Champaign-Urbana has plenty of culinary hotspots and places for capital city residents to rest their heads near the performing arts venue. Here’s a guide on where to go:

Park it:
After 5 p.m., Krannert Center’s underground lot is open to patrons for free. If you can’t snag a spot, metered parking around the center is available.

Dining out:
Just across Nevada Avenue and a few steps down Goodwin Avenue from the center are two dining establishments known on campus for their tasty cuisine. Timpone’s (710 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana) — a family-run establishment — serves an array of everchanging specials, along with pizza and pasta made daily. Currently, the locally-owned restaurant features a special menu from a specific region of Italy each month. For October, the kitchen highlights the Po Basin. The restaurant tends to hop on performance nights, so call ahead for a reservation.

Right next door, The Bread Company (706 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana) boasts a menu with specialty pizzas, pasta, entrees and Swiss fondue. The candlelit space — equipped with a fireplace — provides a nice atmosphere for a date or a group of friends. With a spruced up outdoor seating area, patrons can watch the campus foot traffic while they dine.

Other eating options around town: Bacaro (113 N. Walnut St., Champaign), Radio Maria (119 N. Walnut St., Champaign), Café Luna (116 N. Chestnut St., Champaign), Great Impasta (Lincoln Square Village, Urbana) and Black Dog Smoke and Ale House (201 N. Broadway Ave., Urbana).

Call it a night:
If you want to take a nice stroll to Krannert Center, plan to rest your head at the Hampton Inn (1200 W. University Ave., Urbana). The hotel sits less than a mile north of the performing arts center. For upscale digs, make a reservation at the I-Hotel and Conference Center (1900 S. First St., Champaign). The boutique-style hotel at the University of Illinois’ Research Park also includes a full-scale restaurant and bar. —Marissa Monson