CombatCritic's "TravelValue"

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

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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 …

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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

Tuesday, August 30, 2022

Quatrim do Norte (Olhão): If You Are Hunting For Good Fish And Steak, The Operative Word Is 'Caca' at Clube Caça e Pesca Cavaquense

Clube Caça e Pesca Cavaquense

Quatrim do Norte, 8700

Moncarapacho, Portugal

Phone number: 927 419 607

Prices: €€€€

I had heard about this place from friends, located on a secluded little road off of the N-125 at Quatrim do Norte between Olhão and Fuseta, it really does not look like much from the road once you find it.

I was told it is a Brazilian restaurant with live music on Sunday's at lunch time, but the only thing Brazilian that I noticed were the servers because the menu is made-up of standard Portuguese offerings.

The food is adequate with smaller portions and higher prices than you can find elsewhere and the service is very slow.

After 20 minutes of sitting on the patio with nary a 'boa tarde' from the female servers, I went inside to order our drinks from the bar. When they arrived 10 minutes later, there were no wine or water glasses and they finally arrived another 10 minutes later.

We ordered two Picanha Grelhada (grilled skirt steak - €11 each), but only one side order of fries, salad, rice and beans were received. The amount of steak on the plate was probably half of what you would receive at most local restaurants and almost half of that was fat.

My wife's Bitoque de Porco (pork steaks with a fried egg on top - €10) was nicely presented and she was quite happy with it, coming with fries, rice and salad.

The meals did come with coffee and dessert, but the cheesecake was obviously straight out of a box, the mass produced variety that has neither cheese nor cake.

The highlight of the day was the wonderful Algarve sunshine and blue sky, along with the live music, a single musician and decent mix of modern pop, popular hits, Italian classics, and Portuguese/Brazilian favorites.

If you like live music while eating on a shaded terrace under the wonderful Olhão sunshine, then you will enjoy this place, but the food is mediocre at best, the service slow, even by Portuguese standards, and the prices higher than average, so ...

CombatCritic Gives Clube Caça e Pesca Cavaquense 4 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombas Are Melhor!

Three Bombs Equates To:

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

Friday, August 19, 2022

Olhão, Portugal: Don't Be A Chicken, O Franguinho Has Good Fish, Steaks, And Other Selections As Well

O Franguinho

Estrada Nacional, 125 8700-145 Olhão Portugal

Phone number: 962 929 519

Website: ofranguinho.pt

Prices: €€€€

The food was good, having ordered the Cataplana Algarve (€30 for two) with large shrimp, clams, pork and potatoes in a tasty broth in a huge copper container (cataplana). It came with a HUGE order of hot french fries, nearly enough to feed a basketball team.

Cataplana Algarve €30 - Includes Fries

The service was so-so, the norm in Portugal. unfortunately, but the streetside patio was comfortable, enjoying the people-watching as tourists and locals strolled by with the park and Ria Formosa just across the street.

The prices are moderate for establishments along Olhão's restaurant row where businesses take advantage of tourist's deep pockets.

CombatCritic Gives O Franguinho 6 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Six Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Good To Go"

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Title: Olhão, Portugal: Don't Be A Chicken, O Franguinho Has Good Fish, Steaks, And Other Selections As Well

Key Words: Olhão, Portugal, chicken, O Franguinho, fish, steaks, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, business, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

Monday, August 15, 2022

Olhão, Faro, Portugal: All Aboard ... Catch The Train To Petiscais Before It Leaves The Station

Petiscais

Av. Dos Combatentes da Grande Guerra

Cais Coberto da Estação dos Comboios de Olhão

Olhão 8700-440 Portugal

Phone: +351 918 707 936

Website: petiscais.pt

€€€€

Petiscais is located adjacent to the Olhão train station, so you might think that it would be very noisy, especially on their large, covered patio, but the local trains coast into the station and stop next to the restaurant, so the interruptions are minimally invasive. My wife did not even notice that two trains arrived and departed during our meal.

The menu is eclectic, having Portuguese classics with an international flair, pastas, meat dishes, fish, and even burgers. The prices are a bit high by Portuguese standards with entrees ranging from €10 to €38, but the food is tastefully presented and very good.

We started with the standard olives and fresh bread, accompanied by three spreads, butter, a mild tuna flavored butter pate, and hummus-style spread (€5).

For my main, I had the stewed pork cheeks (€16) in a plum sauce sitting tastefully atop a good portion of mashed potatoes and garnished with fresh herbs. The pork was tender, the sauce delicious and not overly sweet, and the potatoes firm, yet creamy. The portion was quite substantial and I left pleasantly satiated, but not stuffed.

My wife had the steak with beer sauce (€10), but being tomato intolerant, the chef kindly substituted the beer sauce, containing a hint of tomato, with a thinned, creamy gorgonzola sauce. The steak was good, the sauce a bit too runny, and the house-made 'chips', actually more like potato chips than fries. It was accompanied by a small, tasty salad on the same plate. For the price, she was quite pleased.

Our friends both had a pasta dish, bigoli pasta tossed with prawns and herbs in a unique sauce reminiscent of many Thai dishes I have had over the years.

The service was good, friendly, and everyone seemed to speak at least some English. The building itself appears to have been fashioned out of an old station warehouse updated into a comfortable dining room and large kitchen. The patio is also quite large with its own small bar.

Being just a short walk from our home, I was pleasantly pleased with our meal and wish we would have tried Petiscais much sooner than we did, having curtailed our restaurant ventures due to COVID and other unforecasted life events.

CombatCritic Gives Petiscais 9 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Nine Bombs Equates To:

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

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