Another new place in Champaign, IL
This week Carmon's (longtime short-order breakfast spot on Neil just north of downtown) reopened as a French bistro. Can't miss the classic sign! Didn't hang out at the place in its old guise, but the new one looks beautiful and feels like a place to eat and relax with friends. It's mostly crepes (sweet and savory), soups, and salads, but there is a bistro steak and a fish of the day on the menu. The Crepes Suzette is excellent, as is the mixed berry crepe. Had a nice red from Alto Vineyards (IL), house salad was very pleasant, and had a savory crepe with locally sourced sausage and veggies (good but needed sauce of some sort). Service was pretty good given the newness. It was quite crowded upon my arrival at around 8:30 pm on Friday. A welcome addition. Kitchen open until at least 9:45 on Friday, so that is good.
New late-night dessert spot to come, as well as a microbrewery too? And rumor has it Luna may relocate downtown too.
Geez, if I lived any closer to downtown I would explode!
PS: The old Pickles, also on Neil (Ground Round for any people with a LONG memory) is now a Greek place called Papa George. I had an excellent gyro there with a wonderful seasoned lamb meatball filling. They have jettisoned most of Pickles old offerings and are focusing on Greek fare.
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Has anybody been out to the First Fruits Produce Store in Mahomet?? OMG --- their food is to die for! It's an organic produce stand, but they have daily lunch specials that are really good! On Tuesdays and Saturdays, they have bison burgers and these handcut spicy fries! YUM! And also on Tuesdays, they have chicken pot pie which is great as well! I've had their fried chicken (Thursdays) and it has a really light taste to it. I've tried their quesadillas too which are pretty good, but I prefer Fiesta Cafe in Champaign for my Mexican-style dishes. But you have to try this place out!!!!!!
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Just tried Carmon's today for the first time, for brunch. More visits will be needed before I can make any general statements about the food, but the ham & gruyere (buckwheat!) crepe I had was very nice. The chutney was a nice addition though the onion confit could have been confitted a little longer, for my taste.
The accompanying cidre was wonderfully refreshing -- french cider is much drier than the english stuff I'm used to. The bloody mary was brilliant, in particular the inspired addition of pickled okra. Actually, the drink menu in general seems to be one of their strengths -- I would be happy to spend an evening there over drinks and a good plate of rillettes.
I wonder if it might be a gamble to lean on a crepes menu for dinner. In any case, very friendly and attentive service, the place is clearly a labor of love. I hope they do well, as there is a real dearth of unpretentious french food in central illinois.
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re: Behemoth
Yes, the buckwheat crepe angle is a little weird. I wish they would expand their menu and add more French bistro-style classics (cassoulet, blood sausage, souffle, etc.) Have heard complaints that the crepes/filling taste pre-made, as in they have been sitting for a bit.
The space is pleasant and I generally have gotten good service, but it's rarely crowded when I go.
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re: ddfry3
I saw the remark about the old crepes somewhere. I don't agree, but maybe I just got lucky. In any case, crepes and their fillings don't tend to suffer from being held for a while, so long as the crepes are reheated. Still, the following would be something to work towards:
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives...
(Kidding, though it does remind me that I could kill for some oysters...
)Carmon's kitchen is rather small for a full dinner menu. But maybe a nice daily prix fixe, plus a few standard slice-and-serve appetizers could be a way to handle dinner beyond all-crepes? Or at least get the crepes to be absolutely perfect.
It would be great to have a place right around the corner from Boardman where you could have a quick drink and small plate or two before the movie.
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re: Behemoth
Additionally in that area I have heard that the sushi place is not bad, have not been myself. Not a fan of Nitaya. Peking Garden in the old Robeson's building is generally quite good - and Great Impasta I find very hit/miss with service mostly, but sometimes food too. Nice space though. Not a fan of Boltini's menu these days.
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I heard the microbrewery was only distribution. I hope it's a lie. That would be great! And I heard the rumor about Luna as well.
Thanks for the scoop on the bistro. I was waiting to hear how it was before going there! Question...do you like Milo's in Urbana? How would you rank it compared with Milo's?
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re: mindylh13
Well, several months ago there was something in the paper about a microbrew, perhaps distribution only (in other words, craft brewed but not onsite). Then just last week there was something listing some of the new tenants in the new condo tower being built in downtown Champaign, and one of them was a restaurant/microbrew place. The first one is opening next month in Bloomington-Normal, forget the name. It is supposed to be pretty huge, like 6000 sq. feet or something. That won't be opening for a couple years most likely, there are just starting work in earnest on the condo tower.
The bistro place is pretty good but needs to work some service/presentation kinks out first. I do like the atmosphere. Milo's is good for what it does - pretty standard fare without much hubbub. They have a very established clientele at this point. Actually I hear they may be moving/relocating/closing - not sure which. They are sick of dealing with Lincoln Square, the decrepit mall they are housed in. And their other restaurant just north of downtown on Columbia, Escobar's, is taking a lot of time I think. Hope this helps...
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