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Feast Or Family: The Beef House

From The Editors — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:33:27 +0000

By Megan Gillette

Over the past few years, I’ve found more and more excuses to go across the Indiana border, where the hills just start to roll, to The Beef House. Whether it’s a trip to the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis or a need for festive fireworks from Shelton’s (in the big red barn beyond the Covington exit), I feel a subliminal pull to the giant halls with a large, carved, wooden steer head, past the large glass cooler display of fresh beef cuts, and into the carpeted rooms with cushy captain’s chairs on wheels and large windows looking out to woods and pasture. It’s a classic steakhouse my grandparents would have taken me to for a gin and tonic, where the tonic was just an afterthought.

Credit: Flickr, McPig

Most people are familiar with the regionally famous white rolls served with house-made strawberry preserves and soft butter. I absolutely have to limit not only my intake of these but also my kids’. They will eat these until their tummies are round and there is no room for the delicious steamed broccoli with rich cheese sauce and applesauce that they must eat if they think they will ever get another chicken tender/leg/breaded shrimp. The kids’ menu is fantastic and has set a high standard for other kids menus we encounter.

Included with adult entreés are soup and salad. I can’t even tell you what the other soups are because the broccoli cheese is the only one I ever order! It’s not too heavy or salty, just a clean, creamy cheese base with small florets of tender broccoli-superfood. Although I can’t remember having tried another soup, everything I’ve tasted there is prepared at a level which leaves me no room to complain, so if you don’t like a cream base in your soup or share George H.W. Bush’s distaste for the green vegetable, do not hesitate to try another.

The salad bar is one of the best. Not exotic, but full of the best-tasting comfort sides and accoutrements. My favorite are the crunchy, creamy pea and cheese salad; chick peas; fresh fruit in season; pickled beets; raisins; sunflower seeds; and the thick, chunky, homemade blue cheese dressing that is a hallmark of a fine steakhouse.

Now as I’ve written before, I’m not much of a red-meat eater. My husband loves all the beef cuts, but I opt for surf and turf. I’ve always enjoyed the classic shrimp cocktail served with spicy sauce in a martini glass with fresh lemon. The shrimp are huge, not over-cooked, and well chilled. I may follow that with an incredibly tender petit filet and baked potato-toppings on the side. If you decide you need the fried onion rings, you will not be sorry. Recently, I’ve discovered the grilled shrimp, which are large, butterflied and prepared simply with fresh lemon. They are light, perfectly cooked and oh-so savory.

Dessert? I’ve never actually made it to dessert because of everything I’ve just mentioned. I may have another half a roll with strawberry jam, and perhaps an Andes mint sold by the check out. This is the point in the meal where you are thankful your chair is on wheels and it’s been a nice sit, because you’ve certainly settled in.

After we gather ourselves up we stroll across the parking lot to the nearby pasture and visit the horses. They let you pet their soft noses as you reflect on your experience of a time gone by: less hurried, comforting, family-oriented, and satiating on every level.

Hmm, I wonder when we’ll “need” fireworks again …

Verdict: FAMILY!! I would feel I cheated if I didn’t bring the kids. The waitresses are patient and kind, all food is prepared fresh from quality ingredients, kids will be on their best behavior in hopes they might be brought back. Oh, and they will pass out on the way home, which is a pleasant drive into the sunset, past the fields and farms.

The Beef House Restaurant is located at 16501 North State Road 63, Covington, Ind. They are open Monday to Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Remember, these times are Eastern, so you’ll want to add an hour when checking your Central time watch.

Megan Gillette is a mother of two active little boys — FIT kids (Foodies in Training). In her “spare time” she is a senior graphic and web designer at Wolfram, a real-estate broker with TeamKay at Keller Williams, and a real-estate maven for the family holding company. Megan is in constant pursuit of perfect food, exciting dining experiences, and farm-to-fork meals with her husband and personal sous chef, Kurt.

Superbowl Recipe: Philly Cheese Steak

Amy L. Hatch — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:51:49 +0000

The key to the perfect Philly cheese steak is the thickness of the beef. Credit: Amy L. Hatch

By Amy L. Hatch

Everyone has their favorite foods and tastes from the areas they grew up in. For some people, it’s Tex Mex. For others, it’s Polish foods or, in my case, Buffalo wings.

