Urbana Garden Family Restaurant has closed permanently, but the business will reopen as Maple & Yolk after a remodel of the space and menu.

Get excited for Restaurant Week 2025, happening January 24th through February 1st. For nine days, the 9th annual Restaurant ...

Hey folks, Tom here. Just wanted to get in one last little tidbit before the holidays. Illinois Terminal is Champaign’s own combined bus station, train station, and Subway™ station (eat fresh!). If ...

It’s that time again, when we reflect upon the last year. It’s sometimes hard to remember what happened in May or June, never mind January and February. But it’s important that we make a point of ...

Nestled in Urbana-Champaign, Sun Singer is a culinary haven where they reimagine familiar comfort foods with refined elegance and bold flavors. From rich, velvety cheese fondue to expertly grilled ...

The most recent entry on my list of favorite local desserts is the flourless chocolate cake from Common Ground Food Co-op. My fiancée Alicia and I keep bringing up how amazing this cake is in ...

Last Tuesday, the City Center rolled out the metaphorical red carpet for 40 North’s 17th annual ACE (Arts, Culture, Education) Awards Celebration. The awards recognize the invaluable contributions of ...

This time of year should be a season of joy, and people 21+ can add a little cannabis for some extra merry and more holly-jolly. For my final list on Smile Politely this year, I’m sharing four ...

In this annual tradition, our editors spend time thinking about all of the things that were stupid, annoying, irritating, and terrible about the last year. After all, we can’t have BEST without WORST, ...

This year, we wrote a lot about the area’s food and drink scene from restaurants to bars, coffee shops to farmers markets and food trucks. In 2024, Smile Politely food writers covered eats and drinks ...

The fun folks at Champaign Movie Makers invite you to their latest cinematic experiment this Sunday at the Channing-Murray Foundation. Fresh from the editing room floor, this new short film debuts as ...

70 Secrets of Marmalade Kittens, written by Urbana native Gab Reisman, explores the life of a hog-farming family in Iowa. Set across two different periods, the play is rich with inner conflict, dreams ...