Crane Alley

Crane Alley has gotten on my bad side, as of late. Their food is good, maybe a little pricey. I've tried decently hard to get a mythological feel for it, and it just isn't happening. It's a wonderful place to eat outside in Crane Alley itself, on a warm day, or huddling inside, on a cold day. I've taken my coworkers there for lunch several times, and it's always too slow for coders anxious to get back hacking. Dinner seems fast enough. They have great beet chips with goat cheese, but they've come out burnt (and by the time you figure out most the plate is burnt, you've eaten a third of them, so you can't send it back, etc...). They've got a solid fish sandwich. Pretty much everything is good. The atmosphere is deep and rich. I've heard the beer menu is pretty deep. Meh.

Courier Cafe

The Courier is another classic. It's a good lunch or dinner: a good place to go if you haven't been there in a while. The place aims to look old school in a way that is neither urban or country, but more like small town turn-of-the-century; this effect is aided by a large number of strategically placed antiques. It has a solid salad bar (I can get myself a spinach salad topped with other veggies, which is my main criteria). It's mostly known for it's burgers and steak-fries. I like to get the dippers, which are potato toppers. A half order of dippers is a good meal in itself. I should mention the shakes and malts. I haven't explored their dessert menu, but it seems like it could be a viable candidate.

Cafe Kopi

I'd have to say that Cafe Kopi was the first Champaign restaurant I really dug. When I wanted to wander off campus as an undergraduate, it was where I went. It's where I am now. I haven't talked to Jon Lim in years, but I remember sitting under the awning, watching the rain through the Christmas lights. I'm not a nostalgic person, but I don't need nostalgia: I have all my childhood longings for the urban world right here.

Inside, it's a warm place: wood floors, furniture, and trim, orange walls adorned with student paintings. The music will be hip and the staff will be friendly but worldly.

On to the food: the turkey and brie is great, have it with the salad. The matty pooh hummus reminds me that vegans can still eat.

For drinks I always love the apple cider during the colder times of the year. During the summer, the iced white mocha is my drink of choice.

This place was one of the first wi-fi enabled coffeehouses in CU. Respect, g.

For study, for light supper, for lunch, for snack, or for an afternoon of games, Kopi is a fine venue.