Shari S.'s Profile

You aren't seeing double: I give Spirit a hearty four stars, and I've been flying regularly since I was a tot, forty-odd years ago. (You know, back when Kindergarteners could fly unaccompanied, wearing shorts on the plane was seen as questionably casual, and though we all kvetched about the food, at least we had some!)

Many of those who complain about Spirit across the Internet do so because they don't like the business model. But is that fair? Do we expect silk gowns from Target or organic veggie burgers from McDonald's? Every amenity at Spirit is a la carte. Know it. Accept it. Embrace it. Then you might fly happy.

Where it *is* fair to dock stars is for grotty plans and flight attendants who chat with each other at full volume at the front of the plane during a red-eye flight. (The last has only happened once, but the Airbus 319s are always somewhat tired and grim-looking.)

All of this said, you have to go into Spirit with your eyes open. Read all of the rules. Comparison shop. It's not for everyone, especially if you travel heavy, but here's why it's AMAZING for me:

The "Big Front Seat."

I'm a big gal. When my husband (almost as round as me, plus he has a pair of long legs on that 6' 4" frame) flies with me, we just buy up the whole row if we're not in an MD-80. Technically we can wedge ourselves into regular seats without bothering others, and that look of fear that passes over faces as we bob down the aisle IS kind of fun, but flying is a dreary enough experience these days without sitting miserably pressed into a seat for two or three hours. (Stiffly upright, of course, because only jerkfaces recline in coach.)

But Spirit changed that. No more paying for another full ticket (and good luck getting miles on it) or wrapping my arms around my rib cage for the entire flight when another seat isn't an option. Now we get the Big Front Seat.

The Big Front Seat is wider with more leg room and a big armrest between the two seats (instead of three) per row. I've definitely paid more to upgrade to identical (if newer-looking) seats on US Airways and American. (And on those occasions they laughingly called it "first" class.)

The first row has more leg room than the row behind it. I usually sit in seat 1A, but I'm thinking that for overnight flights I should try to book 1F on the other side so the light from the galley doesn't shine across the seat. (Just a tip.)

What does the Big Front Seat cost? Sixty-five bucks each way when I fly LAS-DFW, which is the highest I've ever seen it. (I know LAS-PDX is only $13 more each way, and LAS-SAN was something similar.) Spirit fares can be cheaper if you buy them at the airport, so perhaps the upcharge for the BFS is cheaper there, too; I don't know. But on last night's very light flight (DFW-LAS), we had six empty BFS, and the flight attendant said they were available for purchase for $75, so I'll keep booking in advance, thanks.

To sum up: Money. Well. Spent. Spacious seat, better leg room (brilliant, even, in the first row), priority boarding, and just a far more pleasant experience.

If you're not on the plump side, the Big Front Seat may mean nothing to you. And if you rarely fly, the $9 club with its reduced baggage fees and sometimes reduced prices (at around $55/year) may not do much for your wallet, although in my case it paid for itself by the second trip. (Oh, and contrary to what you may have heard, Spirit does allow you to bring a personal item for free: 16"x14"x12" plus cameras, coats, etc.)

But for me, Spirit has been a revelation. Instead of charging three (or more) times as much for a bigger seat like other airlines do (and in the end, I suspect, filling the seats with upgraded passengers who don't make the airline much if any money - judging by how often I'm offered a last-minute upsell), Spirit sells those seats at a reasonable price, and I can personally attest to flying MUCH more because of this policy.

Of course I miss the better days of flying, but for those of us in economy class, they're gone. Spirit may "nickel and dime" you to your final total cost, but they've always been friendly and courteous to me and the planes always leave on time, and I get to ride in comfort for (usually) about the same price as a squished seat on another carrier.  Just be smart about understanding the costs, and you could end up a fan like me.

You aren't seeing double: I give Spirit a hearty four stars, and I've been flying regularly since I was a tot, forty-odd years ago. (You know, back when Kindergarteners could fly unaccompanied, wearing shorts on the plane was seen as questionably casual, and though we all kvetched about the food, at least we had some!)

Many of those who complain about Spirit across the Internet do so because they don't like the business model. But is that fair? Do we expect silk gowns from Target or organic veggie burgers from McDonald's? Every amenity at Spirit is a la carte. Know it. Accept it. Embrace it. Then you might fly happy.

