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• Best of CU: editors' picks

Drake Baer

Arts Editor
Best Mexican: Fiesta Cafe — from the deliciously dangerous margaritas — the house blend is made with Cuervo — to the delectably cheap white cheese dip — less than two bucks! — the Fiesta Cafe (or Party Cafe) has all the trappings of top-flight Mexican-Americana, from Aztec and Elvis portraiture to mouthwatering mole to belly-bursting burritos. And they’ll bring you more tortilla chips — and verde salsa.

Best coffee: Kopi — There’s only one (OK, there’s a Kopi Cafe in Andersonville, but whatever), this traveler’s cafe has copius coffee options, reliable wifi, the New York Times in-store, and, perhaps most importantly, booze. I wouldn’t have made it through Advanced Reporting without the ultimate pick-me-up, a strong Irish Coffee. If that wasn’t reason enough, Kopi is independent, not of a regional or national change, so it definitely deserves your business.

Best bathroom: Carmon’s — Are you serious? Carmon’s completely destroys the Union when it comes to water-closet couture. The pink ladies’ powder-room is like peeing in the middle of a sock-hop, while the guys’ room is classic cool in a James Dean meets Dean Martin meets Martin Scorsese sort of way, and you’re going to need to head there once your Bloody Mary(s) works its way through your system.

Tommy Trafton

Music Editor
Best place to get sushi: Someone voted for Wal-Mart. No. I’d suggest going to Yellowfin off of Neil Street. It’s a newer restaurant and they make some pretty strange and unique sushi. The last couple times I went, I ordered some sort of spicy, baked sushi roll. Sometimes the wait can be long, but the service is much more personal than most places and the menu is reasonably priced. Oh, how I miss Sushi County on Green Street ...

Best Live venue: Canopy Club is the obvious choice ... but if that’s the only place you’re going to for your music, you’re missing out on a lot. Make it out to Cowboy Monkey sometime — they just brought back live music to their bar last spring. The sound there exceeds a lot of places in town and the atmosphere is great. I do miss the Thursday series with no cover charge.

Best place to buy organic food: Strawberry Fields won, but you have to check out Common Ground Food Co-op’s new location at Lincoln Square Village. The massive tub of peanut butter is the main attraction for me, but the new store also has its own deli and kitchen. It smells good too.

Keith Hollenkamp

Movies Editor
Best place to see a movie: As much as I agree that Savoy 16 is the best multiplex in the area (thanks to its friendly staff and clean interior), the best place to see a movie has to go to Boardman’s Art Theatre. Nothing beats the single theater experience. I like theaters that makes going to the movies feel like an experience and Boardman’s has yet to disappoint. They may not get all the movies I would rather see there, but that is understandable. At least they get the movies I HAVE to see in an environment like Boardman’s.

Best drunk food: I don’t know about you but when I am drunk and hungry, I don’t have the patience to go all the way to Merry Ann’s. I need something delicious in my stomach as soon as possible, and that means One World. Conveniently placed in walking distance of almost every bar on Green Street, One World is an easy choice on my nights out. After a few drinks I want nothing more than a cheese pizza to devour on my walk home.

Best burger: I will admit it, I didn’t know about Farren’s until I read about it in last Best of CU edition. I will also admit that I am not hugely fond of the consistency of their quality (sometimes the burgers are fantastic and other times they are just meh). I will say though, that when they are good, they are good. On their best days, the burgers get to be put on the “Meat Candy” list right next to bacon. Mmmmmmm bacon ...

Michell Eloy

Food Editor
Best new business: Bagels are all well and good, but come on, CU opened a restaurant this year dedicated entirely to cupcakes. Cakes on Walnut ‘s quaint atmosphere and inventive recipes make it a frequent stop for me when I need a sweet fix, and that’s pretty often. Their fig mascarpone cupcake just melts in my mouth. It wasn’t chosen as CU’s best cupcake for just any old reason.

