Problem: Had a great time at the CMYE last month at Popcorn Girl in Las Vegas, and 12 hours later I found myself in Chicago at a Garrett Popcorn Shop! Popcorn Girl has an incredible variety of flavors, and really good quality corn. I even took a picture of the Garrett popcorn and Popcorn Girl popcorn side-by-side on the same blue plate (see photos) to show how identical the kernels are. If I had to guess, they get their corn from the same farm/distributor! It was fun trying the different kinds of Popcorn Girl flavors and the tastes got more interesting as different flavors were eaten in sequence with others. One sweet kernel, one salty, one hot, another sweet one, etc. It was HARD deciding on which bags to get, I ended up choosing a caramel bag and a smoky BBQ bag. I chose smoky BBQ because I liked the sample - it was one of their special flavors of the week. Garrett Popcorn in Chicago has been the benchmark for caramel and cheese flavored popcorn since I was 5 yrs old. (I grew up in Michigan). When the opportunity came to taste Popcorn Giri caramel side-by-side with Garrett's CaramelCrisp I got excited. And the winner is... With the kernels virtually identical in size, texture and shape (see photo) it really came down to preference of the caramel coating. The Popcorn Girl caramel coating is sweeter and more candy-like, and the Garrett caramel coating is more buttery and toffee-like. Popcorn Girl's caramel corn seemed to stick to my teeth a smidge more than Garrett's. Garrett's had that "this can't be good for you" aftertaste, conjuring visions of Chris Farley on 90s SNL pounding his sausage-eating chest during the Chicago Bears sketches. SO, if I had to declare a winner I would hand it to Popcorn Girl - to pull off popcorn this good 2000 miles away from the motherland of corn, she's doing a lot right! Way to go! See you again soon!
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A: positive

Problem: Stayed here over Thanksgiving Holiday for 5 nights and really liked this hotel. Pros - 1) Really large hotel rooms. You aren't tripping over each other if you are traveling with someone as these rooms are very spacious. Everything is High Tech including how you open the curtains, turn off the lights and TV and let the outside world know if the room needs to be cleaned or not. 2) Workout facilities are including in the resort fee and they don't disappoint in this area - the equipment rivals what I have at Sports Club LA/San Francisco, so I was right at home on everything they had and they have a lot. Color scheme is very contemporary throughout the hotel and it's visually engaging everywhere you look. 3) Pool area was not crowded - didn't expect it to be in November, but it was actually in the 70s when we were there so it also wasn't out of the question if you wanted to use it. 4) Location - surprisingly central to where you want to go and has a free tram that goes up or down LV Blvd so it was pretty easy and being set back, you weren't treated to the usual strip clubs card delivery you get when walking up/down the Strip and really no one asking for spare change in the area. 5) Smells clean - they are pumping in scented air to kill the smoke - a positive for me. Cons 1) Bathroom had a weird combo tub shower area, probably more of a drawback for whomever has to clean it as if you take a shower, the tub area gets wet and needs to be cleaned whether you use it or not. 2) Resort Fee - really? Not necessary. This isn't Motel 6, so you don't need to up charge the Resort based on price paid for the room 3) Food - no real deals in this place - everything is pricey, so you will have to travel out or go to the Cosmopolitan next door for a better priced food offering, but everything we ate there was very good. 4) Gaming area - could use more variety of machine options and some lower priced table stakes. I'd stay here again and highly recommend it.
How would this review be described?
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A: positive

Problem: A renowned local caterer, Southern Gourmet serves a variety of great sandwiches, salads, and an array of incredible and creative desserts. Arrive early for lunch. There aren't a lot of tables. The daily Blue Plate Specials are great; but lots of variety on the menu as well. I've attended several Matthews Chamber of Commerce events which were catered by Southern Gourmet. Catering is their specialty. And not only is the food good, the 'presentation' sets it apart. Like pictures from Southern Living. Best kept SOGO Summer secret? The Tomato Pie. A tasty alternative to a quiche. Also, a surprisingly wonderful dessert I had there two weeks ago: Strawberry-Basil Cheesecake.
How would this review be described?
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A: positive

Problem: This is a GREAT place for gyros! They look and taste better than any advertisement you've ever seen. They also have awesome sides, the hummus is to die for served with warm, fresh pita bread. You can tell everything is home made here and made to order.
How would this review be described?
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A:
positive