Where do I buy a...

[Veloise]

Anybody know where in GR I can find a) fresh veggie tamales b) veggie empanadas (preferably the kind you can get by the dozen, not a dish like San Chez serves) and/or c) King Cake or other Mardi Gras food fixins?

I need a little southern flavor up north! Thanks!

Help ya with King Cake. C'mon out to the scenic & sprawling god-forsaken wasteland of Cascade Twp and drop by Fresh Market. (Next to Party USA and Staples in my favorite pedestrianized shopping area, with the Tar-zhay and Costco.) Last year they had King cakes, and they were better than the one shipped to me from Louisiana by a vendor.

And if you need MG decor, the party supply place would have that.

(just clipped a coupon for Zatarain's)

[fotoman311]

Help ya with King Cake. C'mon out to the scenic & sprawling god-forsaken wasteland of Cascade Twp and drop by Fresh Market. (Next to Party USA and Staples in my favorite pedestrianized shopping area, with the Tar-zhay and Costco.) Last year they had King cakes, and they were better than the one shipped to me from Louisiana by a vendor.

And if you need MG decor, the party supply place would have that.

(just clipped a coupon for Zatarain's)

Are you taking orders, so we don't all have to drive out to the Cascadian wasteland?

[Rhino6885]

Can anybody recommend a cigar store? Need to pick some up as a gift, I was going to head to Siciliano's (since I can also get beer for myself there) but I'm thinking there might be somewhere with a better selection.

Tuttles on 28th is my favorite. It's near Lake Eastbrook--in the back of the building occupied by Hooters. Definitely worth the trip.

[Veloise]

Are you taking orders, so we don't all have to drive out to the Cascadian wasteland?

Pardon moi? I do not believe I understand your use of that ^^ word!

Sure, I could bring some back to civilization with me. Several flavors. I'll check 'em out tomorrow.

[Veloise]

King Cakes: Fresh Market tells me that they have any flavor you'd like, as long as it's cinnamon. $6.99

ETA:

A friend experienced Intro to King Cake this week. He said it was really good. Has some cream filling along with the cinnamon. I went back for another one (nothing says "Valentine's dance" like a King cake) and the store had repositioned the display to be more prominent.

[nurfle!]

I'm trying to buy some groomsmen gifts locally, but everything I search for online takes me to some big website. My budget isn't so great (trying to keep under $150 for three groomsmen, one usher, and me). I'm trying to think outside of the box as these guys are nerdier than your average bear (so no sports, golf, hunting, etc.). Here's some of my ideas:

Hip Flasks

Multi-tools (fallback position, going to Al & Bob's to look today, where would be the best place to get them engraved?)

Gee-whiz gadget novelties (eg ThinkGeek-type stuff)

Anyone have any ideas?

[MuskeMI]

Things Remembered is of course the easy way out for any wedding-type gifts. They have stores in Woodland and Rivertown but they're part of a chain.

Other ideas? Get some vinyl from Vertigo. Gift baskets of MI beer/wine/liquor/chocolate/cheese/whatever. Tickets to a Whitecaps game.

I'm probably not the best person to ask - I eloped.

Congrats, by the way.

[Allison Slater]

I frequently waste a lot of milk due to it expiring.. I pretty much use it only for recipes which call for it, which isn't too frequently. An ideal size of a milk carton for me would be a quarter-gallon. Is there any place to get this or a similar size?

[Veloise]

I frequently waste a lot of milk due to it expiring.. I pretty much use it only for recipes which call for it, which isn't too frequently. An ideal size of a milk carton for me would be a quarter-gallon. Is there any place to get this or a similar size?

What sorts of recipes?

For scrambled eggs, add water. For baked goods, reconstituted powdered milk can work. Milk can be frozen into smaller quantities (assuming that your freezer works).

Soy milk user here, great for cereal.

Yep, these are Hints from Veloise.

[RegalTDP]

I frequently waste a lot of milk due to it expiring.. I pretty much use it only for recipes which call for it, which isn't too frequently. An ideal size of a milk carton for me would be a quarter-gallon. Is there any place to get this or a similar size?

