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!

Static

(The Big Picture)

Interactive

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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

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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

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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 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

Greater Portland Area: 36 Veterans Day Deals on November 11th, 2019

54th Street Grill

Free entree up to $12.

Applebee’s

Free meal.

Bakers Square

Free meal. Bakers Square also offer a 10 percent military discount all year long.

Buffalo Wild Wings
Free small order of boneless wings and fries.

Carrabba’s Italian Grill
Free calamari with purchase - 10 percent Heroes Discount for all servicemen and women and first responders (effective Nov. 12, 2019).

Chili’s
Free entree - includes Chili’s signature Chicken Crispers, Margarita Grilled Chicken, Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas, Just Bacon Burger, Oldtimer with Cheese, Cajun Chicken Pasta, or a bowl of chili, soup or salad.

Chipotle

Buy one entree, get one free.

Cracker Barrel

Free slice - Double Chocolate Fudge Coca-Cola Cake dessert or Pumpkin Pie Latte.

Denny’s

Free Build Your Own Grand Slam from 5am to noon. Dine-in only.

Dunkin’ Doughnuts

Free donut.

Famous Dave’s
Free meal - participating locations.

Fogo de Chao

50% off vet's meal, plus 10% off for three guests (November 8-11).

Golden Corral

Free buffet from 5-9 p.m.

Hooters
Free entree from special Hooters Veterans Day menu with purchase.

IHOP
Free pancakes - participating locations.

Joe’s Crab Shack
20% off (excludes alcoholic beverages).

Little Caesars Pizza

Free $5 hot-n-ready lunch combos - 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Longhorn Steakhouse
Free appetizer or dessert plus 10% off of your bill.

McCormick & Schmick’s
Free lunch or dinner from a special menu.

Noodles & Company

Ongoing 15 percent discount for military and veterans 365 days a year ... HOOAH!

Olive Garden
Free entree from a special menu.

Outback Steakhouse
20% off their entire check - Nov. 8, 2019 through Nov. 11, 2019.

Red Lobster

Free appetizer or dessert.

Romano’s Macaroni Grill
Free Mom’s Ricotta Meatballs and Spaghetti entree (dine-in only).

Sizzler

Free meal until 4:00 pm.

Starbucks

FREE tall brewed coffee.

Subway

Free six-inch sub - select locations.

Texas Roadhouse
Free lunch from 11 am to 4 pm.

TGI Friday’s
Free lunch (up to $12 - participating locations).

Free Attractions

National Parks

Free entrance.

Portland Art Museum

Free admission for veterans and active-duty military every day.

Oregon Zoo

Military veterans, active military personnel, as well as family members and families of deployed military personnel will be given free admission on November 11.

Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum

Veterans plus one guest receive free Museum admission on November 10 and 11.

Portland Veterans Day Parade

9:30 a.m - NE 40th and Tillamook to Sandy Boulevard and NE 48th Ave.

Other Freebies and Discounts

Free car wash

Free car wash at participating Grace For Vets locations.

Great Clips

Free haircut or pick up a free haircut card to use later (valid through December 31, 2019).

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Another Yelp "Review of the Day" (ROTD) For CombatCritic ... HOOAH!

Portland Yelp ROTD for 10/23/2019

SOLID. No BS here like I had at a place in downtown Washougal recently, Shelby's has fresh, hot food (not frozen); excellent and friendly service; and fair prices. What more can you ask for?

It was chow time, so we headed to Shelby's for the first time and I am not quite sure why we waited so long because I had heard good things about them. The decor is simple and nostalgic with tasteful maple wainscoting and knick-knacks adorning the walls. Best of all, it was very clean! We were met with a smile and a welcome, then taken immediately to a booth in the main dining room (the pub-style lounge was also an option).

I asked about happy hour and was told that it was from 2-5pm daily in the lounge, so we were a bit late anyway. Their happy hour food menu looked appealing with a few real bargains like a hamburger or BBQ sandwich for $7 or street tacos for $3 a piece. I was a bit dismayed by their happy hour drink discounts with just 50¢ off of wells ($8-$11), wine ($9), and beer ($6). Their drinks are not particularly cheap, so a food deal is definitely in order.

My wife got the Mushroom and Havarti Burger ($13) with grilled mushrooms, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato and garlic mayo, coming with a large side o' fries, a relative bargain in this town ... HOOAH! Her meal was hot, obviously freshly made, and very tasty. The meat looked fresh and the Havarti was real cheese, not the processed cheese-like squares some places serve their customers.

I had a hankerin' for some BBQ, so I asked for the Brisket Plate ($14.50) with 6 ounces of brisket so tender and juicy that you could cut it with a fork, choice of two sides (fries, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, hush puppies, brussel sprouts and bacon, etc. - I had the fries and hush puppies), choice of BBQ sauce, and cornbread and butter. The brisket was scrummy, perfectly cooked and seasoned, and the fries were cut in house and hot and crispy, just like I like them. The brisket rivaled some of the best BBQ I had during our 11 years living in Kansas City, a city where you can find some of the best BBQ in the world. The hush puppies were also very good, crispy outside and soft and moist inside although I could taste neither the bacon nor the jalapeños purportedly contained therein.

The only negatives were minor ones: the temperature inside (could have been 4-5 degrees cooler); the minuscule happy hour drink discount; and the honey for the cornbread we were promised, but which never quite materialized. Those minor infractions were the only things separating this review from a perfect rating, a rating I do not routinely hand out as readily as many other reviewers do. So there ya have it ... good grub!

CombatCritic Gives Shelby's Grille 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!