Best wait staff: Don’t get me wrong, the staff at Legends is awesome. But in my 20 years of experience as a diner, I’ve never come across a staff as accommodating as the one at Bombay Indian Grill. I barely take a sip of my water and someone is there refilling my glass. The staff is also always willing to tweak their dishes to make sure their customers are happy and getting the best possible dining experience they can possibly have.

Best breakfast food: With more than 15 types of pancakes, 7 waffle options and another 7 types of omelets, The Original Pancake house is, in my opinion, hands down the best place to get breakfast in CU. The portions are also huge, making it easy for me to stretch my breakfast experience over a few days. And a little known secret, the hot chocolate is the hidden gem of this restaurant. The rich, creamy coco topped with whipped cream makes Original Pancake House my go-to-place on a cold Saturday morning.

Suzanne Stern

Community Editor
Best burger: I don’t agree with the winner. The burgers at Farren’s are meatier and there is much more of a selection there than at Legends.

Best bathroom: The Union comes in a close second on my list (and I only like the ones in the basement). I might be biased, but the bathrooms at Illini Media take the cake — they are clean and private.

Best drunk food: I’d definitely pick the hot dog man on Green St. or Big Mouth’s. Merry Ann’s is tasty, but it is too far off campus and I prefer it the morning after drinking than during.

Bonnie Steirnberg

Calendar Editor
Best new business of 2008: Sure, Howbowda Bagel is great, but does it offer bagels topped with mozzarella sticks, pizza bites, mini corn dogs, bacon and fries? I didn’t think so. Fat Sandwich is far and away the best new business Champaign-Urbana’s seen in a while. They’re open until 3 a.m., which provides a more fattening alternative to Jimmy John’s after the bars close, and it’s cost efficient because one sandwich is enough food to last you an entire day.

Best place to bust a move: From a female perspective, Joe’s is more like “best place to have some sweaty guy grind on you.” If you’re looking to bust a move without having to worry about avoiding the creepy guy who keeps eying you, head to C Street, or if you need your weekly Bon Jovi fix, dance your heart out at Brother’s.

Best burger: There are plenty of good places on campus to get a burger (Big Mouth’s and Junior’s being two fine examples), but as a native suburbanite who had never experienced a drive-in until coming to the University, I’m partial to Sonic. There’s something about eating a burger in a car that makes it taste so much better. Plus, you can order tater tots instead of fries.

Kerry Doyle

Copy Editor
Best breakfast food: The Original Pancake House definitely should have won Best Breakfast Food. It’s been my favorite place to get pancakes and coffee for the last 21 years and I can’t imagine any other place offering up a better breakfast menu. It has a great atmosphere, a friendly waitstaff, and delicious delicious pancakes!

Best coffee shop: Bar Guiliani was my pick for Best coffee shop. It’s a cozy place to hole up with a cofee and settle into a night of studying or just relax with a few friends. Located conveniently on Green Street and with it’s latte happy hour, Bar Guiliani’s my first pick whenever I need that afternoon pick-me-up.

Best Bathroom: Boltini should have won Best bathroom, hands down. There’s enough room so you’re not bumping in walls or strangers and, as far as bathrooms go, it’s really nice looking. And come on, where else can you find a clean, classy restroom that provides free mints, deodorant and tampons?

Amanda Brenner

Copy Editor
Best breakfast food: Merry Ann’s Diner? Seriously? You realize you voted the same place for best drunk food and best breakfast food, right? As much I love a brief, boring menu ranging from greasy to flavorless, I will settle for waving to the suckers I see breakfasting at Merry Ann’s on my way to Le Peep.

Best place to declare your love for someone: The Quad/Eternal Flame? Gag. Why don’t you follow this declaration with a long, cliché walk on the beach? If anyone ever declared his love for me in front of this glorified lamppost, it’d be over before it even started. Go to one of the 3,000 parks in Champaign-Urbana, not some tacky bulb socket.

Best Burger: Legends? Sick. I don’t even eat meat, and I know this is a bad call because Legends has the worst food ever. I love Legends for their staff, their beer and their trivia, but their food can stay back in that shady little window. Guido’s has the best burgers — and black bean burgers, too.