21 | March | 2009 | Mid-Michigan Dining

Geovanti’s Bar & Grill – Champaign, IL

21 03 2009

401 E. Green Street
Champaign, IL 61820
(217) 344-4600
Website
Menu

Geovanti's Bar & Grill on Green Street near the campus of the University of Illinois

It’s no secret that the one food I crave when I go home is the Italian beef. It just doesn’t exist in Mid-Michigan. While it’s obvious you can find the sandwich in Chicago, most people don’t realize there are a handful of places downstate that offer the sandwich. They’re usually a Chicago-style place that specializes in sandwiches and pizza. Lucky for me, there was not one, but two places right down the street from Huff Hall where I happened to be working.

Geovanti’s Bar and Grill is on the corner of Green and 4th Streets. Think of Green Street like Grand River Avenue. It’s right in the middle of a lot of off campus housing and it’s a short walk from campus of the U of I. There are a number of bars and restaurants on a four block stretch of road.

I walked in to Geovanti’s just as they were opening at 11:00 AM. There are two entrances. There’s the entrance on Green, but there’s also an alley entrance. I was on the phone and not paying attention, so I walked around to the front entrance. Read the rest of this entry »

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Categories : Big Ten Tour, Champaign, Champaign/Urbana, Illinois, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Huff Hall – Champaign, IL

21 03 2009

1206 S. 4th Street
Champaign, IL 61820
(217) 244-9755
Website

Huff Hall on the campus of the University of Illinois set up for gymnastics

Even if you’ve never been to the University of Illinois and you’ve never heard of Huff Hall, you are quite familiar with a term that was coined during the days when the IHSA boys state basketball championships played in the gym. It’s actually pretty fitting that I’m writing about this right now. The term “March Madness” is a term that was trademarked by the IHSA after a court battle that also gave the NCAA a right to trademark the term. The IHSA still claims to have invented the term and they own the sole trademark to the phrase “America’s Original March Madness” which is how they bill their tournament these days

The phrase “March Madness” was first used in 1939 to describe the state basketball championships that were held at Huff Gymnasium. The layout and design of the building made it loud and when the place was full, it was deafening. If you’ve ever watched an IHSA small schools game, you know how loud it can get.

Huff Hall was built in 1925 as a multi-purpose gymnasium named after George Huff who was the school’s athletic director from 1895 to 1935. It’s a 4,500 seat arena with a permanent upper deck and retractable bleachers in the lower area. Like Michigan State’s Jenison Fieldhouse, Huff Hall is the home of the U of I’s volleyball, wrestling, and gymnastics teams. Read the rest of this entry »

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Tags: Big Ten, Champaign, Huff Hall, Illinois, University of Illinois
Categories : Big Ten Tour, Champaign, Champaign/Urbana, Entertainment Venues, Illinois, Live Entertainment

Press Release – Lugnuts Stimulus Plan

21 03 2009

From a Lugnuts press release…

Lugnuts Announce Food Stimulus Plan

LANSING, Mich. – The Lansing Lugnuts announced an answer on Friday to the worsening status of the national economy, rolling out the Lugnuts Food Stimulus Plan for the 2009 season.

The Lugnuts Food Stimulus Plan comprises new Dollar Dog Tuesdays, new Kids Eat Free on Sundays, new Oldsmobile Park Value Meals and the popular Labatt Blue Light Thirsty Thursdays.

“These are challenging times for Michiganders,” said Lansing Lugnuts Co-Owner Sherrie Myers. “Our Lugnuts Food Stimulus Plan will make it easier for our fans to step up to the plate. We’re especially excited about Dollar Dog Tuesdays and Kids Eat Free on Sundays.” Read the rest of this entry »