Paul "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" W.'s Profile

There are very few sneakerheads in my hometown, so this kind of store doesn't exist there.  Thought I'd check out the store as I was walking through the university campus.
First thing that struck me on entering is how spic and span the store was.  Something about it just "pops".  And the store isn't jam packed with stuff, either.  It makes you feel like every item in there is hand picked and just waiting for you to check it out.
A few of the reviews commented on lack of customer service.  I'm a little surprised by this.  I'm the type of guy that just likes a greeting when I enter a store, and then to be left alone unless I ask for something.  That was totally my experience at AKIN.  There's nothing worse for me than being followed around the store having some guy pushing stuff on me.  Anyway, this was my experience...the staff were friendly when I approached them but otherwise left me to look around.
As fas as merchandise, they have a lot of nice gear.  Lots and lots of shoes, mostly men's with some women's shoes also.  The shoes are the big deal about the store and I don't know enough about them to accurately describe what they have.  Also a lot of nice t-shirts, many of them the store's own brand.  Prices also seemed very reasonable.
Overall, I'm giving this store 5 stars because it just really impressed me.  It's a boutique with sick gear that has it's own unique flavour.  I wish I lived in a city with more of these smaller boutiques and less giant chains. The anti-foot locker.
Sneakerheads obviously know about this place already.  For everyone else, if you like some sporty gear that's trendy and unique then check this place out.  I wouldn't take you dad here to shop, but for the trendy urban shopper I would give it a try.

This place was near my hotel and had some good reviews so I checked it out.
I was expecting more of a pub on my arrival, and was surprised to see such a large building dominated by the dining area.  Anyway, the pub looked like more fun (although it wasn't busy on a sunday), but my company wanted to sit in the restaurant.
Seating wasn't cramped.  Server was polite and helpful.  Decor was decent.  Atmosphere was a little bit more family than expected, but certainly no crying/loud/annoying kids.
With those things out of the way, we can talk about food.  Their "specialties" are burgers and pizzas.  Most of my group had the burgers, and they were delicious.  I had a spicier one involving monterey jack cheese...can't remember what it was called...but I threw some avocado on there and it was amazing.  I also had some of the chili and it was decent but not spicy enough for my taste.
Key lime pie for dessert was above average.
The highlight of my night was trying their beer sampler.  It comes on a platter with 6 small glasses of different beers.  I really enjoyed them all.  The beer is actually what brought me to this place but I ended up being surprised by an enjoyable dining experience and some good food.  Everything is reasonably priced.
I'd give this place 4.5 if I could.  Very much recommended if you are in the area.  I hear this location has had a lot of different restaurants trying to give it a go over the years, so I really encourage people to check it out as I think it's worth keeping around...

Found this place via Yelp.  Most reviews seemed accurate.
We went on a saturday and it was quite busy.  They warned us it would be an hour and a half wait when we called, and that was an accurate guess.  Reservations are definitely recommended.  The front entrance of the restaurant is their store where you can buy some wine paraphernalia, sample wines, or buy some bottles.  This certainly helped the time pass.
The food was very good for the price.  I had the drunken shrimp for an appetizer and thought it was really good.  For entree, the chef's recommendation was the pistacchio crusted grouper which was also very good.  Key lime pie for dessert.  It comes served in a miniature pie shell with a pile of whipped cream on top.  I'm fairly picky about my key lime pie and this didn't impress me (pie shell was not tasty, whipped cream substandard, pie filling of the gelatinous variety).
All the wines I tried were decent (whites, reds, and bubblies).
Overall, food and wine would get 4.5 stars (based on value).  My companions were probably as satisfied with the food.
In terms of service, the hostess and people in the store were friendly enough.  Our server was a little rude and didn't impress me.  My threshold for annoyance is fairly high, but she is probably the worst server I've had at a somewhat fancy location.  She was rushing us to order, not even remotely friendly, and annoyed by any requests.  Anyway, I'll assume it's an anomaly at the restaurant so I'm not going to give a bad rating based on one server.
All those other little things about a restaurant (decor, seats, comfort, ambiance) were adequate.
Give this place a try if you are in the neighbourhood.