I’m also kind of crazy about Philly cheese steak subs, which is weird because I don’t usually like red meat, or meat of any kind, really. If I’m going to eat an animal protein, it really needs to taste like mayonnaise or any other combination of condiments. I am, however, a sucker for a really good steak every now and then.

I’ve had a hard time finding a cheese steak sub I enjoy as much as the one at my favorite bar-food joint back East. Vinny’s East Coast Pizza offers a very good one, but sometimes you just don’t want take out.

On a recent evening I tackled the Philly cheese steak at home, something I’ve done before with mixed results. My problem was always finding good beef sliced the right way — very, very thin. None of the butchers I’d visited seemed able to accomplish that.

As I cook more (and I hear my husband laughing somewhere, and I’m telling him to can it), I get more comfortable with things like Big Scary Knives. I have a set that we got as a wedding gift and I decided to get busy and shave myself some beef tenderloin.

This time, our sandwiches were so good that the mister said they did not need steak sauce — high praise, indeed.

These Philly cheese steaks are a kind of gourmet version — I used beef tenderloin. But heck if it wasn’t totally worth it. You could also use sirloin just as easily.

These subs would make a fantastic Superbowl party meal — you could make cut the portions really small, double the recipe or you could make them just for your family to enjoy while they watch the big game.

Superbowl Recipe: Philly Cheese Steak

Recipe type: Main Course

Author: chambanamoms, adapted from Rachel Ray

Serves: 4

A delicious at-home version of the popular restaurant food!

Ingredients

1 1/4 lbs beef (tenderloin or sirloin)
One small onion, sliced very thin
Mushrooms, sliced
Green pepper, sliced
Garlic salt
Pepper
Worcestershire sauce
Olive oil
Cheese (see instructions)
French bread or other sandwich rolls

Instructions

Using a sharp knife, slice the beef very thin (see image).
Slice your onion (very thin), green peppers and mushrooms
In a small skillet, go twice around the pan with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat.
Add veggies and saute until desired doneness.
Use a paper towel to wipe olive oil around a large skillet, and heat to high or medium-high.
Add your meat in batches so you can cook one layer of meat at a time.
Brown on both sides and chop with your spatula while it cooks. Just before it’s done, sprinkle with garlic salt, pepper and worcestershire sauce.
Keep cooked meat warm by covering with foil.
When all the meat is cooked, place 1/4 of it back in the pan with some of the veggies and a good melting cheese like American, mozzarella or provolone. Place on roll, bread or bun.
Repeat until you’ve made four sandwiches or used all the beef.
Serve with mayonnaise, steak sauce, lettuce and tomato if desired.

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Common Ground Food Coop Lowers Prices On Staples

Amy L. Hatch — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:00:05 +0000

By Amy L. Hatch

In an effort to make local and organic food available to a wider range of people, the Common Ground Food Co-Operative in Urbana has created a “staples list” and lowered the prices of all list items by 20 to 40 percent.

Joy Rust, marketing manager for Common Ground, says the move makes it easier for the entire community to have access to local, organic produce and goods, as well as products that are geared for green living.

The prices, which will not be raised, provide just enough income for the coop to replenish those particular items.

“We don’t make a profit on the staples,” Rust says.

The program, “Food For All,” also includes a series of free recipes using the foodstuffs on the list. The recipes make meals that come out to be about $2 per serving for a family of four.

So what does the staples list include? Staples, of course, including:

Milk
Eggs
yogurt
bulk flour
rolled oats
canola oil
Carrots
Potatoes
Onions
Seasonal fruit bags
Bread
Toilet paper

The full list of all 45 items is available online at the Common Ground website or at the store itself. And, many of these staples are locally grown.

If you haven’t already, check out this video about the “Food For All” effort — and then stop by Common Ground (located in Lincoln Square Mall in Urbana) to check it out for yourself. I am a member of Common Ground, and I’m here to tell you that it’s really a local gem and we’re lucky to have it. In 2012 the space will expand, thanks to more than $600,000 generated by coop members. I can’t wait!

