We'd like to say we're going "Favre free" with this installment of our recommendations, but we can't. Sports Illustrated ruined it for us. We compensate, however, with some cool T-shirts, and tips on timeless shoes, a great song from a great Minneapolis band, some delicious soup from the South Side, yet another cool iPhone app and a Twitter account that will make you laugh.
These are a few of our favorite things this week:
The online store at WickedCoolRecords.com -- As a fan of both Springsteen and "The Sopranos," I think Steve Van Zandt is one of the cooler people on the planet. My favorite T-shirt of the moment is one that I got at the Web site for Van Zandt's record label, Wicked Cool, which is devoted to bands of the garage rock nature, like the Woggles. The shirts are, well, wicked cool and they are having a sale now. If you buy three, you get the fourth one free. Do it now, because the sale ends Friday. --Drew Olson
Tom's of Maine Toothpaste -- Next time you think of it, look at the ingredients on your toothpaste tube. You'll find some odd stuff. Some brands have Saccharin. Yum. Tom's of Maine is better. At least I think so. Its Whole Care toothpastes have no artificial sweeteners, naturally sourced fluoride and generally simple, real ingredients that work. It tastes good, too, which helps. --Jeff Sherman
Caldo de camaron at La Fuente (635 S. 5th St.) -- I knew I was a big fan of the shrimp soup at La Fuente, but it had been years since I ordered it and couldn't remember exactly why. So, during a recent visit, I tried it again. I quickly remembered why I love this soup so much: it's loaded with fresh, medium-sized shrimp in a delicious broth that's dotted with pieces of avocado, tomato, onion and cilantro. The shrimp soup ($12) is a tasty alternative when you want a lighter meal or one without queso. But don't worry, even if you order the soup you'll still get your share of greasy, deep-fried goodness thanks to the bottomless basket of tortilla chips. --Molly Snyder Edler
Jelly Belly's Cold Stone Ice Cream Parlor Mix -- You have to love a good jelly bean. Jelly Belly has teamed with Cold Stone to provide five flavors inspired by creamery treats: Chocolate Devotion, Our Strawberry Blonde, Birthday Cake Remix, Apple Pie a la Cold Stone and Mint Mint Chocolate Chip. Before your next party, grab some and stick them in a martini glass. Your friends will think you're cool. --D.O.
Adidas Samba Classic -- The Samba Classic is well, a classic. Comfortable and cushioning, it's also fashionable and long lasting. I've owned my current pair for nearly nine years, and they still do me right. --J.S.
Shake It Photo -- And now for my favorite iPhone App du jour, Shake It Photo. As an analog photography lover, I was hit pretty hard by the news that Polaroid was going under. That sucks. With its high cost and low efficiency, it totally makes sense, but that doesn't make it hurt any less. I was thrilled when a friend turned me on to the Shake It Photo iPhone app. It's not free, but definitely worth the 99 cents, in my opinion. It's simple to use, too. You take a photo as you would with your normal iPhone camera but instead of it instantly appearing as all digital images do, it shows up as a real Polaroid would -- all gray and hazy -- and you have to literally shake it like a Polaroid picture (ahem, sorry) until the image appears. The best part? It crops into a square and adds those perfect white borders. Love it. Check it out here. --Julie Lawrence
"I.O.U." -- For some reason, The Replacements keep popping up on the iPod when I jog or walk the dog. I'm not complaining, mind you. That's a great band and "I.O.U." is a great song. Great music never goes out of style. --D.O.
The egg rolls at the East Town Market -- If I'm around Saturday mornings, I'm at the East Town Market (at least for a while). It's great. And, as we head to harvest season, the selection is wide, inviting and delicious. One thing that stands out are the homemade egg rolls. I know that an egg roll at 9 a.m. might not sound appealing, but it is. Veggie and chicken varieties that are made on site and only set you back $1. I love these things. You will, too. --J.S.
SI's current "Favre free" issue -- In what can only be construed as a shot at competitor ESPN, Sports Illustrated put out a "Favre free" issue this week, complete with a little icon on the corner of the cover. Of course, the magazine sent out a press release to promote the fact that they were ignoring No. 4 this week, so we can't say their intentions are pure. But, it's still a pretty funny idea. --D.O.
Wellness in the City -- This first-time event runs from 6 to 8 tonight at Good Harvest Market, 346 N. Broadway in the Third Ward. It features giveaways, demonstrations, discussions and more -- all centered on active and healthy lifestyles. Wheel & Sprocket, Invivo Wellness and Good Harvest Market are all involved. Stop in for a free yoga class, free supplement samples, acupuncture demos and much more. --J.S.
S*it my dad says -- One of the funniest things on Twitter these days is from a guy named Justin, who describes himself as a 28-year-old man who lives with his 73-year-old father and writes down funny stuff that his father says during the day. Check it out here and you are guaranteed to get a chuckle. --D.O.
