Follow Me To TravelValue!

Faro, Portugal; Great Expectations, Oustanding View, But A Disappointing Breakfast Buffet

Harune Restaurant - AP EVA SENSES HOTEL Av. da República, 1  8000-078 Faro, Algarve, Portugal  Phone: +351 289 540 100 Email: book.eva@ap-ho...

Thursday, September 27, 2018

Glendale, CA: Great, Family-Style Italian, Red Checkered Tablecloths And All

Scarantino’s Italian Inn
1524 E. Colorado Street
Glendale, CA 91205
Phone number (818) 247-9777
Website: scarantinos.com
Prices: $$$$

With a name very similar to my own, Scarantino's cannot help but be wonderful! I have been coming here for 40 years and the food is always top notch, the service friendly and impeccable, the ambiance casual and cozy (red checkered tablecloths and all), and the prices very reasonable ... HOOAH!

I do not get back to Glendale as often as I would like, but when I do, you can find me at Scarantino's at least once. Their minestrone soup is the best I have ever had and the accompanying bread is always hot and fresh.





Their pizzas and pastas are all very good, but it's the veal dishes that bring me back over and over and over again. The Veal Parmigiana ($17) is delish, but I usually end up ordering the Veal Rolletini alla Sorrento ($21.00), thinly sliced veal rolled and stuffed with Italian ham and mozzarella cheese, then simmered in a wine and mushroom sauce ... YUMMM! 
Paying $17-$21 for a veal dish along with minestrone soup, salad, bread and butter, and pasta is a terrific value, especially when the quality is as good as you get here. Scarantino's is THE BOMB!


CombatCritic Gives Scarantino's 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"

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - "GOLD" ELITE '14/'15/'16/'17/'18 
  • 650,000+ Views A Year
Read Chris S.'s review of Scarantino's Italian Inn on Yelp

Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"

Zomato - #1 Ranked "VERIFIED" CONNOISSEUR (13) - Over  4 Million Review And Photo Views ... And Counting #1 Reviewer in Portland, Oregon!

Scarantino's Italian Inn Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"

Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 1 Million Views!

View my food journey on Zomato!

View my food journey on Zomato!

View my food journey on Zomato!

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube and our sister channel, CombatCounselor Chronicleswith Over 1,250 Subscribers and 1,000,000 Video Views ... HOOAH!

Title: Glendale, CA: Great, Family-Style Italian, Red Checkered Tablecloths And All

Key Words: Scarantino's Italian Inn, Scarantino's, Italian, Italy, pasta, pizza, veal, Glendale, CA, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, Google, Facebook

Copyright 2018 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved

Friday, September 14, 2018

Seattle, WA: Private, Clean And Centrally Located, Liam's Cozy Place Is THE BOMB!

Liam's Cozy Place (Airbnb)
Mount Baker Area - Seattle, WA
Website: Liam's Cozy Place (Airbnb)
Price: $$$$

Seattle is not a cheap place to visit, but being a travel blogger focused on helping my readers get the most bang for their buck, I have to say that Liam's place is a definite TravelValue!

A clean, charming early 20th Century home on a quiet street and just a ten minute walk from Seattle's Mount Baker light rail station makes this a terrific base while visiting the Emerald City.

Liam was there to greet us, help us settle in, and provide details about the house and local area when we arrived. The house is immaculate and Liam has gone to great lengths to ensure guests are comfortable and have all of the privacy desired thanks to the separate living spaces. It was like having the house to ourselves because the main level has just one bedroom and a dedicated, adjacent bathroom in addition to the living room, dining room and kitchen. Liam's quarters are upstairs where he spent most of his time while we were there, only popping in to say hi on his way in or out. He was so quiet, we were not sure if he was home or not.

The bed was comfy and there was plenty of space to stow our things, including several hangers and shelves in the bedroom. The bathroom was for our use only and was well stocked with clean, plush towels, shampoo and conditioner, and other amenities for use during our stay.
The kitchen was also well stocked and Liam made us feel welcome to use it and its contents as much or as little as we desired. Coffee, tea, and sports drinks were made available during our stay along with sugar and half & half, so we did not need to go to the market before bed, a nice touch.