Where it *is* fair to dock stars is for grotty plans and flight attendants who chat with each other at full volume at the front of the plane during a red-eye flight. (The last has only happened once, but the Airbus 319s are always somewhat tired and grim-looking.)

All of this said, you have to go into Spirit with your eyes open. Read all of the rules. Comparison shop. It's not for everyone, especially if you travel heavy, but here's why it's AMAZING for me:

The "Big Front Seat."

I'm a big gal. When my husband (almost as round as me, plus he has a pair of long legs on that 6' 4" frame) flies with me, we just buy up the whole row if we're not in an MD-80. Technically we can wedge ourselves into regular seats without bothering others, and that look of fear that passes over faces as we bob down the aisle IS kind of fun, but flying is a dreary enough experience these days without sitting miserably pressed into a seat for two or three hours. (Stiffly upright, of course, because only jerkfaces recline in coach.)

But Spirit changed that. No more paying for another full ticket (and good luck getting miles on it) or wrapping my arms around my rib cage for the entire flight when another seat isn't an option. Now we get the Big Front Seat.

The Big Front Seat is wider with more leg room and a big armrest between the two seats (instead of three) per row. I've definitely paid more to upgrade to identical (if newer-looking) seats on US Airways and American. (And on those occasions they laughingly called it "first" class.)

The first row has more leg room than the row behind it. I usually sit in seat 1A, but I'm thinking that for overnight flights I should try to book 1F on the other side so the light from the galley doesn't shine across the seat. (Just a tip.)

What does the Big Front Seat cost? Sixty-five bucks each way when I fly LAS-DFW, which is the highest I've ever seen it. (I know LAS-PDX is only $13 more each way, and LAS-SAN was something similar.) Spirit fares can be cheaper if you buy them at the airport, so perhaps the upcharge for the BFS is cheapter there, too; I don't know. But on last night's very light flight (DFW-LAS), we had six empty BFS, and the flight attendant said they were available for purchase for $75, so I'll keep booking in advance, thanks.

To sum up: Money. Well. Spent. Spacious seat, better leg room (brilliant, even, in the first row), priority boarding, and just a far more pleasant experience.

If you're not on the plump side, the Big Front Seat may mean nothing to you. And if you rarely fly, the $9 club with its reduced baggage fees and sometimes reduced prices (at around $55/year) may not do much for your wallet, although in my case it paid for itself by the second trip. (Oh, and contrary to what you may have heard, Spirit does allow you to bring a personal item for free: 16"x14"x12" plus cameras, coats, etc.)

But for me, Spirit has been a revelation. Instead of charging three (or more) times as much for a bigger seat like other airlines do (and in the end, I suspect, filling the seats with upgraded passengers who don't make the airline much if any money - judging by how often I'm offered a last-minute upsell), Spirit sells those seats at a reasonable price, and I can personally attest to flying MUCH more because of this policy.

Of course I miss the better days of flying, but for those of us in economy class, they're gone. Spirit may "nickel and dime" you to your final total cost, but they've always been friendly and courteous to me and the planes always leave on time, and I get to ride in comfort for (usually) about the same price as a squished seat on another carrier.  Just be smart about understanding the costs, and you could end up a fan like me.

Overall I'm very happy with the Tropical Smoothie product. I really like that they have a great selection of non-berry smoothies. As much as I love berries themselves, especially strawberries, I just find their sweetness overpowering in smoothies. But at TSC I have a wide selection of choices (more than - cough, cough - their alliterative competitor JJ), including a couple of different berry-free pineapple smoothies, a yummy peach smoothie, or the deliciously decadent Tropi-Colada. Mmmm. (You wusses can get any of these made with Splenda instead of sugar.)

If I have one complaint about their menu, it's that the sandwiches are expensive. The Mediterranean Veggie *is* tasty, but for half a pita it needs to be at least a buck cheaper.

All of that aside, this is one of the nicer TSCs once you get inside. Outside, be careful. The entire shopping center parking lot seems to be designed for bumper swiping, although the south end (with Amigos Tacos, China a Go Go, etc.) gets the worst of it. People tend to barrel through the lot from every direction, so don't park directly in front of TSC unless you have high visibility and patience.

