Even if you don't live north of downtown, chances are you will one day have occasion to visit Northgate Mall. Perhaps as a detour on a trip to Target, or during a weekend afternoon when searching -- and paying -- for downtown parking is simply more effort than you can muster.

With its recent expansion nearing fruition, Northgate Mall now has even more to offer than one-stop shopping and free parking, though those are nothing to sneer at. Already opened at the sprawling center are a Barnes & Noble bookstore; Panera Bread bakery and café, Blue Fin sushi and seafood restaurant; Stanford's steak house; The Ram restaurant and brewery; and a(nother) Starbucks outpost.

According to Candace Montgomery, the mall's director of marketing, Chipotle Mexican Grill, a new Gene Juarez Salon & Spa (which, unlike the current Northgate salon, will offer a full-service spa) and a XXI Forever store are due to open in November. A DSW shoe store will follow in December, and Bed Bath & Beyond is aiming for a debut in winter of 2008. Also coming soon, though no dates have been determined, are Macaroni Grill, Verizon Wireless and Sephora-like beauty-products shop Ulta.

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