Easy Weekday Baking: Watergate Cake

Amy L. Hatch — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 22:00:38 +0000

Editor’s Note: Many of you have mentioned that you like to print these recipes out, so we’re testing out a new widget that should allow you to print and save them more easily. Let us know how you like it!

Credit: Amy L. Hatch

By Amy L. Hatch

I’m not even gonna lie — this cake is ridiculous.

It has an entire cup of oil in it, but I promise once you taste it you won’t even care. I got this recipe from my mother-in-law and it’s one of my husband’s favorites. In fact, it’s one of his preferred birthday cakes.

Not only is it delicious retro goodness (cake mix, pudding and Dream Whip — soooo 1975!), it appeals to me for its name alone.

It is named for the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C., part of the Watergate Complex, which was the scene of those infamous break-ins that would lead to the resignation of President Richard M. Nixon and the ascension of journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein into the Reporter’s Canon. When I was in journalism school back in the late 1980s and early 90s (gulp) I was pretty sure I was going to follow in their footsteps.

Obviously, THAT didn’t happen. But whenever I make, serve and eat (and eat and eat some more of) this cake, I think about that naive young student …and giggle.

I recommend this cake for any weeknight, for a birthday and especially for a showing of “All The President’s Men.”

Easy Weekday Baking: Watergate Cake

5.0 from 2 reviews

Recipe type: Dessert

Author: Amy at Chambanamoms

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Total time: 55 mins

Serves: 8-10

This yummy retro cake is named after the infamous hotel, The Watergate, in Washington, D.C.

Ingredients

For the cake:
One box of white cake mix
One box of pistachio instant pudding
1 cup of vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 cup of club soda
1/2 cup of crushed nuts (optional)
For the frosting:
1 cup of cold milk
1 package of pistachio pudding
1 package of Dream Whip

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350-degrees, then mix together the cake mix, one box of pudding, eggs and oil. The batter will look thick and somewhat grainy, like a cookie dough.
Add the club soda and beat until well incorporated.
Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
To make the frosting: Combine the milk, pudding and Dream Whip in a mixing bowl, and beat until peaks form.
Frost the cooled cake; serve immediately or refrigerate.

Notes

ALLERGY NOTE: Pistachio instant pudding does contain nuts, so make sure you don’t serve this cake to anyone who has a diagnosed nut allergy.

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Feast or Family: Luna

From The Editors — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:55:15 +0000

By Megan Gillette

Luna, housed in the old train station in Champaign easily has one of the coolest architectural settings and decors in town. The antique woodwork is painted a steely lavender, juxtaposing classic and the modern. This relates well to the cuisine, contemporary tapas and classic bistro fare. Raquel Aikmen became a certified chef in Switzerland and has brought Luna to the top tier of restaurants locally. One of the only female chefs and propriestesses in town, everything I have experienced in her restaurant has been elegant, graceful and sublime.

The atmosphere at Luna is one of the many things that makes it a wonderful place to dine. Credit: McGown Photography

In the summer months, we love to take the kids and sit out back in the garden by the train tracks. It’s thrilling whenever a motorcycle goes under the viaduct or a train passes overhead. Tables are amidst the raised container gardens that grow produce and herbs served and snipped freshly for Luna’s dishes. It’s important to me for my children to see where food comes from.

I love to taste everything! For me, the tapas are perfect. I can eat bites of the steamed artichoke with creamy mustard sauce, sample the coconut-crusted shrimp with curry aioli, or indulge in the flank steak with blue cheese and fig jam crostini. The mushroom crostini with gruyere and truffle oil is actually the dish that finally taught me to appreciate mushrooms. A newer addition to the menu, the duck ravioli comes highly recommended. Sesame-seared tuna cubes are a clean, omega-3 filled starter. Most tapas are served in a silvered tureen, enhancing the presentation and heightening the anticipation. My husband is a steak-frites guy, and it does not disappoint. You can also get the parmesan fries with truffle oil a la carte and will not regret it. For steak light, we always love the beef tenderloin kabob with gratin potatoes. Oh, and the bell pepper crab cakes are fabulous for the shellfish-inclined.