Inside, though, the people are friendly. No VIP punch card like at the Jones/215 location, but that seems to be unique to that store. Orders are always right, service is fast, and booths are clean while the whole expanse is light and airy. Usually there's a daily happy hour promotion (terms vary), and this location is open 24 hours.

This is a review of *this* particular Target, not an all-inclusive pondering on the entire Target brand and experience. If you want the latter, you're better off reading the store's Wikipedia article.

The corner of Spring Mountain and Rainbow suffers from ups-and-dumps. Dump - the derelict, out-of-business KMart store and adjacent Asian lunch buffet. Up - the whole concept for the Greenland Asian supermarket. Dump - Petco. (Truly. Don't go in here or you'll have to buy a pet just to save it, which means you end up supporting the store.) Up - Viva Mercado's. (Although the food seemed to taste better before they moved here.)

And so on, until we get to the southeast corner where Target stands alone. Dump? Kind of. Yeah.

It's clean, though, and I have no problem popping by if I'm *right there* and realize I need something, but I rather regret my recent visit when I told myself it was madness to drive a little further to Flamingo/Grand Canyon to the Target Greatland.

The store is smaller and the clientele is.... going to be offended no matter how thoughtfully I try to word my adjectives. So let's not talk about them. It's not like some made me feel unsafe, just depressed.

There's nothing really wrong with this store. If you need something that you can only get at Target, go for it. But keep in mind that they may not stock the variety you'll find at other Targets. I wanted a few types of Method cleaner. Target usually has the best selection of the stores that carry Method. But not this Target; it only stocked a few of the more popular Method items.

As with any place, be sensible and aware of your surroundings when visiting after dark. (But maybe be a smidge more sensible and more aware here. Again, nothing bad, just a vibe I've acquired over time since my first visit here seven years ago.)

One funny note: when I got to the back of the store on my most recent visit, I noticed this really unattractive, empty area with tables and bulk quantities of staples (toothpaste, etc.) piled there and on the shelves. The big signs above proudly proclaimed that this was the "Bullseye Bodega."

My first thought was, WOW, Target? What are you saying? That you have a special back corner for your Latin customers to rifle through the shoddy shelves and stock up on hygiene items for their stereotypically oversized families? WOW.

(Hopefully it goes without saying that just because I know about these negative points of view doesn't mean I espouse them.)

But it turns out that "Bullseye Bodega" is just Target's annual clearance sale, now renamed nationwide for some reason, perhaps in a misguided attempt to seem more multicultural. I don't associate bodegas with bulk items, and if they're going for the convenience store angle, how is it more convenient to paw around a messy clearance area and not just walk over to the aisle you want? You're already inside Target! Everyone ends up at the same checkout lanes. The whole thing is surreal, and the connotations are iffy, and none of it made my already meh feelings about this Target any better.

But, because I said I would only judge this store and not all Targets, I'll keep this review at three-stars. It's okay. It's not a store for lingering, but if it's your closest option.... shrug. You could do worse.

That hint of re-trendy mid-mod design in the edifice is a refreshing departure from the buildings at Spring Valley or Enterprise, the two closest branches until we here in the southwest were lucky enough to finally get a library branch of our own.

Parking is ample, the roundabout dropbox access and passenger dropoff is especially well designed, and until you walk inside,  you're going to be hopping in anticipation over what appears to be an enormous, two-story library. Expectations raised!

Don't do that, or you'll come down with a case of the coulda-shouldas right quick.

Everything from the middle of the building to the right? Offices and facilities that the general public doesn't care about. (I should have paid more attention to the "Service Center" part of the title and not gotten my hopes up.)

And that second floor is just the high ceilings of the first. Sorry.

But don't get me wrong; this could be a bookmobile and I'd still be grateful. (Pausing to think of how bookmobiles and food trucks need to collaborate on some next-level hotness.)

The Windmill Library has the cool return system and the now-ubiquitous improved self-checkout. The space - the very, very rectangular space - is technology friendly. And the one employee I've talked to was helpful and friendly.

