Roadtrip: Chicago to Bloomington IL then to Bloomington IN

Roadtrip to check out some colleges.  Can't bear to eat at Burger King et al unless we have no choice.  From Chicago, first stop will be Bloomington-Normal IL. - Champaign. - Then to Bloomington IN.  -Indiana. - DePauw. - Ball State. -  Perdue and back to Chicago.  Open to any good chow.  Also places to avoid, if you don't mind.  Thanks.

In Bloomington IN, there's BuffaLouie's on South Indiana Avenue. This is a mini-chain that specializes in Buffalo-style wings, but they also have burgers and sandwiches. Their other two locations are in Highland and Valparaiso IN. I've only eaten at the Highland location ( many times ), but the wings there are my favorites, and I imagine that the other two Louie's are just as good.  Great onion rings too.        www.buffalouies.com   

Avanti’s Italian Restaurants (They bake their own Italian bread fresh each day for their Gondola^TM. and it is also served with their meals)
One location each in Bloomington (IL) & Normal (IL)
http://www.avantisnormal.com/
 
La Bamba Authentic Mexican Food (Burritos as big as your head^TM.  The owners, store managers and most of the help are Hispanic.)
Two locations in Bloomington (IL), one in Normal (IL), two (one is the original restaurant) in Champaign (IL), one in Lafayette (IN)
http://www.labambaburritos.com/

Oh no, if you're in Bloomington IN you have to go to Mother Bear's for pizza (very school-touristy but the pizza's really good) and the Waffle House (not the chain) for breakfast.  There's also an Ethiopian (?) joint in town whose name escapes me that's pretty good if it's still there.

6star


Avanti’s Italian Restaurants (They bake their own Italian bread fresh each day for their Gondola^TM. and it is also served with their meals)
One location each in Bloomington (IL) & Normal (IL)
http://www.avantisnormal.com/
 

I would not recommend Avanti's for anything except their subs. Their tomato sauces are sicky-sweet and pasta dishes are bland. For Italian I would suggest Lucca Grill in the downtown of Bloomington. I have many friends who went to Illinois State and all remember it best as where Steak & Shake got it's start!

I grew up in Bloomington and I have a few suugestions for you.  Mother Bears is pretty good and I do like the pizza.  But when in Bloomington you should get a stromboli.  It isn't like a stromboli in the rest of the country.  It is basically a crumbled sausage, cheese and tomato sauce sub.  It's just really good and you don't see them like that anywhere else.  They do have them at Mother Bear's but the best ones are are Nick's English Hut on Kirkwood right near the campus.  Though if you are looking at colleges you will probably be with someone under 21 and would not be allowed in Nick's.  Right down the street is Cafe Pizzaria which also has them.

If you want a burger, go to Hinkle's which is west of campus at 206 S Adams.  Good seared burgers with onion fried into the patty.

If you want a tenderloin or a gyro or a fallafel, go to the Trojan Horse also on Kirkwood.

For something a little nicer but not too expensive, there is the Uptown Cafe right next door to the Trojan Horse.  They have some cajun/creole dishes including the gumbo of the day that you can get Hoosier style (served over mashed potatoes instead of rice). 
 
For an expensive dinner, the best place in town in Restaurant Tallent at 208 N Walnut, just down from Kirkwood.  The menu changes but there is always a pork dish that is spectacular.   

I am not familar with what the Ehtopian restaurant would have been mentioend above but there are a few Tibetan restaurants which is something you don't see everywhere.  The Snow Lion is the most well known but I think there is another one that is supposed to be better.

Have fun. 

One more suggestion.  I only visited DePauw once for a recruiting trip when I was a senior in high school but I still remember the signature sandwich of the area.  It is the GCB (garlic cheese burger) at Marvins.  I was there one night and somehow managed to eat there twice.  I'm sure you could just stop any random person on campus and ask where it is.

