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Portland, OR: A Wild West Shitty Attitude And Dishonesty Left This Disabled Veteran In Disbelief

WILD WEST EMPORIUM -  JANTZEN BEACH   ( Cannabis Dispensaries) 11850 N. Center Avenue Portland, OR 97217 (Hayden Island, North Portland) Ope...

Monday, November 25, 2019

Honolulu, HI: One Sun Of A Beach, If You Can Gain Access

Hickam Beach and Picnic Area
Hickam Air Force Base
Hickam AFB, HI 96853
Prices: FREE

We flew space-available (Space-A) on a US Air Force aircraft to and from Honolulu, Hawaii this past February on a C-17 and KC-135 tanker. Because I am retired military, my wife and I can fly for free and have access to US military installations around the world ... HOOAH!



Adjacent to the popular Lanai at Mamala Bay on the Hickam Air Force Base side of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, with its' spectacular views, this sandy beach is long and semi-narrow with a southern exposure looking out over the blue Pacific.
The two times we were at Hickam Beach this past February, the water was clear and calm with hardly a wave. The beach faces open sea, but is protected by a peninsula created by the runways at Honolulu International Airport and Hickam AFB, a similar exposure as Waikiki which is almost always very calm. There seems to be a very gentle slope once in the water, so I think it would be a great place for families to enjoy themselves.
A great place to spend the day or evening, unfortunately, you must have a military ID to access the base and beach, so civilians will need to buddy-up with an ID holder to visit the beach and Lanai at Mamala Bay.

CombatCritic Gives Hickam Beach 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/'19 
  • 650,000+ Views A Year
Read Chris S.'s review of Hickam Beach and Picnic Area 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!
Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"

Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 3 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: Honolulu, HI: One Sun Of A Beach, If You Can Gain Access

Key Words: Hickam Beach, Hickam, AFB, air, force, base, beach, sand, picnic, Lanai at Mamala Bay, lanai, mamala, bay, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, destination, review, Yelp


Copyright 2019 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved

Aloha (Portland), OR: Just Like My Nonna (Grandma) Used To Make ... Almost

Nonna Emilia Ristorante Italiano
17210 SW Shaw Street
Aloha, OR 97007
Phone number: (503) 649-2232
Website: nonnaemilia.com
Prices: $$$$

I do not make it over this way often, but when I do, I always stop by Nonna Emilia for some of their Veal Parmigiana ($24.95 - breaded milk-fed veal cutlets baked with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese), but on this occasion I decided to try their Veal Manzo ($25.95 - milk-fed veal medallions in a rich gravy with fresh mushrooms and white wine) instead. Good chow, great decision! The veal was tender and the sauce wonderful, coming with a plethora of fresh mushrooms ... HOOAH!

My wife had Portabella Mushroom Ravioli (in a Marsala cream sauce - $18.95) although the cream in the sauce was not very evident. The ravioli were cooked perfectly  and the sauce was tasty although there could have been a little more of it because they were a little dry by the time they reached our table.
My son got the Ravioli al Formaggio ($18.95), a four cheese blend of ravioli in a parmesan cream sauce topped with a dab of marinara. He had hoped for a bit more marinara on top, but was very happy with the dish overall.
My son's lady friend ordered the Veggie Calzone ($17.95 fresh mushrooms, olives, green peppers, onions, blend of cheeses, and marinara sauce) minus the cheeses because she is vegan. However, when it arrived at the table, it had melted cheese sprinkled on top. The server caught the error right away, taking it back for the vegan version which took another 20 minutes. Our server was kind enough to remove the calzone from the bill due to the faux pas.

As usual, the massive meals come with a small antipasto, soup or salad, and garlic bread, so we all ended up taking half of our meals home with us for lunch the next day. Hey, two meals for the price of one brought the value of the $104 bill, including tip, down to just $52 ($12.50 per meal) ... KA-CHING!

Combat Critic Gives Nonna Emilia 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!
Eight Bombs Equates To:

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

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp "GOLD" ELITE '14/'15/'16/'17/'18/'19 
  • 650,000+ Views A Year
Read Chris S.'s review of Nonna Emilia Ristorante Italiano on Yelp

Nonna Emilia Ristorante Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


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

Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"

Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 3 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: Aloha (Portland), OR: Just Like My Nonna (Grandma) Used To Make ... Almost

Key Words: Aloha, Portland, OR, Nonna Emilia, nonna, Emilia, grandma, Italian, Italy, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, Google, Facebook


Copyright 2019 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Washougal, WA: Peggy's Place Revisited - Lessons Learned? Nope!

