Champaign, IL.. geez I spent a couple of years there.. my folks were doing the college thing..back in 77-78 (damn I am getting old.. not that the grey stripes look anything other than cool!).. damn trying to remember where we lived.. although the school I went to was southside elem. (closed now I guess).. wow.. remembering too much.

and in defense of the midwest (although I am not prone to that) there are good places if you know where to go, other than that? chicken fried steak all the way (and don't get me started on that fucking chicken fried chicken bullshit) (yeah 17 years cooking and mostly with chefs' uh yeah I know what I'm doing.. if only it worked out on dates :)) )

I have a friend who moved to the raleigh/durham area about a year ago, she's luvin' (as it were) it, but I keep hearing complaints about conversation... perhaps you kids could meet? I dunno.. just a thought

I grew up in the midwest... I'm just reaquainting myself - I guess in 5 years of living in NC, I got a bit southern!

What's funny is a lot of people have lived in Champaign at one point in their life, but no one seems to live here now :(. I wish they did because I'm getting bored!!!

I'm about 90 minutes from you, grrrl.... I'll IM you my phone number....

Sweet! please do!

college town, the turnover rate is amazing, like here in Lawrence (aka. Larryville)

okay, real quick.. as a fellow mid-westerer, what are 'grits' to you? (this has been a family arguement for as long as I can remember...)

Grits are ground up hominy corn. That white, thick corn stuff. I think it tastes like ground up rice and I never liked it. Plus the texture - eeeewwww!

Grits are like white, grainy gravy in my neck o' the woods too (Texas.) It tastes far worse than ground up rice and is an abomination.

Grits are a delivery mechanism for things that may actually taste good. That said, I'd rather eat the things that actually taste good and skip the bland crap they come with.

Grits are fifty.

grits are white corn hominy (look it up). they are often overwhelmed by another food/flavor, but they're fine on their own, maybe a little salt and pepper, and or a little butter. I like grits.

melidasaur - My bad, I was talking to Dagney, I'm located 90 minutes from Raleigh. Didn't mean to get your hopes up. Come back to NC and we'll party!

No problem :)... I'll let you know when I make my return to the old North State.

yeah, grits around here are ground hominy, however in Illinois/Indiana they are a shredded mixture or ham and beef that is pressed into patties and pan fried.. I like both varieties, I just wonder how two things so radically different from one another got the same name?