Last Friday, I dropped by Caribou Coffee to get a beverage. For the first time, I experienced a…read morelineup at the drive-thru. It allowed me to take a look at the other businesses in this plaza as I waited. Two doors down from it is North Country Nutrition (NCN). I wondered whether it was similar to Zeev's Nutrition Studio that I typically go to in Toronto. Sure enough, I did some research online while killing time at the drive-thru, and it had healthy shakes and drinks. Cool! On Saturday morning, I decided to check out NCN. I found a parking spot steps away from the store and backed into it. I was the only customer at the store at around 10 am. The woman, who later introduced herself as Liz, was so friendly and warm. I loved the cozy vibes that this place had, from the couch with cute pillows and other Christmas decorations, to the northern vibes that you feel with canoe paddles and loons. We both ended up sharing where we are from. She's originally from Alexandria, which is roughly a 2.5-hour drive north of the Twin Cities. I indicated that I knew where it was when I used to drive between Rochester and Winnipeg. I cut through it. She loved that I knew where she grew up. The coziness comes from living by water, which shows. She was great explaining her shakes and teas. I am a tea person. I saw watermelon Jolly Rancher as a cold tea. I knew that I wanted it. So, she made me one. It was in a mega format that I'm used to. It was just over $5, which is reasonable. I paid with a credit card. It was easy. I tapped and was done. I thanked her for my drink and headed to my car. I sipped my watermelon Jolly Rancher tea throughout the day. It does taste like the candy, minus the sugar. The flavours were yummy. I was a happy camper. I am glad that I discovered NCN. It takes five minutes to drive over here from the hotel, which I love. The parking lot is small, but I managed to find a spot just fine. I wish that I had found it sooner on this trip. I'll need to return and try more drinks. This place closes at 4 pm most days. It's also closed on Sundays. (440)

Swung by NCN this morning for the first time -- I saw that I could order online through an app…read morecalled Engage. I put to have my order ready at 9am and when I walked in at 8:55am I was greeted by two ladies. I explained I had placed an order for pickup and the woman behind the counter grabbed it from a small fridge. Both of these ladies were so friendly and made me feel welcomed from the jump. Both my shake and tea were so good -- the tea especially though..YUMM!! I was given a punch card while paying, which was nice because I'll definitely be back soon!!

A few weeks ago, I walked by this Lindt Chocolates store at Eagan Outlet Mall. It had a window…read moredisplay of bears. Without much thought, I walked in. I was immediately offered a gingerbread chocolate as a free sample. I thanked the woman and continued to browse as I savoured it. Another woman came up to me and offered a sample. "Do you normally give out more than one sample?" I asked her. "No. Did you get one?" she asked me. "Yes, which would explain my answer," I replied. "Oh, I didn't know," she replied. I knocked off a star in my rating for a lack of communication between staff members handling samples. If I weren't so honest, I would have inhaled two gingerbread chocolates. Not horrible, but it wouldn't sit well with me. At the rate that they are going at, they could slowly lose their inventory with dishonest moochers. They need to give the impression that they know what they are doing. I was so happy to see no-sugar-added chocolates. I bought a few of them to taste-test. They were yummy. They were also sold by weight, so it can add up if you feel like getting a pound of chocolates. I went to pay for my items. I didn't know that Lindt has a rewards program, so I signed up for it. I used a credit card to pay for my purchase. Done! Even though a bought a small bag of chocolates, I brought some of them back to Markham. Still yummy. Still deadly. No complaints here. If I am craving chocolate, it's worth dropping by this Lindt store. If you feel like getting more than one free sample, I'm sure that you can get away with it! (468)

This shop is proof that samples really do equal sales. Upon entry, you are offered a choice between…read more2 flavor options- usually a staple, like the original or a seasonal, like the snickerdoodle. I opted for the snickerdoodle this round, then purchased a bulk bag at regular price. A proud moment when I didn't get talked into the upsale for the discounts! Even if you don't plan to buy, swing in and have a sample and a look. It smells great!

If you are in the MSP airport and looking for a treat for you or someone else, stop by this delish…read morechocolate store! I was looking for some treats for my co-workers and there was such a great selection, I picked up a few things! They have great turtles and the chocolate rates high for me! It is smooth and fresh and you can't go wrong for the price! The staff there is super friendly and knowledgeable. The store is always clean and it is stocked with every kind of chocolate you would want! Def recommend!