How about Dean's Milk Chugs? They come in pints. You can buy them anywhere.

[amylynne]

How about Dean's Milk Chugs? They come in pints. You can buy them anywhere.

Those are a good idea.

I was also going to suggest freezing part of it for later. Milk freezes well. When I was a kid my mom would buy extra when it was on sale and freeze it.

Soy milk is another good idea because it keeps for way longer and can be used for the majority of things. Just don't try to make instant pudding.

[Raildudes dad]

I'm pretty sure Bareman's bottles (plastic) quarts. I think my mother would get it at family Fare. We occasionally picked her up a quart at the Crystal Flash C-store on Alpine on Saturday night if she missed the grocery store on Friday.

[witulski]

I was looking for some large sheets of Plexiglas or similar clear-acrylic stuff to see if I could DIY some old-school wooden storm windows on the cheap. The Home Depot sheets aren't wide enough for some of my windows. Anyone know of a cheap local place? I did some googling around but didn't really get any good results.

[amylynne]

I was looking for some large sheets of Plexiglas or similar clear-acrylic stuff to see if I could DIY some old-school wooden storm windows on the cheap. The Home Depot sheets aren't wide enough for some of my windows. Anyone know of a cheap local place? I did some googling around but didn't really get any good results.

We bought the plexi for our wood screen door at Rylie's on Michigan.

[MuskeMI]

I frequently waste a lot of milk due to it expiring.. I pretty much use it only for recipes which call for it, which isn't too frequently. An ideal size of a milk carton for me would be a quarter-gallon. Is there any place to get this or a similar size?

I was in the same boat and ended up switching to organic, which is usually ultra-pasteurized and has a much longer shelf life, so it's cheaper in the long run.

[wingbert]

I'm finally ready to do some audio upgrading to the old home stereo system. Anyone know a good local place with a wide selection of products/prices on home audio? I loathe the idea of going to Best Buy. Plus I have some questions on configuration, etc. so I'd like someone friendly and knowledgeable.

[trongrr]

As you know - most of the dedicated A/V joints in town have gone the way of the buggy whip. There is, however, one local place that still does sales for the audiophile: Audio Advisor. They are located on Kraft Avenue SE, and list direct emails of their sales staff - but I'm unsure if they have a 'walk-in' storefront.

I've heard a couple acquaintances speak well of them - so that's the best reference I can give.

[FilmMaker]

As you know - most of the dedicated A/V joints in town have gone the way of the buggy whip. There is, however, one local place that still does sales for the audiophile: Audio Advisor. They are located on Kraft Avenue SE, and list direct emails of their sales staff - but I'm unsure if they have a 'walk-in' storefront.

I've heard a couple acquaintances speak well of them - so that's the best reference I can give.

Have never shopped in the place but there is a small audio boutique on north East Belt Line (near where Plainfield merges) called North Woods Audio. Might be worth a sniff.

[Veloise]

If you're wanting a 40 in Midtown this week, Spike and Mike's Party Store (Fulton & Diamond) would not be the place. Looks like they got caught in the recent liquor-selling sting; large orange sign in the window.

(wish this board's search function would work; whaddya mean, no results found for 'fulton' or 'midtown' ???)

[Kib]

As you know - most of the dedicated A/V joints in town have gone the way of the buggy whip. There is, however, one local place that still does sales for the audiophile: Audio Advisor. They are located on Kraft Avenue SE, and list direct emails of their sales staff - but I'm unsure if they have a 'walk-in' storefront.

I've heard a couple acquaintances speak well of them - so that's the best reference I can give.

A few years ago I purchased a pair of Grado SR80 headphones from Audio Advisor. I picked them up at the Kraft location as a 'will call' item. Last time I looked at their website they did carry some relatively audiophile lines. I understand the guy that owns the place was a participant in the recent TEDx conference, so if at least making an attempt to stay a little cutting edge business-wise means anything, at least AA seems to be trying...

Good luck !

[fotoman311]

Where do I buy a pair of quality women's slippers that are warm, aren't hideously ugly, have a heel, and won't break the bank. (<$50)

Something along these lines: http://www.zappos.co...-harbor-heather