I attended a conference in Hoffman Estates and this was the official conference hotel.
This hotel is pretty decent for the price (conference rate was $99/night).  It was fairly new (couple years?) at the time of this review, and all the rooms and furnishings appeared that way.
Check-in was quick and easy.  Tthe staff were always friendly and courteous throughout my stay.  The lobby area was clean and had a few TVs and plenty of seating.  There is a small service counter off to the side of the check-in that served drinks and snacks (including alcohol), although I rarely saw anyone sitting there.  There's an adjacent area where they serve their continental breakfast, which was very neat and tidy and the breakfast was good.
The hotel room was large with a king bed and a nice LCD TV.  The bathroom felt a little cramped and had the old bathtub/shower with shower curtain style (I'm not a shower curtain fan).  Outside the door to the bathroom, overlying carpet, is a sink and mirror.  Small closet next to the sink.  Also, only a few small drawers to keep your things and no in-room safe.  Closer to the entrance to the room there is a large living space with couch, desk, mini-fridge, and additional sink.  Temperature control was via an AC/heater located below the window (no electronic thermostat, just some knobs).
Overall, the room was fairly large and very clean.  Cleaniless is very important for me so that's what earns this place 4 stars.  Annoyances: small bathroom, no safe, temperature control, too few drawers.
A few other points about the hotel:
Work out area is small but open 24/7.
Small pool.  Seemed well maintained.  No hot tub.
Wi-fi throughout the hotel which was very handy.
The one thing that impressed me most about this hotel is that from around 7AM until 11PM, they will drive you wherever you want to go within a certain distance of the hotel (their limit is around 6 or 7 miles, I think).  This was incredibly useful as it allowed us to get to a few restaurants for dinner with a ride both ways.
I didn't try the hotel food but was told it was decent by some friends.
If you are looking to head into Chicago, there are two metra lines, each about 6 miles from the hotel (the hotel will drive you to the station by van, if you ask).  Chicago is 1 hour by train.
In summary, if for some reason you need to stay in the Hoffman Estates area, this hotel is reasonably priced and a good choice.

I don't have too much to say about this place.
I end up here every now and then to sit in the lounge and have some drinks, and occasionally have dinner.
Confusion Corner falls into the same group of restaurants as moxies, joeys and earls.  It's one of those places where the scene is as important as what is on the menu, and the menu certainly does not disappoint.  The menu has some good variety with favourites such as bison short ribs and the lamb shank.  You can also get steak, sandwiches, pizza, and burgers.  I've never had any complaints about the food.
The whole venue is very nice.  I always sit in the lounge, which isn't as big or nice as an earls or moxies lounge but has TVs for sports and comfortable seating.
My favourite thing about Confusion Corner is the upstairs patio.  Winnipegers love a good patio, and this one is elevated so that makes it even better.
The reason I only gave this place three stars is that it has been kind of dead there recently, which is unfortunate.  Maybe because the last few times I've been there has been during the winter.  I'm sure it will be busier come summer, but it's no fun sitting in a lounge where you are the only table.
Overall, good food, service and slightly pricey while atmosphere is dictated by the season.

Star Grill is one of my favourite restaurants in Winnipeg.
The restaurant is pretty small and can fill up quickly on weekends, so reservations are suggested.
The menu is quite extensive.  I've never been for lunch, but they have burgers, sandwiches, quesidillas, and even perogies.
Everything I have tried on the menu has been excellent.  The coconut shrimp are as good as you can get in Winnipeg.  The salads that accompany the meals are a refreshing change from the usual generic house salads.
Prices are a little expensive, up to $30 for a main course, but most dishes are around $20.  My feeling is that the food is worth the price.
The service I've had there has been very attentive and accomodating.  Very polite and friendly.  I've been there probably 10 times and have never experienced service as mentioned in a previous review.
The restaurant also has tarot card readings and other weird things occasionally.  Not my thing, but it adds to the atmosphere of the place.
Highly recommended for a date or romantic dinner.

