CombatCritic's "TravelValue"

World traveler ... 44 countries and counting; Amateur chef ... studied 3 years in Pozzuoli Italy; Published author of reviews, articles, and two popular blogs; Producer of successful YouTube channels. CombatCritic is Yelp "Gold" Elite '14/'15/'16/'17/'18, Zomato "VERIFIED CONNOISSEUR", Booking.com "GENIUS", and Foursquare "INSIDER" Mangia Bene e Paghi Poco (Eat Well and Pay Little) On the Front Lines in the Battle Against Mediocrity - Follow Me To TravelValue ... That's A Freakin' Order!

Monday, December 10, 2057

Countries Visited ... So Far ... 41 And Counting!

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List (Alphabetical)

Bahrain – Kingdom of Bahrain

Belgium – Kingdom of Belgium

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bulgaria – Republic of Bulgaria

Canada

Croatia – Republic of Croatia

Czech Republic

Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat/Grønland)

France – French Republic

Germany – Federal Republic of Germany

Greece – Hellenic Republic
Holy See

Hungary

India – Republic of India

Ireland
Israel

Italy – Italian Republic

Jamaica

Japan

Korea, South – Republic of Korea

Luxembourg – Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Macedonia – Republic of Macedonia

Malta – Republic of Malta

Mexico – United Mexican States

Micronesia – Federated States of Micronesia

Monaco – Principality of Monaco

Montenegro

Netherlands

Palau – Republic of Palau

Palestine - State of Palestine
Portugal – Portuguese Republic

San Marino – Republic of San Marino

Saudi Arabia – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Slovenia – Republic of Slovenia

Spain – Kingdom of Spain

Switzerland – Swiss Confederation

Tunisia – Republic of Tunisia

Turkey – Republic of Turkey

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United States – United States of America

- Guam

- Puerto Rico

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - "GOLD" Elite '14/'15/'16/'17/'18/'19 650,000+ Views A Year

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie - Over 1,890,733 Review And Photo Views

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Title: Countries Visited ... So Far ... 41 And Counting!

Key Words: countries, country, nation, capitol, Google Maps, Google, map, maps, city, state, world, earth, visit, visited, traveler, 44, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, Yelp

Sunday, December 10, 2056

Why Should You Read My Reviews And Subscribe To TravelValue?

I served my country in the United States Air Force for over 20 years and have visited 44 countries over the last 35 years, all without spending over $75 per night for a nice hotel room and dining in excellent restaurants for well under $25 per person. How do I do it? Through diligent research, exploration, trial and error, and tapping local knowledge.

Would you like to stay in a central, 3-star hotel in a major city for under $20 per night? How about a room with a balcony and view of the Himalayas while attending teachings with the Dalai Lama for just $5 per night? Or a beachfront hotel for $13 per night? Maybe a meal prepared by a 5-star chef for less than $20? Well, you have come to the right place ...

CombatCritic's "TravelValue"

Having several popular travel blogs CombatCritic.com and received numerous accolades from several of the top travel and restaurant websites/apps (Yelp, TripAvisor, Zomato, Tabelog, Booking.com), you can trust my opinions.

Unlike many reviewers who are either afraid to tell the truth or have personal relationship with businesses and biased views, I reserve 5-stars (10 Bombs on my blog) for only the most flawless restaurants, accommodations, businesses, attractions and destinations, those where you absolutely and without a doubt get the most “bang-for-the-buck”.

CombatCritic.com

I try to remain as objective as possible in all of my reviews, providing the pros and cons as I see them and a rating based on the overall “value” as compared to similar entities in similar locations. I accept no "freebies" and only identify myself as a critic after having been a customer and paid the bill, so you can trust my reviews.

Here is a breakdown of my ratings both on my blogs (where I use a ten point scale) and on travel and dining websites (that all use 5 point Likert-type scales) ...

If I hate a place, they get 1-2 Bombs (1-star)

If so-so with numerous”issues", they get 3-4 Bombs (2-stars)

If average (the vast majority of businesses fall into this category if you look at the distribution of my ratings), they get 5-6 Bombs (3-stars)

If above average, they get 7-8 Bombs (4-stars)

If they are one of the very rare “best of the best” values in my experience, they get 9-10 Bombs (5-stars – I always round up from bombs to stars because I use a 10 point Likert-type scale in order to be more discernible).

Now that you understand my philosophy and ratings, on to my reviews …

CombatCritic

The Leader In Getting Travelers The Most "Bang-for-the-Buck"

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Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - "Gold" Elite '14/'15/'16 /'17 / '18

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Title: Why Should You Read My Reviews And Subscribe To My Blog?

