Cafe Luna is busting with diners looking to fill up on small plates with big taste. It's one of the newest restaurants to downtown Champaign already gaining good business. "[There are] a lot of foodies in town," said owner Iren Aikman, "A lot of people that have an interest in food and wine and like to go out a bit." But not everyone knows the magic that goes on behind kitchen doors. "I think a lot of people get worried when they start thinking about central Illinois," he said. "You know like 'oh boy, where are we going to eat? Just steak and potatoes all the time.'" Aikman says those questioners find themselves quickly mistaken. "I think they're pleasantly surprised when they come into a place like our's," he said.

And if they head down a few streets they'll bump into the oldest restaurant in Champaign. Carmon's was built in the late forties and started as a diner. Now it's a creperie. "There wasn't anything like that out here so we thought it would be a good addition to the downtown neighborhood," said Mike Nelson. While Carmon's is dishing out new cuisine these days, it's still staying true to its roots. "That's one of the reasons we didn't change the name because we thought the sign was just too cool so we wanted to keep it," he added. Even the tables and chairs are the original. Nelson wanted to give Champaign natives a taste of the past with a twist. "It's a challenge," he said. "It's big shoes to fill, but I think we are doing something completely different from its former life so it's exciting."

Even city officials are excited. With so many places to eat come more money for growth. "We are receiving about one million dollars a year from the food and beverage tax and we're currently spending that on the improvements to Green Street and nearby streets in the campus area," said Champaign Finance Director Richard Schnuer. That could pave the way to even more restaurants in town and more options to indulge. "It's a fair statement to say Champaigners like to eat out a lot," he said with a chuckle.

When the M2 building opens up next year it'll bring with it a handful of new places to eat, although we don't know which ones yet.