By OnMilwaukee Staff Writers   Published Feb 21, 2008 at 5:22 AM

At Random's Tiki Love Bowl -- All of the drinks are large at swanky Bay View lounge At Random, 2501 S. Delaware St., but the Tiki Love Bowl is by far the most gargantuan. Served in a massive vessel with two straws and a flame -- yes, it's on fire -- the Tiki Love Bowl packs quite the punch. Also, it comes with instructions. The waitress tells you and your sweetie to hold hands and make a wish before blowing out your love bowl. She then says, "now your wishes will come true," and suddenly an $18 cocktail seems more reasonable. I mean, how can you put a price on your innermost dreams coming true? A word of caution: Order glasses of water and drink this decadent concoction slowly, or else the Tiki Love Bowl could make you lean over a less romantic bowl later. --Molly Snyder Edler

Omelets at Field's Best at the Milwaukee Public Market -- Much of what's sold at Fields Best at the Milwaukee Public Market is grown at a farm in East Troy. On Saturdays and Sundays they'll take some of those fresh ingredients and whip up a tasty omelet for only $5. Farm fresh, made right in front of your eyes. Pick your ingredients, too. Pair it with a juice and you're good to go all morning. --Jeff Sherman

Bull's Eye Records -- Bull's Eye Records on Irving Place, between Oakland and Farwell on the East Side, is perhaps Milwaukee's best record shop. And notice I say record shop. That's because although Bull's Eye sells used and new CDs and DVDs, the main focus is on vinyl. They carry everything from classic jazz LPs to rare Jamaican 45s, old blues 78s, audiophile editions and punk rock rarities. But the prices are as wide-ranging as the selection; so don't think that the music is priced only for serious collectors. Owner Luke Lavin and his partner in music, Ken Chrisien, are walking encyclopedias, too. In addition to making recommendations, they can also answer most any music query. Bring in the LPs from your closet, and if they're in good condition and are desirable records, you might make some cash. And remember to check out the bargain bins for some great deals before you leave. --Bobby Tanzilo

Lunch at Marquette University's Straz Tower -- I stumbled on a great lunch place Downtown the other day. I was going to speak in Straz Tower, 915 W Wisconsin Ave., and had about an hour to kill. They have a dining room, so I went in and asked if it was open to the public. Sure, they said. The cost was $6.10. I paid and was then free to eat as much as I liked, from six or seven different stands. Burgers, salads, hot meals, made to order sandwiches. It was great. A guy came over and told me I looked new and he explained the deal. Everyone was so friendly I thought they must all be on drugs. And all the kids having lunch were so cute. For $6.10 it's a hidden gem and well worth the stop. --Dave Begel

Drugstore.com -- I do a lot of shopping online, especially at Amazon.com. Amazon usually meets my needs, but too often buying from its partner sites makes no sense. Essentials like toothpaste, floss, deodorant, etc. don't seem to come with free shipping. That's why I like drugstore.com. It's easy to navigate, has a great variety of products and makes good one-stop shopping when hitting Walgreen's or CVS doesn't fit into you week. Plus, they'll remind you with e-mails at the right times. Hmmm, I'm just about out of toothpaste. My e-mail told me so. Free shipping and bonus dollars make it affordable. --J.S.

Airborne effervescent health formula -- At first, I was skeptical. Friends say that this dietary supplement, developed by a school teacher to boost her immune system, could stave off a cold if taken early in the germ cycle. The 17 natural ingredients, including seven herbal extracts, are supposed to form a magic potion. With a sniffle coming on, I popped the Alka-Seltzer-like tablet (pink grapefruit, no less) into a glass of water, chugged and ended up avoiding a debilitating cold. Placebo effect? Possibly. But, it seemed to work. --Drew Olson

Lean Cuisine microwave meals -- One of the things I'm giving up for Lent this year is buying lunch during the workday. The habit of grabbing a sub or burger from a nearby restaurant is pricey and not particularly healthy. I took a chance on these microwave meals when Pick 'N Save had them on sale. What a deal. As opposed to the usual, flat-tasting cheapo meals I usually pick up, these things have taste, are big enough to be a meal and come in a wide variety of options. Maybe this will work better than my pledge to quit smoking and stop drinking to the point of sleeping on my living room floor on the weekends. --A.W.