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| - As an alumnus of the University of Illinois, I often get a little teary-eyed when I visit the campus and think of both good and bad experiences I encountered there when I was a student in the mid-1960s.
I also got teary-eyed with joy when I saw Mia Za listed under the local chamber of commerce's list of "Dining on a Dime" restaurants near the campus. i.e., I assumed it was cheap (and it was).
My youthful bride of 34 years (Mrs. B) and I were checking out the restaurants in the Campus town area just northwest of the Alma Mater statue. While looking at the bill of fare at this establishment, the owner came out and gave us a sales pitch for having our dinner there.
This is a very small "hole in the wall" place that probably seats no more than 20 diners. Tables are on the first floor and also on a second floor.
The gimmick here is that you are provided with a ballot-like menu to order your food. We both decided to order a pasta meal. So, we filled out a paper form that allows you to select the type of noodles, sauce, toppings, and other items you want to eat. Then you hand the form to the counter attendant, and they call you when your meal is ready: usually in less than ten minutes.
The same procedure is used to choose salads, paninis, and pizza.
We were there at about 5:45 on a Monday during the summer session, so the place was not busy. But given the lack of space at Mia Za, it could look like Groucho's stateroom in "A Night at the Opera" during the fall and spring semesters.
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