2012 Best of the Southwest Metro

Photo: illustration by Nicholas Beecher

Best Coffee: Caribou Coffee

From the freshly brewed coffee to the sincere interactions with your local barista, Caribou Coffee wants a feeling of authenticity to percolate in every customer’s experience, says senior vice president of marketing and product management, Alfredo Martel. The shop recently unveiled a line of sparkling tea and juice drinks, in addition to growlers, which can be filled with cold press coffee, iced tea and juices. multiple Southwest Metro locations —LP

Honorable mentions: Dunn Bros., multiple locations; Starbucks, multiple locations

Best Yoga: CorePower Yoga

At CorePower Yoga, they know how to turn up the heat. The company offers yoga in heated rooms, and its classes, which are available for beginners and advanced students, are cleverly designed to build upon each other. 7739 Flying Cloud Dr., Eden Prairie; 952.906.8918—LP

Honorable mentions: Life Time Fitness, multiple locations; Chaska Community Center, Chaska

Best Clinic/Hospital: Two Twelve Medical Center/Ridgeview Medical Center

Ridgeview Medical Center’s combination of high-tech care with hometown values truly resonates in the community. “[Patients] feel like they matter here,” says Michael Phelps, the hospital’s chief administrative officer. The hospital partners with the Minneapolis Heart Institute and Children’s Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota to offer the best in patient care and has invested in cutting edge technology, including a new imaging center and a daVinci robot for performing robotic surgeries. Yet the hospital still maintains its “small town” feel, with staff who treats patients like friends and family.

Meanwhile, Ridgeview’s Two Twelve Medical Center is the epitome of convenience with an emergency department/urgent care facility that’s open 24 hours a day/7 days a week, along with office spaces for a variety of health care providers. Ridgeview Medical Center, 500 S. Maple St., Waconia; 952.442.2191; Two Twelve Medical Center, 111 Hundertmark Rd., Chaska; 952.361.2447. —LP

Honorable mentions: Park Nicollet Health Services, multiple locations; Fairview Health Services, multiple locations

Best Salon/Spa & Best Mani/Pedi: The Parlour Salon & Spa

Located on the second floor of a 100-year-old building, the owners, Beth Zimmerman and Michelle Lewin, have cultivated a unique atmosphere at The Parlour Salon & Spa by decorating with antiques and muted tones. But clients never end up with antiquated looks, and the salon and spa has quickly become a destination—especially for its manicures and pedicures. In addition to a talented staff of stylists and colorists, massage therapists and estheticians, the salon has two staff members who take excellent care of hands and feet. Alex Swenson is a certified master pedicurist with a background in nursing, and she often takes on clients with health issues, while Betsy Gregory is a nail technician with a background in graphic design. 7924 Victoria Dr., Victoria; 952.679.4805—LP

Best Salon/Spa & Best Mani/Pedi honorable mentions: Sanctuary Salonspa, Eden Prairie; Spalon Montage, Chanhassen

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