in the bag: Step N' Stretch

Business:  Step N' Stretch
Location:  Burnsville and Minnetonka
Wink?  Yes

Purchases:  Dance shorts, tights and Footundeez (helps protect the balls of a dancers feet for dancing barefoot).

Step N' Stretch
13903 Aldrich Avenue South
Burnsville, MN 55337

Reason for shopping:  In preparation for a performance I was involved in, I needed some dance essentials as part of our costuming.  Step N' Stretch has 2 different locations, Burnsville and Minnetonka and it just so happens that I used to work by their southern location and currently live by their western location.  My first trip to SNS was in search of new tights and shorts and Liz, the assistant manager of Burnsville, was extremely helpful from the get-go.  I walked in and was immediately greeted and offered help.  Since I'm a girl who usually shops with purpose (a.k.a. not much of a browser), I loved that Liz grabbed 3 different options for shorts that fit my criteria and educated me on her thoughts on each brand and/or style.  My biggest requirement was good fit and coverage and Liz knew where to search among the million different styles and fits they carry.  I ended up going with a mid-priced short which was her original recommendation and I was very pleased.  I've got some junk in the trunk and danced with confidence knowing I wasn't flashing the unsuspecting crowd.

Personally, I think shorts should be outlawed.  I had to choose one and the winner was the top left pair.

My 2nd encounter was the day of the performance (procrastinate much?) and I was in dire need of foot support after rehearsing on the not-so-great wooden floors of our venue.  I ran to the Minnetonka location after rehearsal and again, was immediately greeted and asked if I needed help.  Katie, the helpful associate, pulled different size options for me and encouraged me to try multiples on to find a more comfortable fit.  I'm glad I took her advice otherwise the first pair I thought were right were in fact a big larger than I really needed. 

FootUndeez

Local Love:  Step N' Stretch has been a staple in the Minnesota retail dance industry and have been in business for over 15 years.  It is very apparent that their staff are friendly, helpful and most importantly, very knowledgeable in helping anyone from novice hobby dancers to professional veterans.  Minnesota is definitely the place to be if you want to be a competitive or non-competitive dancer and Step N' Stretch has definitely played a vital role in outfitting these talented dancers.  I love local businesses and SNS is here to stay.

{dancin}

winkMSP

nom nom: The 5-8 Club

Business:  The 5-8 Club
Location:  South Minneapolis
Did they earn a wink?  YES

The Occasion:  A Juicy Lucy experience.

The Food:  I ordered an original Juicy Lucy with American cheese and onion rings (The 5-8 Club makes THE BEST onion rings).

Image via Mark Libell

The Service:  I don't know what it is, but I am not a fan of strangers who address me as 'honey' or 'sweetie.'  I only really like it when my mother calls me that so when I first became a patron of The 5-8, I had to accept that their resident server liked to address all 5-8 lovers as 'honey and 'sweetie.'  Though she used friendly words and gave prompt and accurate service, in my opinion her personality actually wasn't very friendly.  No smiles, I always felt as though I was bothering her when I asked for something and overall I just didn't get a good vibe from her.  Though I am not a fan of their longtime server, I would always come back to The 5-8 because, lets face it, they make a pretty mean Juicy Lucy.  Their onion rings are pretty awesome too.

So on my most recent visit, I was pleasantly surprised to be greeted by a server wearing a smile and who didn't address me as 'honey' OR 'sweetie.'  She was genuinely friendly and came across as someone who actually like her job and liked working at The 5-8.  Being a self-seat restaurant, we grabbed the first available table and our new server was prompt in her greeting and I was pleased with the service I received that day.

I am kicking myself for not remembering her name!

Image by Ann Olson

My Only Gripe:  There has been a long debate on who has the best Juicy Lucy's in town and The 5-8 did not have it this day.  The cheese from my Juicy Lucy wasn't as melted or "oozy" as you see in the image below.  It had a slightly firmer consistency, the type not conducive to what one would describe as belonging to a Juicy Lucy.  *sad face*

Still Love Em':  Sometimes we dine at a restaurant because of the food while forgiving the bad service, and sometimes it is the opposite.  I hope next time I will finally have the best of both worlds at my favorite Juicy Lucy restaurant.  My opinion is highly debated but I stand my ground.  

