Top of the Morning, Oct. 21, 2024

At 2 p.m. Fridays, our Kathy Reiser answers restaurant questions. Put her to the test by clicking here or email kreiser@news-gazette.com .

Grabbing a bite with Joey Wright

Each week, we chop it up with the folks responsible for dishing up food around the area. What restaurant should we try next? Let Joey Wright know at jwright@news-gazette.com.

I spent a few hours prior to Saturday’s Illinois football game walking around Lot 31 west of Memorial Stadium.

Many of the happy Illini fans I spoke with — soon to be part of a sold-out crowd of 60,670 — had been there since 7 a.m., well before Illinois’ 2:30 p.m. kickoff against Michigan that ultimately turned into a signature win for the 6-1 Illini that marked the 100th anniversary of Memorial Stadium’s dedication in 1924.

Among the tailgaters I talked to were Mike Thompson, Gary Filkin and company, who, as always, were on hand with their orange-and-blue bus that they bought in 2005, renovated, and have been taking to games since 2007.

A trip to Rutgers in November will check off every Big Ten stadium for the bus, with the exception of the conference’s recent westward expansion.

There was Carry LeSage’s crew — a usual sight over the last 40-some years — aboard a tricked-out bar setup in the hours leading up to kickoff.

Seeing folks in their third and fourth decades at Memorial Stadium was a common sight. Travis Albin, Ty Pedon and crew took time out of their schedule farming near Villa Grove to attend with Jeff, Jennifer and Kaitlin Carleton in the hours leading up to the game.

Our multimedia crew was on hand to check out even more of the expansive tailgating scene, with readers from far and wide submitting pictures from their viewing parties as well. How do you tailgate? Email me at jwright@news-gazette.com to let me know.