(Said employee was also more than a little anti-Kindle, which was unfortunate since the library system at the time was promoting its new availability on Kindles. As an e-reader owner, I kind of wanted to say, "And this is just another reason why I let my library card lapse for two years, something that never happened before in my life." I know people get very partisan over how they read books electronically, but really every e-reader has its strengths, and every consumer has their preferences. This employee also claimed that taxpayers aren't the library's main source of income, so I think it's just a case of maybe don't engage certain staff members in any discussion beyond the immediate task at hand.)

I've examined mostly only the adult fiction and non-fiction on my visits, which I realize is just one slice of the 21st century library experience. I have to say, and I hate to say, that the book selection for adults seems comparatively poor. Oh, the greatest hits are all there, but you could tell me we just stepped through a time portal to 1995 and I'd believe you.

I'm sure that's just my perception, though. (Maybe.) Perhaps the library staff could find ways to better showcase themes and new books in the non-kiddo areas... like how it's done in bookstores. I do like the book display around the corner from where you enter the actual library (past the giant hallway), but that display is easy to miss in the current layout.

The aforementioned employee said that there wasn't enough money to complete the library with the economic downturns, but it would've cost even more to restore the BLM land, so they had to go ahead and finish it. Assuming this is all true, maybe the library had to cut corners somewhere and therefore really does suffer from a selection problem for people who've been visiting libraries for 40 years. With more funds, perhaps this will be solved in time. Or perhaps, per a recent article on the LVCC library district, I shouldn't expect them to be budgeting for more books when apparently it's the DVD collection of mainstream movies that keeps people walking in.

Anyway. As a fan of libraries in general and of the Las Vegas-Clark County system in particular, this is a nice branch. It's airy and light, and you can always get books from another library sent over through the online request system if you have something specific in mind. It's a start. It lacks a sense of identity or a sense of coziness or a sense of being the gateway to hours lost in new discoveries, but it's a start.

I have been in some rather grim "quick" medical offices, where you debate whether sitting for an hour with the coughing clientele is worth it, and where the staff treats you like just another hapless schmoe who wasn't favored enough by the gods to get sick before 5 p.m. so you could go to a more posh office, but this is not one of those places.

Sometimes the staff is brusque, which is probably how they're able to stay fast and efficient, but usually everyone is friendly, and I've never felt rushed along once inside.

Dr. Tran is a funny yet no-nonsense doctor who I think I could come to like just as much as my regular MD. In fact, I like the idea of giving my money to a medical establishment that has evening hours. It's great being able to get thoughtful health care without taking time off work.

Speaking of work, Procare is good about providing notes if necessary. It's very convenient when I've, say, had my annual mega-cold to drop by for a quick exam once I feel better and get a note to prove that, yes, I was sick. (I just don't understand going to the doctor for something you know will pass, nor do I understand hauling your gross body out of your sickbed just to be able to say you went to the doctor. It's a weird world.)

X-rays and bloodwork can be done on site, which is more convenient than my regular doctor's office.

The waiting room is comfortable, and Eddie D's and a bakery is but a few steps away should you need a little quick and easy comfort food before settling down at home to convalesce.

Of course, I hope I need never go to Procare ever again, but as someone who loathes going to the doctor, I'm pretty satisfied.

Fellini's could be as good as a 4-star, depending upon your expectations and circumstances.

Atmosphere for dinner was dark and intimate while also casual, which was nice. Things were quiet at this far end of the casino, past the 50s diner and box office, and the restaurant was no exception.

The garlic cheese bread, to me, looked and tasted like those free bread sticks you get with certain brands of frozen pizza. I'm not saying it was bad, just kind of ordinary comfort food with a "I could have made this at home, and made it better, if I weren't so lazy to be buying frozen pizza tonight." (Except we weren't buying frozen pizza, so...)

Diners who arrived after us were all reassured that their complimentary bread baskets were "on the way." Us? We didn't get one. Maybe because we ordered the garlic cheese bread? Still, it would've been good to have had a variety of bread, especially if the basket contains flatbreads, which I love. We didn't say anything because at that point we'd already moved on to the main course, but just know that apparently you're supposed to get a bread basket.

I had the raspberry salad and was charmed for a few bites, just because I don't usually have raspberries in salads, but soon I was disappointed in the one-note flavor of greens drenched in sweet raspberry dressing with a few raspberries about. This dish could use another element - maybe a nut or a bit of cheese.