{ja-ja-ja-juicy}

winkMSP

busy busy busy bee

These past couple months have been uber busy at winkMSP and I wanted to reassure you that I have not disappeared off the face of the Earth.  I went through a pretty grueling job interview process (over a month long) and I am happy to report that I got a new job!  Though I am still working within a health care setting, my new role is a huge change from my current clinical role so as I start the new job, I will be much busier as well... Have no fear, I still plan on blogging as much as I possibly can :)

and also ... (as if that wasn't enough) ...

I joined a dance company!  Sole to Soul Dance Conversion is a talented group of amazingly awesome dancers and I am so honored to be a part of the Urban Arts show on Saturday, April 9th.  Over 30 local artists (performance, visual, etc.) will be featured and/or performing during this evening and S2S will be performing 4 dance numbers.  Yep, 4.  We have been rehearsing day in and day out to bring our best to this event and I hope you can all check it out.  To purchase tickets, click here

{talksoon}

winkMSP

Pizzeria Lola: Follow Up & Follow Through

Business:  Pizzeria Lola
Location: South Minneapolis (55th & Xerxes)
*NEW* Call ahead seating:  612-424-8338

A short while ago I wrote about my first visit to Pizzeria Lola.  Though I ended up loving the food (remember, I am NOT a food critic), my wait time and subsequent communications with the hostess were less than stellar.  I vented my frustrations and tweeted at Pizzeria Lola in the hopes that they would at least read about my experience in their new South Minneapolis space.

Not only did they read my blogpost, but they responded and changed some things up!  I am happy to report that Pizzeria Lola now offers call-ahead seating and I am looking forward to my second visit in the near future.  How awesome is it that they listened to the feedback and followed through with changes that everyone can be appreciative of?  Who knows if it was my post that put the change in motion, but a blogger can only dream right?  If you haven't been there yet, you MUST try Pizzeria Lola soon and now you can call ahead for your seating...

{thrilled}

winkMSP

at your service: Marek's Towing & Repair

Business:  Marek's Towing & Repair
Address:  20152 Kenrick Avenue, Lakeville
Phone:  952-469-3182

As a female driver of an almost 10 year old car, I have come to dread visits to the auto body shop.  I will be the first to admit that my education on the operation and repair of cars has taken a back seat and my beloved "silver bullet" has reached a point where many repairs will likely be needed in order to keep it running.  The silver bullet is a 2001 Honda Civic with approximately 155,000 miles on it and I've never had major problems with it.  She sure has treated me well.

On my last visit to the Firestone near my home, I asked for my usual oil change and service check.  Often times the mechanic will come back and say things are fine with the car, but on this day he informed me that my Serpentine Belts needed to be replaced and that he could do so instantly for $140.  I don't like to spend $140 at the drop of a hat so I told him that I would "think" about it and schedule at a later date.  Serpentine belts are essential to cars because they drive the power steering, A/C, alternator pump and etc. so putting this off for a few months or years was not an option.

Firestone estimate for repair:  $141.98 (includes parts and labor)

So I started calling around to other repair shops, Google'ing and asking friends for opinions on where to go for affordable but dependable auto repair.  My day job is within a health care setting and a car-buff patient of mine suggested with a hand on his heart that I give Marek's Towing & Repair a call.  Bob, MTR's only mechanic was extremely knowledgeable on my specific car (because he drove one himself) and told me that in his years of experience, ordering the belt straight from the manufacturer would be my best bet and would last for the remaining life of my car.  He also taught me a bit more about my car and how it specifically uses the Serpentine Belts which made me trust his opinion even more.  The kicker was when he quoted my estimate, about $40 cheaper than my Firestone.  I made an appointment, Bob ordered my parts and I had new Serpentine Belts in a matter of 3 days.

Marek's Towing & Repair estimate for repair:  $104.18 (includes parts and labor)

 There is something to be said about having a trust-worthy mechanic to turn to when spending hundreds to thousands of dollars on a big investment piece such as your car.  Bob made sure to show me my old Serpentine Belts versus the new ones and assured me that my money was well spent.  No mechanic had offered me that option before quite frankly I like that he dispelled my doubt on my thoughts that there aren't any honest mechanics in this world.  Marek's Towing & Repair has a new loyal customer...