Key Words: combatcritic, travelvalue, travel, value, combat, critic, review, reviews, objective, restaurant, hotel, attraction, destination, Italy, USA, India, Asia, Europe

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Washougal, WA: Rustic Charm, Friendly Faces, And Good Food At Fair Prices

Smitty's

1816 NE 3rd Avenue

Camas, WA 98607

Phone: (360) 834-4257

Website: Smitty's Restaurant

Prices: $$$$

This rustic coffee shop/steakhouse between Washougal and Camas has reportedly been there for 50 years under the same ownership and ANY restaurant that has been in business that long must be doing something right. The interior is dated, but serviceable and very clean.

We were greeted warmly and seated immediately, receiving an extensive menu and water. I was surprised by how many tables were full when we arrived at a little after 4pm on a Friday afternoon - a good sign. Gordon Ramsey would be appalled by the vast number of options on the menu - six large pages of small print - including breakfast (served all day), salads, soups, sandwiches, burgers, steaks, seafood, and desserts just to name a few.

We were hungry, but not overly so, ordering what we thought would be "lighter fare". My wife had the Homemade Belgian Waffle ($5.99), a large, thick, fluffy waffle, coming with a small pitcher of warm maple syrup and plenty o' butter. She loved it ... HOOAH!!

I had never heard of a Super Melt ($12.95) and it sounded scrummy, so I decided to give it a shot. The sandwich came with sliced roast beef, turkey, bacon, swiss cheese, tomato, and grilled onions on fresh, grilled sourdough bread, along with a side of piping hot, crispy, seasoned fries. The sandwich was very good, fresh, thick, and filling, but too much for me to eat, so I took half of the sandwich and delicious fries home for lunch the next day.

The prices are reasonable, in fact, they had a Prime Rib Special for two with all the trimmings for just $23.95, that is less than $12 each for the mathematically challenged.

My only concerns were the dated decor, looking like they had not remodeled since the 1960s when they opened, and the overly extensive menu. I am sure they get a fair amount of business, considering how long they have been open, but with that many options and ingredients it is difficult to keep the food fresh and avoid spoilage. They could easily reduce the menu by two-thirds and there would still be plenty of options. Finally, their breakfast menu is a bit on the pricey side, so you can probably find similar items for less money at other Camas/Washougal eateries. After all, breakfast is not rocket science.

Nice people, good food, and fair prices, we will be returning to Smitty's soon to give one of their daily specials a try. They even have a small, charming lunch counter in the room next to the kitchen with freshly baked pastries and a cash register so you can pay before you leave ... and don't forget to tip your server!

CombatCritic Gives Smitty's 7 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Seven Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Shits & Grins"

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Portland, OR: XPO Logistics - Costco Appliance Delivery Gets The Job Done

XPO Logistics

3223 NW Guam Street

Portland, OR 97210

Phone number: (866) 373-7934

Website: xpo.com

Prices: N/A

XPO Logistics arrived during the four hour delivery window, quickly and professionally installing our new Samsung washer and dryer purchased from Costco.

When we made the appointment the day before, we were told that we would receive a call that night, informing us of the four-hour delivery window for the next day, but the call never came. I called first thing the morning to see what was going on, but was told that we were an "add-on" and, therefore, they were unable to provide a window for us. When I told them that was unacceptable, that it was not our fault that our delivery was an add-on, I was met with resistance. Finally, after asking to talk to a supervisor, the representative had the problem solved within 10-15 minutes and we had our four-hour window ... HOOAH!

Other than that SNAFU, the delivery and free, included "white glove" installation went off without a hitch, installing the new washer and dryer complete with hook-ups in about 30 minutes and hauling off all the packing material along with our 17-year old washer and dryer when they left.

CombatCritic Gives XPO Logistics 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

One Bomb Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Fucked Up Beyond All Repair"

Two Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Tits Up"

Three Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Situation Normal, All Fucked Up"

Four Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Bend Over, Here It Comes Again"

Five Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Continue Mission"

Six Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Good To Go"

Seven Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Shits & Grins"

Eight Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "What-The-Fuck ... Over!"

Nine Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "U.S. Marine Response To A Verbal Greeting Or As An Expression Of Enthusiasm"

Ten Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians:

HOOAH!: "Phonetic spelling of the acronym HUA, which stands for 'Heard Understood Acknowledged.' Originally used by the British in the late 1800's in Afghanistan. More recently adopted by the United States Army to indicate an affirmative or a pleased response." - Urban Dictionary

"The Department of Military Science and Leadership, University of Tennessee claim HOOAH 'refers to or means anything except no' ... Regardless of its meaning ... the term is an expression of high morale, confidence, motivation and spirit." - WarChronicle.com

"The U.S. Air Force stole 'HOOAH' from the Army because we were part of the Army until 1947 and rather than waste a bunch of time coming up with something new and unique like "ROO-YAH" or "HAL-A-LOO-YAH", we said 'screw it, let's go with HOOAH' ... thanks Army ... HOOAH!" - CombatCritic

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