Mike enjoyed his steak, and I have to admire any place that can cook something well-done without making it into a slab of dry cardboard.

I ordered the angel hair with garlic and olive oil. It was good, but the noodles swimming in a lake of sauce that was so deep they should've been equipped with water wings. Said lake was also so hot that I was on my third bite as my husband finished his steak.

That was okay - I decided it would be easier to eat the leftovers at home when it was cooler and I could drain the noodles a bit. It's not the most pleasurable dining experience when flecks of hot oil keep flying around and scalding your skin or staining your shirt. But the flavor was nice, I'll give it that. (But when Mike took the to-go box to the car, he did note that bottom of the box was so searing hot that he couldn't touch it for long.)

I'd sum Fellini's up as 4-star selection at 3-star taste (for me) with some minor sub-3 aspects but 4/5-star service. Everyone from chef to waiter was very friendly, and refills on our lemonades were fast. It's a solid option for those staying at the Strat, and I'd look forward to trying something different if it was, say, a friend's fave restaurant and I had a good reason to return.

I've been brokenhearted by a buffet again.

Okay, not as badly as what happened with Studio B at M - I would still go to Wicked Spoon if someone else was paying and be able to find something vegetarian that's not a single, sad pasta dish - but things have changed.

Did it get more expensive? It seems like it has, or maybe just the sensation of poor value on our last visit made me think so.

Yes, that last visit... where I actually had to get a slice of pizza because the vegetarian pickings were much harder to come by. (No more leek bread pudding? No!)

But heck, I still did better than my (non-veg) husband, who walked the buffet line twice before he said to me, all the color drained out of his face as he realized that his fave buffet no longer existed, "There's nothing here that I want!"

This isn't to say that the number of offerings has diminished or the quality has gone down, although I will point out that the custom mac and cheese station now has far fewer choices and desserts seem to have more duplication across the space than before.

No, instead it's become yet another buffet that caters to the fishy-minded. It's like someone said, "Okay, let's just pile a bunch of seafood over here, for Joe and Mary Middle-America, and let's pile a bunch of fish-based Asian fare next to it, for our many Asian guests."

Now, for most of the people, I get that there's NO problem with this scenario. People do love them some crab legs, what-what. And usually my husband only needs a halfway-decent Asian section and he's all thumbs up.

But like I said - VERY fish-based now, and ole Mike doesn't like fish.

We both ate mostly pilaf (absolutely delicious) and went home feeling a bit ill over the money spent.

Pilaf aside, most of what I tried was decent-tasting but unremarkable. Tone down the interesting dishes, and what else can you expect? I completely understand that it may be easier (and perhaps more profitable) to cater to the fish-lovers, but despite fervent loyalty and badgering everyone to try this buffet, I don't see us ever going back now. At that price, why risk a mediocre selection? Wynn and Bellagio, back to you.

I'm a fan of Fresh and Easy in general and have been coming here since soon after they opened. I miss the old F&E business model (more coupons, more samples, more marking down of products in both price and lead-time), but I'm glad to at least still have a store nearby.

I also miss Christine, an employee who offered a lot of distinctive, friendly personality to the store (and maybe she's still there and I'm just coming in at the wrong time), but the current staff is all very nice, if definitely on the less gregarious side.

The recent addition of sliding glass doors to this location is a nice touch. Speaking of nice touches, my kitchen is prettier at the moment for the pink daisies I found in the little floral section as you enter, and yes, check this spot for markdowns, too.

The floor is dingy and cracked, but the rest of the store's ambiance offsets this. Restroom became less accessible awhile back (25c or ask for a token), but they were always clean when I'd go in.

If you're afraid of the self-checkout-only lanes, I've heard the staff offer to scan items for you, although they seem so busy these days you may be taking your chances.

Not all F&E stores are alike, and sometimes they experiment with placement of common items. At this location, look for the clearance section in the next-to-last refrigerated aisle, on the far end, on the side closest to the front of the store.

Fave F&E-branded items: bottled water (great price and fine taste), pink lemonade, creamy cilantro dressing, lemon hummus, cilantro jalapeno tortillas, Cuban black bean dip, cream puffs, tomato and mozz sandwich, pre-peeled garlic cloves, black olives, ready-to-use pizza dough, dark chocolate pudding, feta crumbles, and the seldom-seen-these-days ginger limeade.

