It looked like Urban Pantry typically had excellent food. Their location was convenient. The store…read morelooked like they had a wide variety for the relatively smaller size compared with places like Whole Foods and Jewel-Osco. I was grateful that I was able to obtain some Fritos corn chips that I was seeking out.

I tipped the delivery driver through this store's app and website checkout, but the store used…read moreDoorDash as a third party and didn't pay the driver. Both the store and DoorDash refused to resolve it when I asked. Happened more than once to delivery drivers of mine too. Sure I have a terrible DoorDash rating now because of this too. Not ok -- support workers, tip them directly if you can, and avoid delivery from this place.

I always love coming into Nordstrom when I'm in the area. It is a great place to shop and enjoy the…read moreair conditioning on hot summer days. I recently went in for a complimentary free styling session (booked online) with Megan. She took her time with me and helped me find exactly what I was looking for. She really gave me the full VIP experience. I'll continue to shop at this location when I'm in the city. It is clean, well-organized, and luxurious. The bathrooms are spotless and the salesfloor is pristine.

**Kari's Rating: 8/10** *(Would easily be a 9.5/10 if the beauty department weren't so…read moreoverwhelming.)* TL;DR * The beauty associates are *far* too aggressive--it feels impossible to browse without being approached every few seconds. * The café is still one of my favorite places in Chicago. * Free alterations on Nordstrom purchases and $25 for outside items is a huge plus. I've lived in River North for over eight years, and honestly, there's no place quite like Nordstrom. I grew up coming here with my mom, sitting in the café, eating pizza, and leaving with a "Nordy" balloon. Those are some of my favorite childhood memories, and to this day I still think about their margarita pizza. Now that I'm older, I bring my dog shopping with me, and she absolutely loves all the attention from the associates and other shoppers. We've been to the café countless times, and she would unquestionably give the kids' chicken and veggie meal a 10/10. Nordstrom is still my go-to department store because it's convenient, consistently carries the brands and style I wear, and the customer service outside of cosmetics has always been excellent. It's the first place I think of when I need clothing, shoes, or gifts. That said, the beauty department has become incredibly frustrating. I completely understand that many of the makeup associates work on commission, and I genuinely respect that they're doing their jobs. But there is a huge difference between being available to help and making customers feel like they can't exist in the department without being approached. Every time I walk through the makeup area, I can barely look at a product before someone is asking if I need help. If I say "I'm just browsing," another associate from a different brand approaches me literally seconds later. Then another. Then another. It gets to the point where I'm being interrupted every few steps. Instead of enjoying the experience, I feel anxious and rushed. I don't get to compare products or discover something on my own because I'm constantly trying to politely decline conversations. It honestly feels less like shopping and more like running a gauntlet. Ironically, the constant pressure makes me want to spend **less**, not more. I've actually skipped buying products because I just wanted to get out of that section as quickly as possible. I still love Nordstrom and will continue shopping here because it's my favorite department store and has everything I'm looking for. I just wish the beauty department adopted a more relaxed approach. Customers should be able to browse comfortably and ask for help when they're ready--not feel like they're being followed every few seconds.

Love popping my head into a local Trader Joe's to see what is different. Always a fun time…read more Please come and create your own adventure.