Not too different from the downtown location although the lounge probably isn't as busy and has a different crowd.  Also, instead of an outdoor patio, this earls has an indoor patio that is basically a glass enclosure that can be opened up during the summer.
The food is very good considering this is a "scene"/trendy restaurant/lounge.  Steak, pizza, pasta, stir fry, chicken and ribs, salmon.  Lots of variety.  All done reasonably well for reasonable prices.
The servers are mostly young attractive females with a few males thrown into the mix.  I've obviously gone here too many times to be able to comment on this, but I traditionally have favoured the staff at polo to main.  Earls polo staff are "toned down"...in a good way...whatever that means.
Anyway, most nights you can find easily find seating in the lounge (unless there is an event) and it won't be as loud as earl's main (which can be noisy).
A good place to go on a date for dinner or drinks, or to go with a big group of friends.

Before I get into the review, I would rather avoid any false expectations.  The Red Cactus is a small lounge and isn't super fancy inside or anything.  There are many things I love about it.  It's on a popular Winnipeg street and gets a steady flow of customers dropping in and taking off during off-peak hours.  The bartenders and serving staff are all great people who don't mind chatting with ya if it's slow.  You can often order the full menu from the restaurant next door (Civita) which has great food.  Drinks aren't expensive and there is a moderate selection of beer that suits me just fine.
On busy nights, and I don't even know when those are anymore, this place fills up FAST.  The capacity isn't especially large and sometimes seating can be difficult.
They often have live entertainment in the back area with some really good bands or DJs, but can be loud if you are trying to chat.  In that case, you would want to stay near the front of the bar away from the noise.
When there is not live entertainment, you can play pool or buck hunter.
Also, there is a TV to watch sports games above the bar.
During the NFL season, there is a good crowd to watch games during the day.
This is one of my favourite local spots in Winnipeg to go for a beer.  Sometimes I'll drop in for a beer if I'm walking home for work, other times I'll come with friends for beer and dinner, sometimes I'll make a whole night of it, and every now and then I'll pre-game before heading to a club.  There are a good number of regulars from the neighbourhood but newcomers are always welcome.
Oh and during the summer, the front opens up onto a small patio.

I previously liked this place but haven't been impressed the last couple of visits.
The majority of the restaurant is outdoors on the patio along a popular street in Winnipeg.  There is still a decent amount of seating inside, and I've seen karaoke going on a fair bit during this winter.
The patio is a popular scene during the summer months.  Ideally you would have a seat directly next to the sidewalk so that the people walking by can envy you for having such an amazing seat.  Also good for checking out girls (or guys) walking by.  Occasionally some homeless people will walk by asking for money so there is a down side.  The other downside is the wasps.  They seem especially bad here I guess because the patio is so big.
The food is just okay.  I remember eating here for the first time and being really impressed but everything has seemed bland since then.  I guess I'm always ordering dishes with chicken so I'm to be blamed.
The service is okay.  Mostly young women serving.  Can't complain too much.
I'm not sure if this policy is still in place, but there were no free refills last time I was there (on fountain drinks).  I was there with a friend and I was drinking beers and he was drinking iced tea.  The server asked him if he wanted another.  He said sure.  So he had 3 or 4, and in the end they charged him $10 for iced tea.  I'm fine with the policy of no free refills (although we were both eating food so it shouldn't be a problem) but I think most people assume free refills these days so they should let you know ahead of time.  Kinda bugged me.
I'm giving this place two stars because the food isn't that good, and the whole scene just doesn't do it for me.  Everyone is sitting with their group, drinking beer, smoking cigarettes, swatting wasps and thinking about how cool they are for being there.  The "hype" is over-rated if there still is any hype.
Despite the complaints, I'm sure I'll end up on the patio for drinks at some point during the summer...
Seating can be difficult on a nice day...

I've had dim sum here multiple times.  I haven't tried anything else.
As far as dim sum goes, this was amongst the best I've had in Winnipeg.
Go during happy hour.  Frequent cart visits, and with dishes I actually want like steamed pork, sticky rice, and those bbq buns (I'd rather not even hear the words 'chicken feet').  Everything is tasty.  Prices are good.