Q: negative

A: Would be 4 stars if it were smoke free casino and hotel. The new tower has great rooms. Don't bring your newborn here. Short walks through the casino from the hotel towers to the exit are terribly smokey.

Q: negative

A: Visiting Phoenix and our friends who live in town often go there. It was super busy and we had to wait 20 minutes for a table on a Thursday night, chips were greasy, in fact all the food was extra oily, flavors ordinary, services extra spotty as our very polite very overwhelmed waiter (with only 2 days experience) struggled to bring out food that took a long time to come and in fact one of us had not received her food and 3 of us were done. I don't think they'll be back soon and we won't ask to go there....to bad, we were in the "Clinton Ate Here Room"

Q: positive

A: Stax. The word does not reference the size of the burgers available at this bistro, but more the vast quantity of ingredients available to stack ONTO your little patty of heaven. Start with options of meat such as Kobe beef, wagyu, ostrich, duck, lamb, turkey, and black bean (some are standard, and some are available only on special). Time to add some toppings. Any cheese of choice...veggies, sauces, whole grains, foie gras, pretty much anything you can think of! Purchase them one at a time, or get a bunch of different ones to share at the table. For those of you that have a hard time making decisions, just flip the menu over and select from one of the house favorites (all the ingredients are pre-selected for you). Then move onto the sides....my personal favorite - the tator tots (although the sweet potato fries are a close second). Again with the choices - do you want bbq sauce to dip them in, or ranch? Chipotle aoli, or pepper sauce? The list goes on and on! Finally - pick a frosty beer or fruity cocktail to enjoy along with your meal, or just sip on the cucumber water brought to the table. What I love about Stax is that it is casual, but chic. The food is delicious, but affordable. The portions are small, but still shareable. They have a fabulous happy hour, and offer great specials on the weekends if you're looking for a place to chill on the patio and drink/eat the day away. And it's right in the heart of Old Town! Definitely one of my faves!

Q: positive

A:
I find prices for a decent haircut and style these days are blown out of proportion, I mean $120 for a cut and style at some Westmount salons? Really? What are you putting into my hair? Diamond dust? I have been coming to Academie Tornade now for about 8 years and not once have I had a negative experience. Yes, it's true, these are coiffures in training, but the supervisor on the floor watching them (because they are being graded after all) is a professional so in case a student does get stuck on a tricky cut, the supervisor will step in. A wash,cut and style will set you back $12. Yup, $12 bucks and you walk out with a fab haircut. I always do my research before going, get on the internet, look at hairstyles or cuts I want, print it up and bring that along with me to show to the student so they know what they're doing. You won't believe how grateful they are when they have an exact idea of what needs to be done, and that's far easier than giving out instructions which may end up confusing the stylist. It does help if you speak French, but I've had stylists who were also bilingual. The St. Denis outlet is by far the busiest but the one up on Fleury is also a great place, plus there are some great boutiques in the area to browse in afterwards.