When word got out that Mark Salzer had decided to continue his psychology studies at the UI, let’s just say that not everyone was so gung-ho about it.
“Some people suggested that life in Champaign-Urbana was, well, not great,” Salzer says. “They were so wrong.”
In fact, he wound up liking it so much, he stuck around awhile — earning his Ph.D. from Illinois three years after getting his master’s here.
“One of the most pleasant discoveries was that some of my favorite restaurants ever are/were in Champaign-Urbana," the Temple professor says from Philadelphia. “Papa Del’s has the best pizza. Li’l Porgy's had the best barbecue. And Courier Café offered unique items on their menu before it was chic.
And, “while not close to campus, Monticello had some cute cafes that were just opening and a perfect complement to the other east central Illinois gem — Allerton Park.”
