| An 'American Idol' experience
After leaving work early, driving to the CBS studios in Los Angeles and waiting in line for almost three hours, I was turned away from the show, as were the 15 people ahead of me and the countless others behind. I can't believe I missed such a historic "Idol" event: the long-overdue dismissal of the dismal 17-year-old. Last year, I signed up to be on the waiting list for tickets to the show. I've been a fan since Season 1, but I never thought about going until a friend told me I should sign up. I completely forgot I was on the list until a few weeks ago, when I had a false alarm. I was sent an invitation to see the results show with Tony Bennett. I got the e-mail late, and by the time I tried to get tickets, they were sold out. I was upset but realized it was better I missed out that week than the week before, when my absolute favorite, Gwen Stefani, was on.
Owner: Patrick Phung
Location: Noodle Mi sits in a shopping center behind Mall of Georgia's Nordstrom wing. It's located directly across the street from the Target shopping center.
n Hours: The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. It is closed on Tuesday.
Atmosphere: Noodle Mi is all about alternatives. Alternatives to the hectic food court. Alternatives to greasy Chinese food. Even protein alternatives - the huge menu contains equal parts meat and non-meat dishes.
"We have a very big and healthy menu," owner Phung said. "It's something for everyone."
With each wall painted in a bright hue and pieces of Asian-influenced decor, Noodle Mi exudes a sense of energy and style.
Dining out around West Michigan
Bentham's Riverfront Restaurant -- This Amway Grand Plaza Hotel restaurant offers basic food with a fabulous view of the Grand River and its bridges; popular for before or after downtown events; parking free for two hours if you self-park in the Amway ramp. Open daily. 187 Monroe Ave. NW, 774-2000. $$ Bistro Bella Vita --Downtown eatery in a redone warehouse next to Van Andel Arena serves upscale and gourmet meals. 44 Grandville Ave. SW, 222-4600. $$, $$$ Black Rose Irish Pub -- Urban pub atmosphere picks up even more with live music on weekends; a full menu with traditional Irish meals and hearty sandwiches, draft beers, ales and lagers. Open daily. 100 Ionia Ave. SW, 456-7673. $, $$ Flanagan's --Although it's as much a "spirits" place as a place for food, this eatery's specialty is corned beef and cabbage with boiled potatoes.
Web 2.Osoyou
In a world where Prada has taken on the humble mobile phone, it's no surprise that technology and fashion are merging where the most commercial communication is taking place: Web 2.0. Social networking is a haven for advertising, since word of mouth can elevate anything from obscurity in a spectacular Arctic Monkeys manouevre. A new venture which will be launching this summer is Osoyou.com (and it just happens to be next door at Shiny Towers). With the slogan "Stare. Shop. Share", Osoyou aims to merge shopping with social networking by offering an online mall / hangout and blog. And it's not the only one. Calvin Klein dipped a toe into the social network revolution with CKIN2U. Cloying text-speak aside, the website invited us to tell them what we were into.
STAR lists ' New York , New York' Spring Fling Week events
Spring Fling Week starts tomorrow. Fun events are planned each day to celebrate this year's theme, " New York , New York! " Saturday, April 21 Mentalist Craig Karges will perform at 10 p.m. in the O'Shaughnessy Educational Center auditorium. His show is one of STAR's Tommies After Dark events. No tickets are needed. To find out more about the show, visit Karges' Web site. E-mail STAR programming intern Dan Miles by Tuesday, April 24, to enter the Hot Dog Eating Contest on Wednesday, April 25. Sunday, April 22 STAR will provide a roundtrip shuttle bus to the Mall of America from 1 to 7 p.m. (see the mall directory). The bus will leave the arches on the hour from 1 to 5 p.m. and will leave the MOA on the half hour from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. This shopping trip provides an opportunity to get your semiformal attire for the Spring Fling Dance on Saturday, April 28.
NearbyNow Plans Expansion to More Than 100 Cities by the 2007 ...
LOS ALTOS, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 04/23/07 -- NearbyNow, Inc. today announced the company's popular shopping mall search service to shopping centers will expand to 103 additional cities by November 2007. This latest development immediately follows the successful rollout of more than 20 malls in the first quarter of this year, underscored by the launch of the mobile search solution this past holiday season. "NearbyNow provides us an opportunity to specifically target shoppers -- searching online for the items we carry -- with intent to buy in the mall," said Cris Takken, President of Takken's Shoes, a growing West coast footwear retailer. "This technology enables us to better understand our consumers, and tailor our marketing so that it's timely, targeted and appealing. The insight we gain from using NearbyNow is invaluable." NearbyNow's service allows consumers to find any product, brand or sale currently available at their local shopping mall from home (using the Internet) or while shopping (using mobile phones).
Samaritan Village grows
HUGHSON - Phase II of the Samaritan Village retirement center debuted last week, less than four years after the first phase of the retirement community opened in this small city. Two new three-story independent living apartment buildings mirror the design of the one which opened in 2002. The two buildings are joined together by a central tower which includes a fitness center and game lounge. The wing is located south of the first building. The 104 units range in size from 517 square feet to 1,432 square feet. During a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, city officials joined representatives of United Samaritans, the Turlock non-profit foundation which donated the 20-acre parcel east of Hughson, and Community Hospice, the entity which runs the facility.
Woman dragged by vehicle in hit-and-run
A 49-year-old woman was injured after she was struck by a hit-and-run driver in Terra Linda and dragged 5 feet by the car, police said. The incident occurred at 4:42 p.m. Saturday in the north parking lot of the Northgate Shopping Center. San Rafael police said the woman's purse strap became entangled in the car during the collision, and she was dragged on the ground when the driver started to flee. The driver stopped momentarily, and the victim was freed with the help of a friend. The driver then sped off, and the car was later found unoccupied on the south side of the mall. Police discovered that the vehicle, a teal 1991 Honda Accord, was stolen. Police are seeking the public's assistance in identifying the driver, who was wearing a dark shirt and a dark baseball hat.
|