In the mood for a cocktail? The fully-stocked bar makes a mean Manhattan and, my favorite, a juicy sangria. Although I can leave most places without dessert calling to me, the Napoleon with light, flaky layers of pastry delicately balancing fresh berries amidst cool pastry cream and with a dusting of powdered sugar is the perfect end to any meal.

Inside is a favorite date night place for us, as it’s quiet with romantic surroundings of raspberry, velvet banquettes and sumptuous brocade panels in the molding. Lighting is soft and reflected from high, down-angled, silver-framed mirrors. Servers are always genteel and not over-bearing.

A unique aspect of Luna is their extra room that can comfortably accommodate larger groups and parties. The walls are painted gilded gold and the ceiling is whimsically hung with opulent chandeliers and woodland branches. Raquel is very easy to work with for budgeting, decorating and inspired menu’s. There is an additional bar in the room and the service and timing has invariably been impeccable.

So, Feast or Family? This time of year, feast!. I like a slow dinner to experience the flavors, take in the charming surroundings, and enjoy some adult conversation. Come summer though, I’ll be back outside, racing the kids back up to the train tracks between courses!

Easy Weeknight Cooking: Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Amy L. Hatch — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:01:02 +0000

You'll never order pizza again! Credit: TheHungryDudes, Flickr

By Amy L. Hatch

Our kids have reached the ages where they are often busy after school and we’ve begun what I like to call The Driving Years.

I know my mom suffered greatly during these years, and I also know that every night she put a home-cooked meal on our table, at least until my late teens. I’d like to say I do the same, but the truth is that we eat take-out meals more than I’d like.

In an effort to eat better this year (and save some moola) I’m working hard to make more meals from scratch. This isn’t my favorite pastime, I’d much rather bake!

However, I’ve hit on some pretty easy recipes that let me get my work done and serve a decent dinner to my tribe.

Homemade pizza is so easy and it has so many variations that I almost wish we could eat it every night. But, usually, Fridays are pizza night for us. I was always intimidated by the idea of making a crust but it turns out that it’s as easy as can be.

It’s especially simple when you have a bread machine, which we invested in 18 months ago. But whether you do it by hand or do it in a machine, it’s simple and fast. I make my own tomato sauce using an adaptation of this recipe, but I like to mix it up now and then.

I made my own Buffalo chicken pizza recently and it was super yummy, all the taste of Buffalo wings (which I grew up on, living as close as I did to their birthplace) but without all mess.

Homemade Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Modified from ‘How to Cook Everything Vegetarian’

Crust

3 cups of flour, all purpose or bread
2 teaspoons of instant or bread machine yeast
2 teaspoons of kosher salt
3 tablespoons of olive oil, extra virgin

Combine all of your dry ingredients (flour, yeast and salt) in a food processor if you have one (and if you don’t, try your stand mixer or old fashioned stirring and kneading).

Turn on your food processor and add a cup of water and the olive oil through the feeder tube and process for about a half-minute. If you need to, you can add more water a little bit at a time until you have a ball of dough that is slightly sticky. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour.

Knead the dough on a floured surface and form a smooth ball. Put a tablespoon of olive oil in a bowl, place your dough inside in the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Let the dough double in size. It takes about an hour or two if you leave it on your counter; you can force it to rise more quickly by warming your oven, then turning it off, and placing the dough inside.

You can also let this dough rise slowly in your fridge, for six to eight hours, if you want to make it ahead. When it’s ready, cut the dough into two balls and dust it with flour. Recover with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 20 minutes.

To make this in a bread maker, simply put all the ingredients in your machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer and set it on the dough setting.

Once your dough has risen, flatten it into your desired crust thickness and add your toppings. Bake at the highest possible temperature (I use 500-degrees) on an oiled cookie sheet or seasoned pizza stone.

To make your Buffalo chicken topping you need:

1 can of Swanson chicken
1/2 cup of Frank’s Red Hot
1/4 cup of butter
Blue cheese
Mozzarella cheese.

Melt the butter and combine it with the hot sauce. Stir. Drain chicken and add it to the sauce. Spread mixture all over the crust. Dot with blue cheese and sprinkle with mozzarella. A wee dusting of parmesan cheese is optional.