Honorable mentions: Gardein vegetarian meals, Heritage milk (lasts for weeks!).

Needs work: the bread. When they started promoting their local bakeries (not available at this store), the bread briefly improved, but it's usually pretty hard, like it's been there for days. Taste is not noteworthy. At best, inoffensive. And no hot dog or hamburger buns with seeds? That's depressing.

The parking and access are both good here at this corner of Trop and Jones. The clientele doesn't seem as wandering kid-bestrewn as a few other locations, and most people seem to be popping by with purposeful intent, not there to stroll the small store and ponder. (That would be me standing forever in front of the cereal. Sorry.) The store seems to have lost some of its imported Tesco vibe, but there are enough interesting items to make it worth looking a little more closely, now and again.

Without a bakery, it's never going to me my #1 grocery stop, and I'm not the biggest fan of its too-often-bland ready-to-go meals, but despite the twee size, Fresh and Easy is probably one of my top three grocery stores. Surprisingly good selection and, if you can get a coupon, some woo-hoo prices to boot.

Mantra Masala is proof that I'm a bad girl and someone wants to punish me.

This is the only Indian option on my (southwest) side of town, and it's surely just about the only Indian restaurant without a buffet. The cruelty!

(They had a buffet for about five minutes a few summers ago. Eight dishes, heavy on the okra, heavy on the management's voiced opinion that it wasn't cost effective to run a buffet.)

For a long time I thought the lack of Indian buffet in my stretch of the valley was just meanness on the universe's part, even though the taste of Mantra Masala's food - be it dine-in or carry-out - was never really above three stars. I know they market themselves as "healthy" cuisine, and I suppose it shows.

But we finally called it quits on our frequent take-aways after paneer portions became more and more skimpy, naan often ended up kind of burned or tasteless, and we realized that there was a lot of "miss" and not really a single "hit" to justify being *that* lazy. Sometimes you just have to shrug and order a pizza instead.

I don't know how Mantra Masala has managed to survive - maybe they do because they're the only option out here - but if they're looking for more customers (and if the parking lot is any indication, surely they are), I beg them to consider the following:

1. Drop the healthy angle. It tastes weird.

2. Become a copycat of the successful Indian restaurants elsewhere in Las Vegas. I can't believe I'm advocating unoriginality, but at this point I just want to be able to get some solid, good Indian food near home. Being a copycat includes copying the proportions - no more skimping on paneer cubes!

3. Do a lunch buffet with some interesting angle. (This is where you should get creative.) Maybe a really wide range of desserts? No one else seems to play that up. Live music? Dance? Yeah, I know the old lunch buffet didn't work, and maybe it's because the population is more sparse out here, but it also was a boring buffet of limited items. (We looked over every dish, apologized, and left.) Maybe not every day, but at least run a buffet on weekends.

4. Cooking classes. DO THEM NOW. I have begged Indian restaurants across the valley to offer these and everyone just laughs politely and nothing happens. Here's a way to sell the buffet, too - as in, come for the buffet and get X amount off the cooking class immediately afterward. I know so many people who've expressed interest in learning how to cook Indian food, and at best we get the odd demo here and there. No one is doing this.

Offer hands-on classes on Saturday afternoons, just after the buffet, and change the topic every week. Gulab jamun class? I'm there. Naan in a home-oven class? Enrolled. Buttery paneer for the gringo soul? Let me BE the valedictorian!

(Note: Um, but you need to do steps 1 and 2 first, okay? I don't want to learn how to cook what you currently have going on.)

5. Explore the hipster space. Chutney tasting hour with matched cocktails? Bollywood pajama parties? Loaner saris at the door for those who want to get in the spirit?

6. Update your website. Turmeric has been the "Spice of the Moment" for, literally, years, and you don't even serve the kind of food where people are happy to walk away with turmeric-stained fingers. How about online ordering for take-away?

Mantra Masala, I'm sharing these ideas because I want some tasty Indian near my home. Right now you're providing meh food at ambitious prices. Please fix this. I want to cheer for the home team. RAH RAH RAH! GIMME KOR-MA!