholster’s leadership the College of Fine & Applied Arts at Illinois won’t be walled off from the community but braided into it.
The letter L evolved from the Semitic lamedh, meaning “ox goad” — the perfect symbol to prompt attention to the responsibilities of the land acknowledgment.
L is for land acknowledgment, part two - Culture
Edgar Heap of Birds’ words in the image below are a wise guide for what’s needed to give meaning to the University of Illinois’ Land Acknowledgment. Since it was introduced in 2018 by the Office ...
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December 28, 2025 at 2:42 AM
The letter L evolved from the Semitic lamedh, meaning “ox goad” — the perfect symbol to prompt attention to the responsibilities of the land acknowledgment.
Tayler pays a visit to Ittonken, the Japanese restaurant on Neil Street, a restaurant space previously occupied by Masala Indian House and Dumpling Noodle BBQ.
Great food is waiting at Ittonken - Food & Drink
In my opinion, Champaign-Urbana will never have enough Japanese restaurants. When Ittonken opened on South Neil Street earlier this year, I was tickled pink. Formerly, the building located on Neil Str...
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December 26, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Tayler pays a visit to Ittonken, the Japanese restaurant on Neil Street, a restaurant space previously occupied by Masala Indian House and Dumpling Noodle BBQ.
On North Cunningham Avenue, La Michoacana provides a flavorful experience that you should check out.
La Michoacana Express, a great spot for Mexican flavors - Food & Drink
North Cunningham Avenue, north of Downtown Urbana, has become little by little into a Hispanic hub. It has three Hispanic food trucks: Los Paisas, El Progreso food truck, and the new location for Juan...
www.smilepolitely.com
December 26, 2025 at 11:50 PM
On North Cunningham Avenue, La Michoacana provides a flavorful experience that you should check out.
New Prairie Solar has stayed committed to green building and renewable energy since 1988, and while the technology has changed, the understanding behind solar power has remained gray and muddled.
Solar meets Solon: The future looks bright at New Prairie Solar - Culture
Ah, solar power. We’ve come a long way with technology, but are we really up to date with what we think we know? New Prairie Construction is a longstanding, knowledgeable company in Urbana originally ...
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December 26, 2025 at 11:49 PM
New Prairie Solar has stayed committed to green building and renewable energy since 1988, and while the technology has changed, the understanding behind solar power has remained gray and muddled.
Downtown Champaign’s first Ethiopian restaurant has set an official opening date.
Blue Ethiopian Cuisine & Cafe set to open in January - SPlog
Downtown Champaign’s first Ethiopian restaurant has set an official opening date. The new Blue Ethiopian Cuisine & Cafe will have its grand opening on Saturday, January 24th. The weekend before, the o...
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December 26, 2025 at 11:33 PM
Downtown Champaign’s first Ethiopian restaurant has set an official opening date.
Across our twin cities, across disciplines, across institutions, and community spaces, the people doing the labor of art and humanities are part of a shared system. And that system is only as strong as the relationships that sustain it.
Illinois artists and humanists just mapped the future together right here in C-U - Arts
Last week’s One State in the Arts & Humanities event kicked off at Carmon’s in Downtown Champaign; the vibe felt intentionally urban with soft brick, warm light, and the energetic charge of people who...
www.smilepolitely.com
December 26, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Across our twin cities, across disciplines, across institutions, and community spaces, the people doing the labor of art and humanities are part of a shared system. And that system is only as strong as the relationships that sustain it.
Cope cautions that land acknowledgments risk becoming empty formalities, and instead urges real relationships, education, and reparative action for Indigenous communities.
L is for land acknowledgment, part one - Culture
A startling bit of prose was introduced before public events at the University of Illinois after July 26, 2018, when the Chancellor’s office issued an official “Land Acknowledgment Statement.” Timed f...
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December 26, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Cope cautions that land acknowledgments risk becoming empty formalities, and instead urges real relationships, education, and reparative action for Indigenous communities.
Six Red Chairs offers a limited menu, but every single item was worth the purchase.
Delicious pastries at Six Red Chairs Bakery - Food & Drink
It is a source of great shame that I’ve never actually made it to the Urbana farmers market — soon, I promise! I was very excited, then, to learn that Six Red Chairs Bakery, a ...
www.smilepolitely.com
December 26, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Six Red Chairs offers a limited menu, but every single item was worth the purchase.
Experience Champaign-Urbana's digital passports are free, fun checklists that you can use to explore new places in the area or get rewarded for visiting your favorite spots.
Experience C-U from farms, to trails, to mocktails, and more - SPlog
There is a new experience pass from Experience Champaign-Urbana. The CU on the Farm pass joins a lineup of other expertly curated options like CU on the Trail, the CU Mocktail Trail, CU in Asia ...
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December 26, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Experience Champaign-Urbana's digital passports are free, fun checklists that you can use to explore new places in the area or get rewarded for visiting your favorite spots.
As guest curators Tyler Lotz and Albion Stafford explain, these artists have created pieces “in distinct ways, diverted from the conventional or well-traveled path and, along the way, discovered new vocabularies of the ceramic vessel.”
Eight ceramics artists refusing to play it safe at Giertz Gallery - Arts
The Giertz Gallery at Parkland College is asking you to take a detour — literally. The Ceramic Biennial: Detour features eight artists from across the United States who’ve abandoned the conventional p...
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December 26, 2025 at 9:13 PM
As guest curators Tyler Lotz and Albion Stafford explain, these artists have created pieces “in distinct ways, diverted from the conventional or well-traveled path and, along the way, discovered new vocabularies of the ceramic vessel.”