Bloomington newbies

Those who chose to vacate Bloomington for the cozy confines of home, an important internship or any other reason might be surprised at what they find upon their return.
The area has undergone a slew of changes, including the opening of new restaurants and other stores.

Fatman’s BBQ Etc. is a new barbecue restaurant on West Third Street near Curry Pike. The menu is moderately priced and includes all the barbecue essentials, from wings to ribs. The restaurant also offers catering.

Another all-American restaurant is the popular Five Guys, which recently opened on South College Mall Road in the old Big Red Liquors building. The chain has gained some popularity and also has a location at Purdue.

Five Guys has a wide array of burgers and other traditional American dining staples.
Bub’s Burgers & Ice Cream is a popular restaurant originally from Carmel, Ind. Similar in menu to the previous two restaurants (save the grilled Mahi Mahi), the ice cream is the main attraction here.

Bub’s is tentatively set to open next week in the brick building on Morton Street, across from Showers Plaza.

For those who prefer to make home-cooked meals, The Olive Leaf is a new olive oil and balsamic vinegar store that offers completely natural oils from Italy, Greece, Spain and California. The vinegars are from the Modena region of Italy.

The store is in The Shoppes on College Mall Road.

Serendipity, located on South College Avenue, is a new martini bar that recently opened in an area that was desperate for more bars. Its fit with the crowds of townies versus students will be interesting.

Perhaps the most important and noticeable changes will be those made to campus. More than $200 million has been poured into renovations, including a razing of part of Ashton Center and the erection of Union Street Complex, the closing of the Wrubel Computing Center and a $15 million renovation to the IU Auditorium.