I do wish that Trader Joe's was a bit closer to me, because the prices are so reasonable…read more Additionally, they do make great tasting food. Even though, I have been having weird reactions/food sensitivities to some ingredients lately that make my belly not so happy and brain (I'll get headaches and feel pretty weak all over and shaky), but they're food is very tasty and affordable. It's also really well stocked and organized though they do get extremely busy and trying to manuver my way around the aisles can be a bit challenging. Nonetheless, I went yesterday more towards closing time, and similar to Fresh Market, they are very understanding and they don't like push you out or anything. They will let you shop literally until closing time. I also appreciated how they had security go up and down the aisles as well. I wanted to give a shout out to a cashier named Andy who was very patient, kind, and friendly. A smile goes a long way and sometimes a smile can cheer someone up and his friendly, congenial nature made my day. He was also very helpful though I wish they would give the the TJ's cashiers chairs to sit on because they have to stand stationary in one spot the whole day for who knows how many hours. I feel for people that have to be on their feet all day, but what I appreciated was the fact that even though it was cloaing time he still treated me as I was a guest that he just greeted early in the morning at the atart of the day. I like to recognize those who put extra effort forth and he deserved it so I hope his manager can recognize that. Overall, I think Trader Joe's has an excellent product(s) on their hands and is a well run machine which speaks to administration at the top and how they wish to have their stores nationwide managed. I do wish there was one closer though, but it's not thag bad of a walk and there is always a bus one can take as well. Plus walking is good for you, or good exercise...I just believe in giving credit where credit is due and it's pretty amazing because everytime I go there is always someone restocking the shelves and they work so fast and so diligently too. Like yesterday there was a woman stocking packaged salads (though I do enjoy salads, it's not my go to when I am super hungry) but man was so fast and efficient. Same for this other guy in the Asian inspired foods aisles, like he was making sure that the freshest items were at the top of each stock pile. I was truly impressed. I am sad that I missed out on the Trader Joe's tote bag sale, but hopefully there'll be another one:) I do wish they were a bit bigger in size though because then you could use them as bags to shop with while there at the store and it's good marketing for them, like how Aldi has this giant recycable tote bag...I wish Trader Joe's did the same....maybe one day‍ Also they have really lovely peonies available now. Flowers make me happy

Downtown and super busy. Came on a Friday evening around 3pm. There was a security guard when you…read moreenter that allowed you up the stairs as part of crowd control. After waiting 3 minutes we could go up. Men's are on your left. Women's on your right. Active, household etc are in the back and other items are spread out throughout. It's a pretty cramped space and so you'll be dipping and swerving in and out of foot traffic. Lots of items to sift through. Almost too many in my opinion but makes sense since it's downtown and in a centralized location. Checkout was long. Even with 8 cashiers. It wrapped around. They aren't winning any customer service awards anytime soon but they were quick to ring me up.

This was a very close walk from our nearby hotel. The store was relatively neat as the staff were…read morein the mist of stocking. Very easy to locate items as the signs are visible. Selection was pretty good and lots of clearance items as well. Ross is always a must for me while traveling as I love to see how stores in other cities compare to my local ones back home.

This was a Mariano's store that I appreciated and enjoyed a lot. I considered it somewhat of a…read morehidden gem, being a bit out of the way from Streeterville. I recalled when someone told me that you could go to Mariano's for meals cooked at the store. They told me that you could select a cut of beef, and they would grill it at the store for you. When I was in school, I went with this precise plan in mind to this Mariano's at 333 East Benton Place in Chicago. I had a lady friend accompanying me. We selected well-marbalized and excellent-appearing steaks. We also chose a bottle of wine. The food was high quality, and it was fun. Whomever grilled the steaks did an excellent job. We also found wine that was good quality and not too expensive, which was great on a student buget. For a grocery store, I thought this was an awesome experience. Mariano's stores have a classy vibe. They exude an aura of quality. Their stores have an excellent ambiance. When I walk in, I notice the stores are well-organized with phenomenal displays. I value that Mariano's stores typically have a wide variety and selection. I have appreciated the ability to obtain prepared foods at Mariano's, including delicacies like sushi. I have found other great prepared foods at Mariano's that I enjoyed a lot, e.g,. succulent beef pot roast. It is fantastic that Mariano's have self checkout kiosks, which can help with convenience. There are also a significant number of Mariano's stores in Chicagoland.

Self checkout: it is so annoying that your store requires the agent to conform no bag. Jewel, Whole…read moreFoods, etc don't require it. Just for this reason, I almost never go to Mariano's anymore. Used to go 2-3 a week.