Peggy's Place
3010 Evergreen Highway
Washougal, WA 98671
Phone: (360) 210-5500
Website: NONE
Prices: $$$$

I guess Peggy did not appreciate my previous 4-star (8 out of 10 bombs) Yelp review this past Easter - that review was selected, by the way, as Yelp Portland's Review of the Day, aka ROTD, on 6/23/19 - after having sent her the link via Messenger where we had been talking based on her interest in my assistance as a new restaurant owner. However, I never even got a thank you, FU, or anything else for that matter. Having managed large military organizations in my 20-year career and several successful businesses since, I foolishly thought that my 10+ years of experience could help a local business owner get on her feet as quickly as possible. Because I am a firm believer in supporting local businesses, I had offered my assistance last March and Peggy initially seemed very receptive, but when I returned with my wife, son and his girlfriend for breakfast last weekend to see what had changed, I was quite discouraged by what I saw.

The first thing I noticed was the chalkboard behind the cash register advertising Key Lime Pie for $25 (whole pie) or $6 for a slice as well as Cheesecake going for $45 per pie and $8 a slice. I had assumed that customers might get 1/6 of a pie for the quoted prices, but right beside the register is their dessert display case with rather small slices of key lime pie and cheesecake, likely 1/8 of a pie in size. Do the math. Apparently, she decided to blow off my suggestions as well as my concerns about her $8 biscuits and gravy in my first review.


The place is bright and clean, and we were seated right away. The menu is very much the same as last time and her prices on most items are spot-on, even lower than some other local eateries. My son ordered the classic breakfast - 2 eggs, hash browns, choice of meat, and toast for $9;  his girlfriend, who is vegan, ordered a "vegan" Breakfast Burrito ($10) with "NO MEAT, NO EGGS, AND NO CHEESE, only hash browns and veggies"; my wife had her usual, the French Toast ($9) which came with 2 slices of bacon; and, finally, I asked for a Half Order of Biscuits and Gravy ($5), making it "A Meal" for $4 more by adding 2 eggs and 2 slices of bacon, and adding a side of hash browns ($2 more for a total of $11).


My son was quite happy with his classic breakfast, but the bacon was way too dark and crispy, likely because they were about to close and decided that they had to use the rest of the food that had been sitting around for God knows how many hours. The eggs seemed to be cooked as ordered - over medium.



His girlfriend's $10 VEGAN breakfast burrito was tiny for the price and it came with a big GLOB OF SOUR CREAM just a fraction of an inch from the burrito. She thought about saying something, but decided to bite the bullet. When people identify a special diet or food allergy to a server when ordering, a restaurant MUST  ensure that the food is prepared as ordered with ZERO cross-contamination because that is what the customer wants and a simple mistake could result in death. Oops!


My wife's french toast was identical to our last visit and she liked it very much, but this time her bacon was also too burnt to eat, so she tossed the slices on my plate. Her coffee was bland and weak, a total disappointment after the Hawaiian blend they served on Easter.



When my biscuit (singular) and gravy, bacon, and eggs (over-medium) arrived in a bowl, I was a bit surprised and could not see the eggs until I realized that they were under the biscuit and gravy! Fortunately, for me and them, I like to toss my biscuit, gravy, bacon, eggs, and hash browns into a pile, cut them in to bite size chunks, and enjoy the enmeshment of flavors ... YUM! Alas, my bacon was the same as the rest, but I also do not mind crunchy on the continuum of bacon choices. My sole issue was that my over-medium eggs were served over-easy, a faux pas that a predominantly breakfast restaurant should not be making. Again, I am more flexible than many and it was not a biggy as far as I was concerned. As we say in the US Air Force: "Flexibility if the key to Air Power" ... HOOAH!


There is still no Peggy's Place website, no menu posted online (other than the one I posted last Easter and it was removed from Yelp for some unknown reason), no advertising, and zero social media presence, all things I recommended earlier this year. They have not even claimed their Yelp page and most likely have not read their negative (and positive) reviews. 


If business owners neither listen to their customers nor understand advertising in this day and age, the likelihood is, ultimately, failure. Most new restaurants close their doors within the first two years and I hope that does not happen here, so I seriously hope Peggy's Place is prospering despite my serious concerns.


CombatCritic Gives Peggy's Place A Very Generous 4 Bombs Out Of 10 - A 4 Bomb Deduction From Last Easter - More Bombs Are Better!

Four Bombs Equates To:
Translation for Civilians: "Bend Over, Here It Comes Again"

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp "GOLD" ELITE '14/'15/'16/'17/'18/'19 
  • 650,000+ Views A Year
Read Chris S.'s review of Peggy's Place on Yelp

Peggy's Place Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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 3 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: Washougal, WA: Peggy's Place Revisited - Lessons Learned? Nope!

Key Words: Washougal, WA: Peggy's Place, Peggy's, Peggy, place, Portland, OR, breakfast, lunch, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, Google, Facebook


Copyright 2019 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved

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
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"

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp "GOLD" ELITE '14/'15/'16/'17/'18/'19 
  • 650,000+ Views A Year
Read Chris S.'s review of Smitty's Restaurant on Yelp

Smitty's Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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

Key Words: Washougal, WA, Portland, OR, Camas, steakhouse, coffee shop, Smitty's, Smitty, Smittys, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook


Copyright 2019 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved

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