Bake and enjoy!

Holiday Baking: Cherry Poppy Seed Thumbprints

Amy L. Hatch — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:19:48 +0000

By Amy L. Hatch

Each year in late November I begin discreetly buying up all the butter, sugar, flour and vanilla extract in Chambana.

Why?

Because it’s cookie season, silly! I mean, Christmas is great and all, but for me December is really just an excuse to bake my fool head off. I love to bake. It isn’t even that I love to eat cookies and cakes and pies and banana bread and muffins and…where was I?

Oh, yeah. I just enjoy the process of baking. I like taking a bunch of stuff and mixing it together to make something delicious. And I love the way my kids stand around the oven waiting for the treats to come out. I love that, when they grow up, they will remember the mint peekaboo bars and the candied nuts.

I know I do: I remember every year when my own mom would start baking. It was, indeed, the most wonderful (tasting) time of the year.

In the last few years I’ve had to cut down on my holiday baking because I was juggling a lot of different balls. This year, however, I did my best to make time for it–for me, it’s like a day at the spa. It totally relaxes me.

My sister likes to bake all the same cookies my mom always baked, and I make some of them, too. But over the years I’ve also added a few of my own specialties to my list. This recipe for cherry poppy seed thumbprints is one of them.

I stumbled on this recipe when I was searching for a non-chocolate cookie for my husband and they became a family classic almost immediately. The poppy seeds add a nice, nutty flavor that counterbalances the tart sweetness of the cherry preserves. I hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

Cherry Poppy Seed Thumbprints

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1/2 cup cherry preserves

Combine the sugar and butter and beat it until it’s light yellow and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, then mix in the flour, salt and poppy seeds until blended.

Drop the dough from a teaspoon (I use a small ice-cream scoop to make sure the size is consistent) and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Make an indent in the ball with your thumb and fill with preserves. Tip: If the dough is sticky, dip your finger in water before you make the indent.

Bake at 300 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are slightly brown.

Where to Eat on Christmas in Champaign-Urbana

Laura Weisskopf Bleill — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 14:30:42 +0000

Some of you may recall that one of my (Jewish) family’s favorite movies is A Christmas Story. A favorite scene is the part when the family ends up at the local Chinese restuarant eating duck instead of the turkey the mother slaved over for hours.

Eating Chinese food on Christmas isn’t a cliche – it’s a time-honored tradition for many members of the tribe. We’re not the only ones who want to eat in a restaurant on Christmas or Christmas Eve (although very few are open then).

Where to find restaurants open on Christmas in Champaign-Urbana.

Here’s a short list of restaurants open over the Christmas holiday in Champaign-Urbana. We have called each to confirm.

Chinatown Buffet, Champaign: Open regular hours Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Christmas Eve and 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Christmas Day.

Oishi, Champaign: Open regular hours Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Christmas Eve and 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Christmas Day.

Peking Garden, Champaign: Open regular hours Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Merry Ann’s Diner, Champaign: both Champaign locations open 24/7.

Milo’s, Urbana: From noon to 8 p.m. Christmas Day. Call for reservations. Menu service available (see link).

Perkins, Urbana: Open until 8 p.m. Christmas Eve; Christmas Day, open 6 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Rainbow Garden, both locations (Urbana and Champaign): Open starting at 4 p.m. for dinner Christmas Day. Reservations encouraged, especially for big parties.

Shanghai 1938, Champaign: Open noon to 9 p.m. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Alexander’s, Champaign: Seating Christmas Eve from 11:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. Kids under 10 eat free from the kids menu, 2 kids per adult meal.

If you know of other Champaign-Urbana restaurants open Christmas or Christmas Eve, leave them in the comments below!

Holiday Baking: Big Soft Sugar Cookies

Amy L. Hatch — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:28:13 +0000

Credit: Amy L. Hatch

By Amy L. Hatch

I’ve always been a fan of those big, soft sugar cookies you can get at the supermarket or the bakery.

You know the kind–the cutouts, usually smothered in buttercream and decorated so very beautifully. When you bite into one, it’s like eating a soft, sugary cloud.