{drivingsmoothly}

winkMSP

nom nom: Pizzeria Lola

Business:  Pizzeria Lola
Location:  Southwest Minneapolis
Did they earn a wink? NO

The Occasion:  An early start to the weekend (Thursday is the new Saturday)

The Food:  {pizza}  Sweet Italian (server's favorite) and The Forager.  I felt the pizza's tasted pretty good and were well priced for being a "fancy" pizza joint.  I would take this over Dominos ANY DAY.

via

The Service and What Went Wrong:  First off, Pizzeria Lola does not take reservations or accept call ahead seating.  I see the reasoning behind this policy (how long does it take to finish a pizza?), but I have come to the realization that where liquor is served, dinner will likely be prolonged by at least 20 minutes.  Obviously this is an important factor when quoting wait times for diners in a restaurant.  My friend wasn't meeting me until 7:30 and I arrived around 7:10 to claim a spot on the wait list.  The hostess quoted me a 30 minute wait time and wrote my name down on the list.  I decided to grab a glass of wine at the bar. 45-50 minutes later, my date arrived and all the other parties who had been waiting were seated...except for us.

Pizzeria Lola's Le Panyol wood-fired oven
Photo by Pete Sieger

I walked back to the host stand and looked at the list.  There were three other parties of 2 written down below me that were now crossed off.  Either these parties came and decided to leave OR they were seated before us.  I addressed my concern with the hostess in which she replied that there were now 2 other parties who were still ahead of us also waiting to be seated.  I looked around, and didn't see any other parties who had arrived before/after me.  She could tell we were upset and asked if we would like a drink for the inconvenience.  Instead of offering us a complimentary drink like we thought her direction was, she pointed us to the bar and said we could get one for ourselves if we wanted, i.e. NOT complimentary. Really?!

photo booth wall of fame.  see anyone you know?

In the midst of all the waiting, I had been tweeting about my experience and shortly after my tweet's, we were seated.  Service during dinner went well and I was satisfied with the servers' attentiveness.  Although the wait time was frustrating, Pizzeria Lola has many attractive qualities that have made it a popular restaurant destination.  The charming decor, the photo booth and the imported Le Panyol wood-fired oven (a rare thing to find in the states) are all attractions to be seen at this pizzeria.  Would I admit that I was unsatisfied with my experience on this night?  Yes.  Would I dismiss the restaurant entirely?  Absolutely not.  Here's to hoping my next experience is a bit more pleasant.

{winkMSP}

at your service: First Blush Bride

Business:  First Blush Bride
Contact:  firstblushbride@gmail.com
Did they earn a wink?  YES

What is First Blush Bride?  Stephanie Morrison Gandy is the brains, stylist and artist behind First Blush Bride.  As a life stylist, her passion lies in fashion, weddings, photography and interior design.  Not only is she a great planner and stylist, but she has a knack for simply making things gorgeous.

concept shoot styled by First Blush Bride
photo by Melissa Oholendt

artwork by First Blush Bride
photo by Melissa Oholendt

My experience with First Blush Bride:  I was co-maid-of-honor in my besties wedding of which Stephanie was the day-of planner.  Her organization skills and ability to get things done were key in making the day run smoothly and take pressure off of the bride and the bridal party so that we were able to just enjoy the loving occasion.  The only duty I was given by the bride for that day was to remember to bring the groom's wedding band with me from the hotel to the ceremony location.  While we were en-route to the ceremony location, what did I forget?  The wedding band!  Frantically, I called Stephanie (who was already at the ceremony location prepping for the reception) and she graciously returned to the hotel to retrieve the ring for me.

On top of helping plan for day-of styling for the wedding, Stephanie also played artist in creating an adorable canvas "guest book" for the wedding guests to sign loving messages for the newly married couple...

canvas art created by First Blush Bride
photos by Erin Johnson Photography

My boudoir experience with First Blush Bride:  If you saw my post on CGP, then you are aware that I participated in a boudoir shoot earlier this year.  Stephanie was the stylist on hand and helped the girls with posing and wardrobe styling to help us obtain the look that flattered us most.  Since none of us were Victoria's Secret Angels, we all needed a little help in the "looking sexy" arena.  Having Stephanie as another pair of eyes to make sure we looked the best we could helped us all feel at ease with the slightly out of nature event.  First Blush Bride played a key role in the boudoir shoot and the results were lovely...

styling by First Blush Bride
photo by Canary Grey Photography

{blushing}

winkMSP