They have an abundance of sweets to choose from. It was hard to choose which caramel apple but we…read moresettled on the pecan pie apple. It was delicious! We couldn't have asked for anything better. However the other items we bought were good but nothing that blew us away. The shop itself was nice and clean. The service was fast and the people were helpful. If you are looking for a delicious caramel apple and other sweets you can't go wrong at Rocky Mountain.

I always stop by here at MSP....cannot resist their chocolate covered and 12 flavored gummy bears…read more I also loved the rice crispy from The Crispery. I later on found their products at Target nearby my house. Yes it is pricey but I need to get joy somehow out of being at an airport. The customer service I received from an employee named Joshua was amazong. Very friendly and helpful. Ask for samples.

I walked by and knew this place was right up my alley. I couldn't stop taking pictures! The…read morebeautiful packaging, the incredible looking sweets, etc. Just adorable and full of my favorite decor style and colors. Particularly impressive given it's an airport location! Wandering around I found a large number of treats I wanted to try, amazing looking truffles, chocolate bars, cocoas, loaded rice krispie treats, gummies, caramels, brittles, and more. I wanted it all! Alas, the price was a bit high for each of my desired items so I narrowed it down to a box of the truffles from behind the counter and a couple of rice krispie treats to take home. I still dropped quite a bit of money, but I don't mind splurging on sweets now and again. I waited until I got home back in Michigan to sample my treats and they while they were good I'm not entirely sure they were worth the money I spent. The rice krispie treats were huge but really heavy on the marshmallow, so that made them *very* sweet. The truffles were also so huge I had a hard time finishing one, and I very much have a sweet tooth! My husband was shocked I couldn't polish one off. I also had a hard time really picking out the flavors that they described in the truffle descriptions. It just felt like a plain ol' chocolate center. They were good and beautiful but not particularly remarkable flavorwise to me. For gifts, however, this place is stunning. A box of truffles is beautifully packaged and look even more lovely. Their goodies also make a great small snack while traveling. Just not sure I'd splurge on so many of them for myself again in the future.

Lindt chocolates and truffles are REALLY GOOD. I'd say they're between Godiva and See's. I don't…read moreoften treat myself to them because they can be a bit pricey, but honestly if you come here and use their bulk deals to mix n match a bunch of flavors, it's much more affordable (then you only need to use self-restraint at home and have a chocolate or two a day). Or if you aren't picky about flavors, they do have a clearance section that's usually up to 50% off. The employees here are always kind to me when I stop in. Nine times in ten they'll offer you a sample truffle, so if I'm at MoA, I'll admit I usually swing by just to get a free one... LOL. But I also like looking at their seasonal offerings-- you know, all the fun holidays like Christmas and Halloween and Easter and such-- because Lindt does a good job of creating cute tins or boxes for the chocolates to make them extra special (fancy chocolate is already special enough but put it in a cute ornament and that's over-the-top cute!). Yesterday I saw they had an advent calendar that you could choose to fill with whichever truffles you wanted for each day's reveal! Such a clever concept! The shop isn't large but doesn't need to be. There's deep wells of all the flavors in their vibrant colored foil wrappings to browse and drool over. And the smell is amazing.

Stopped in the Lindt Chocolate store while visiting Mall of America. So many wonderful flavors to…read morechoose from and the displays are so nice. The associate advised to fill the bag to a specific spot so I did. When I got to the checkout much of it was removed because the bag was to have been flatter not wider. A bit confused as I followed instructions lol. Either way, I got my chocolate and off we went. The store is clean and staff is nice. There are several items and flavors to choose from.

Tried these cookies at a food truck festival First off they…read moreare gigantic/ hint the name T. rex cookie! They have a few different flavors to try- they tasted fine I didn't think there was anything special about them except for the size though

He Said: If you are a fan of T-Rex Cookies, which you absolutely should, then you must check out…read morethe Cookie Kitchen. The Kitchen is where the magic is made. The kitchen is located towards the outskirts of Eagan, in a strip mall. Not only is there a wide selection of cookies to choose from, the place is decorated in all kinds of dino paraphernalia. The person making the cookies and working the point-of-sales was really nice and answered a lot of our cookie questions. Pros: - Limited series cookie flavors available - They sell heavily discounted "day old" cookies - Cookies! Cons: - On far east side of Eagan

Great candy, great service. Family run local business…read more Would highly recommend chocolates. Sugarfee available also. Seasonal treats avaiable

So many choices for candy. Hard candy, fruit candies, chocolate galore. A nice little shop. Parking…read morein the rear or two spots in front. You can smell the chocolate as soon as you walk in. Heaven. The ladies were nice and gave us tips on whats what.