Yummmmmm.

My mom made sugar cookies every year at Christmas when I was growing up, and we sat around our kitchen table one night during December and decorated them. Mom set out small bowls of homemade buttercream in holiday colors and added an array of sprinkles and sugars for us to put on top.

It was a blast, and the cookies were terrific, but they were not big, soft, sugary clouds.

Then, my mom discovered the recipe I’m sharing today, which is … you guess it … a big, soft cloud of a sugar cookie. Every year I make a batch of these (and o! what a big batch it makes!) and then the kids and I hang out and decorate them. It’s a huge mess and it takes them forever to get the food coloring off their mouths, but the fun we have is worth the fact that I’m still sweeping sprinkles off the kitchen floor in March.

Credit: Amy L. Hatch

I should issue a fair warning: This recipe will make enough cookies for the whole neighborhood, which makes them great for gift-giving and cookie exchanges, but it can be very time consuming. I’ll be offering you both the full and the half version here, so pick your poison.

One more note. This is not a recipe you can make by hand, even if you halve it (and I’ll give you both versions). You might be able to get through a half-batch with a hand-held electric mixer but my advice to you is use your counter-top stand mixer. If you don’t have one, you may want to borrow one.

Soft Sugar Cookies
From Amy’s Mom

Full Batch

1 1/2 cups of butter, softened
2 1/2 cups of sugar
3 eggs
8 cups of flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of vanilla
1 cup of milk

Half Batch

3/4 cup of butter
1 1/4 cups of sugar
1/2 of three eggs (beat them lightly and use a glass measuring cup)
4 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of vanilla
1/2 cup of milk

Cream together the butter, eggs and sugar. Add milk and vanilla and mix well. Add flour, one cup at a time, and baking power and salt. Refrigerate overnight in a covered bowl.

Roll cookies out to desired thickness (I make mine fairly thick but they will rise) and bake at 350-degrees for between eight and 10 minutes. Place a pan of water on the bottom rack of your oven to help keep the cookies soft. Do not let these cookies get brown.

I glaze the hot cookies with a mixture of confectioner’s sugar and water, with a pinch of salt. I use food coloring and a pastry brush. Sprinkle sugars and other decorations over the glaze while it is still wet — this is fun for kids! Store in a jar, tin or sealed pastic bag.

Best-Kept Secret: Columbia Street Roastery

Amy L. Hatch — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 04:12:33 +0000

By Amy L. Hatch

I can admit it–I’m a coffee snob.

No canned coffee from the grocery store for me–I’m willing to shell out some bucks for a wonderful-tasting and smelling bean. And I drink a lot of coffee. Just ask Laura, who will tell you that 99 percent of my Facebook status updates involve caffeine or my lack thereof.

I’ve driven past the Columbia Street Roastery about 100 times, on way to the mall or Escobar’s. I’ve always made a note of it but never had a chance to stop in, until this week when I was looking for a gift to give a fellow coffee addict…er…lover.

First of all, this shop smells FANTASTIC. Even if you don’t go for a cuppa joe, you have to admit that nothing smells better than a freshly roasted coffee bean.

A chalk board lists all the flavors and types of coffee available that day and the lovely, helpful woman behind the counter let me know that they will sell you the beans whole but are just as happy to grind them for you.

They even offer a grind just for one-cup coffeemakers like the Keurig. You can purchase a special little cup that lets you use your own grounds (Columbia Street Roastery does not sell this item).

I bought a pound of Black Velvet Blend beans, which were described to me as similar to a French roast without the bitterness. I also got a pound for my friend, as well as a mug with the shop’s logo and a special canister for storing the beans and keeping them fresh.

The Columbia Street Roastery roasts all of its beans onsite, and also offers a plentiful selection of teas. As well as being a place to buy fantastic tea and coffee, the shop donates 5 percent of its profits back into the Champaign-Urbana community!

The Columbia Street Roastery also offers tours of its facility and, once a month on Saturdays, they’ll give you a tour, show you the climate in which their beans were grown and offer you a sample cup of their delicious java at their “Cuppings” events.

Don’t miss out on this local gem! Stop by soon and tell them Chambanamoms sent you.