It could be a Tibetan place, hatteras.  I just remember it was stuff cooked in clay pots--is that the Snow Lion?

Nancypalooza


It could be a Tibetan place, hatteras.  I just remember it was stuff cooked in clay pots--is that the Snow Lion?

I'm not sure.  I've never been to any of them.  I lived there through high school and college and didn't really start expanding my food tastes until after that.  Chinese was about as exotic as I would get back then.

I went to IU from 1999 - 2003.
I ate out a lot…which is easy to do with all the good food. My personal favorites:
 
Anyetsang's Little Tibet on E. 4^th. – Probably my favorite place in Bloomington – love the beef salad and beef Mo Mo.
Samira’s Restaurant on 6^th St.– Fine Afghanistan cuisine…another favorite. Awesome Kabaabs and rack of lamb.
Siam House also on 4^th. – Great Thai food – awesome lunch buffet.
Snow Lion on S. Grant. – Indian and Tibetan food. Very good.
Irish Lion on W. Kirkwood. – Love the beef medallions and soda bread. “Irish” food.
Scholars Inn Bakehouse – on College Ave. – Great Sandwiches and soups.
Lennie’s on 10^th Street is also good – Pizza, their own brewery, sandwiches, awesome French onion soup.
Puccini’s on 4^th has good Italian, but I always thought it was a little over priced.
The Village Deli on Kirkwood has great breakfasts.
 
Mother Bears Pizza is a also good, as is Dagwood’s subs…both are local. I don’t care for the Trojan Horse…never had a good meal there. Lots of people love it though.

Oh, you said Purdue too...I grew up in West Lafayette. Lots of good places there too. Triple XXX, Bruno's, the Parthenon.
 
Triple XXX - 2 N Salisbury St – Classic roadfood/diner food.
Parthenon – 135 S Chauncey Ave. – Greek/Mediterranean food.
Bruno’s – 212 Brown St. – Pizza, Swiss/German food.
Khana Khazana Indian Grill  - 108 Northwestern Ave.
 
All of these are right on campus. All very good.
 

Nancypalooza


It could be a Tibetan place, hatteras.  I just remember it was stuff cooked in clay pots--is that the Snow Lion?

Little Tibet and the Snow Lion both serve Tibetan food. They are about a block apart. I’ve always liked Little Tibet better…especially when sitting outside. Both are very good though. Never had anything served to me in a clay pot though.

Two Dales-

Perdue is the name of that Chicken Processor in Delaware.
PURDUE is the name of that fine University in West Lafayette, Indiana. I am sure that was an innocent error, but be aware that some Hoosiers are very sensitive to that sort of thing!!
 
You didn't say Indiana State University, but just in case you swing thru Terre Haute, try the BIG SHOES BBQ on 12th St.

PURDUE.  Thanks for pointing that out.  Come to think of it, Perdue(spelling) just doesn't look right!
 
Thanks for all of the great suggestions.  We should have no trouble finding tasty eats on this trip!

Here is for Ball State:

http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/tm.aspx?The-two-places-that-best-represent-your-town&m=180765&high=muncie&mpage=6
 
(You have to scroll down to #162)
 
p.s. I have not lived there for 40 years so there may be better food, but these are Roadfoodish.

Hatteras04, I assume that you are talking about Bloomington, IN but since the OP is visiting Bloomington, IL also, a clarification would be helpful.  Thanks.

I have visited both campustowns and found that the choice in food is hugely greater in Bloomington, IN.  Purdue has a great campustown too.

Yes.  Indiana.

I got another suggestion from my parents who still live in town.  They like Finches Braisserie also on Kirkwood.  They liked the roast chicken and the empanada appetizer.  They also have good looking pizzas that they have not tried yet.

I went to IU--many years ago, but I see that the 'Runcible Spoon' is still open.  I used to love their breakfasts.  Especially the breads.

I think I have pics up in a trip report from Runcible Spoon, about eighteen months ago.  Their breakfast was right excellent.