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etc!, October 1991

The Restaurant Fare

'Eclectic' eatery has storied past

By Michael Donahue

It should be no secret that Champaign-Urbana is not simply one city with two names. Urbana is not East Champaign, and Champaign is not West Urbana -- although it once, in fact, was.

In the heart of each are clear philosophical divisions which go beyond politics -- a major reason they are unlikely to ever merge. True Urbanites view the world and their place in it in a different way -- and the Courier Cafe in some ways exemplifies that.

The basic outlooks of the two towns make an interesting study in what marketers call "psychographics." Such an endeavor helps bring home the importance of understanding how individual consumers think and perceive.

Consumer risk is one aspect of psychographics: the risk of trying new things, of wasting money, of experiencing a bad taste. Those with high perceived risk stick with the meat and potatoes they grew up on. Others see less risk in trying new products and services. In a restaurant they have more open taste buds -- expecting, not just accepting, variety.

The Courier derives its name from the daily newspaper the building once housed. While the news hasn't come out of there in more than 10 years, for many diners The Courier's latest edition is up to the minute.

The Courier is a little bit of an inside story among those who enjoy it and each other. On a side street in downtown Urbana, it is easily passed by; it does little if any advertising, and upon first look, its selection of entrees is not that unusual.

Here the attraction does not jump out at a first-time visitor -- it just sort of settles in like a cozy room with a warm fire on a snowy evening. The other customers add to it, helping to create an atmosphere for the "intellectual eclectic crowd," -- as a real fan we'll mention below described it.

The Courier has responded to these health-conscious customers with several vegetarian entrees and by earning the only perfect score on the American Heart Association's Guide to Healthful Dining for Champaign County. The 35 restaurants which responded to the heart association's census are rated on 18 criteria.

Many restaurants scored well when it came to using healthful oils, leaner meats, more fresh vegetables, and in their accomodations for non-smokers and the handicapped -- but the Courier was best across the board. You can get your copy by calling the Heart Association at 352-6525.

Weeks back I mentioned that some students in my summer marketing class, which focused on restauranting, might help us when it came to their subject restaurant. The research and analysis of Barbara Effron, the "fan" mentioned above, will aid us this week -- for which we thank her.

We'll pull together a few comments from her fine report -- which sums up the Courier's attractiveness: An intimate and arty casual atmosphere, perfect for intellectual conversationalists who don't necessarily need fancy decor, but still demand good quality.

The Courier pulls off this intimacy with tall and private wood-stained booths. The decor continues the theme developed in its name and menu, as it preserves memories of small newspapers and a simpler life. Several interesting antiques are featured in the cafe.

This is a people place -- small and often busy. Its no reservation policy without a waiting room can cause awkward crowds in the doorway.

Lunch includes many burgers and sandwiches -- from the meatless Swiss Almond and Monkey Stuff to meaty ribeye and pastrami to the Dagwood, which you can have either way. Besides side orders, desserts, beer and wine, you can buy as much of its salad bar as you like -- by the ounce. Dinners include steaks, chicken and seafood, including Trout Courier, baked as you like.

Steak and pastrami, you say, in the highest ranked heart association-approved restaurant? That's what I like about the association's guide -- it fosters diversity. There appears to be no effort to restrict menu offerings, only to encourage additions and healthier methods of preperation.

Happily in a "healthy" restaurant, in a "Progressive" town, we can still fat- and calorie-splurge, enjoying a juicy ribeye or Skinny Dippers: "deep fried potato skins lavishly covered with cheese, bacon, sour cream and chives."