For all of the space, privacy, amenities, and its central location, Liam's place was astonishingly well priced. Parking was no problem on the adjacent streets, the Wi-Fi was fast and reliable, and the house secure. We felt safe and at home during our two night stay.

CombatCritic Gives Liam's Place 10 Bombs Out Of 10 And A Spot On My "WALL OF FAME" ... More Bombs Are Better!

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
Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - "GOLD" ELITE '14/'15/'16/'17/'18 
  • 650,000+ Views A Year
Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"


Zomato - #1 Ranked "VERIFIED" CONNOISSEUR (13) - Over  4 Million Review And Photo Views ... And Counting #1 Reviewer in Portland, Oregon!
Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"

Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 1 Million Views!

View my food journey on Zomato!

View my food journey on Zomato!

View my food journey on Zomato!

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube and our sister channel, CombatCounselor Chronicleswith Over 1,250 Subscribers and 1,000,000 Video Views ... HOOAH!

Title: Seattle, WA: Private, Clean And Centrally Located, Liam's Cozy Place Is THE BOMB!

Key Words: Liam, Airbnb, Seattle, WA, Washington, Portland, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, hotel, accommodation, review, Yelp, Zomato, Google, Facebook, room

Copyright 2018 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved

Thursday, September 13, 2018

Seattle, WA: Decent Mexican Food In A Warm, No Frills Setting ... Olé!

El Sombrero Family Mexican Restaurant 
4868 Rainier Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98118
Phone number: (206) 722-1717
Prices: $$$$

In an attractive, early 20th Century neighborhood in southeastern Seattle we came across El Sombrero while searching for some chow. It looked simple and inviting, so in we went in.

The prices were fair as was the service and the chips hot, the salsa tasty, and the guacamole ($4.25) decent, although it needed some extra salt - we were off to a good start. My Negra Modelo (on tap - $4.50) was relatively cold, but yummy nonetheless.

My wife had a small Vegetarian Quesadilla ($8.55) that was actually pretty big, so I would not fathom to guess how big the large one might have been. It came with both a scoop of guacamole (still needing some salt) and sour cream (which she hates). I had a bite and it was as good as a flour tortilla with cheese and potato could be.
I had the Tacos Rancheros ($12.25), three deep fried corn tortillas filled with shredded beef and pork, and potato, then topped with loads of lettuce, a little tomato, and not so much cheese. However, they were very tasty and my arteries will never be the same, but those are the sacrifices I must make for my readers. I saved some salted guac for the tacos and was glad I did, while the server brought me some green chili salsa which complemented the tacos quite nicely ... OLÉ!
Being a California native, a 20+ year Texas resident, and a relatively new Portland, Oregon area transplant, I have been completely unimpressed with Pacific NW Mexican restaurants to date, but this experience gave me a glimmer of hope that there might be sunshine on the horizon. Not great by any stretch, El Sombrero was a good find, a decent value, and a tasty treat ... HOOAH!

CombatCritic Gives El Sombrero 7 Out Of 10 Bombs ... More Bombs Are Better!


Seven Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Shits & Grins"

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:


Yelp - "GOLD" ELITE '14/'15/'16/'17/'18 
  • 650,000+ Views A Year
Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"


Zomato - #1 Ranked "VERIFIED" CONNOISSEUR (13) - Over  4 Million Review And Photo Views ... And Counting #1 Reviewer in Portland, Oregon!
Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"

El Sombrero Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 1 Million Views!

View my food journey on Zomato!

View my food journey on Zomato!

View my food journey on Zomato!

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube and our sister channel, CombatCounselor Chronicleswith Over 1,250 Subscribers and 1,000,000 Video Views ... HOOAH!


Title: Seattle, WA: Decent Mexican Food In A Warm, No Frills Setting ... Olé!

Key Words: El Sombrero Family Mexican Restaurant, El Sombrero, sombrero, family, Mexican, taco, tacos, Seattle, WA, Washington, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, Portland, review, Yelp, Zomato


Copyright 2018 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved

Search Our Blog