CombatCritic™ ... World traveler - 42 countries and counting; Military Leader - Four combat operations; Amateur chef; Published author and producer - over 4 million visitors on seven platforms! Yelp "Black" Elite '14/'15/ '16/ '17/ '18/ '19 / '20/ '21/ '22 / '23 / '24; TripAdvisor ¨Local Guide¨, Zomato "VERIFIED CONNOISSEUR"; Booking.com "GENIUS"; and Foursquare "INSIDER". On the Front Lines in the Battle Against Mediocrity - Follow Me To TravelValue™ ... That's A Freakin' Order!

Saturday, December 10, 2022

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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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

Countries Visited ... So Far ... 42 And Counting!

Static

(The Big Picture)

Interactive

(See More Detail)

List (Alphabetical)

Andorra - Principality of Andorra

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 ... 42 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

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Ericeira (Lisbon), Portugal: Ay Caramba, Delicious Mexican Food With A View!

El Chilito

R. da Boavista 3

2655-319 Ericeira, Portugal

+351 927 454 456

Web: ElChilito.pt

Prices: €€€€

We eat enough Portuguese food, so we decided to go Mexican for a change and I am glad we did!

El Chilito does a great job considering that they are so far from Mexico and that Mexican food in Europe is traditionally terrible.

We started with Queso Fundido (€6), Guacamole (€6), a Margarita (€5.50), and an Horchata (€2.50). The queso came with two large tortillas and was gooey and tasty. The guacamole was plentiful, but lacked seasoning, needing a bit more garlic and salt. The margarita was very good, although 'on the rocks' was the only option (I prefer blended), but the horchata was too watery and the cinnamon, sprinkled on top instead of being blended in, would not stir into the rice drink.

We both had the Bistec (Steak) Tacos (2 for €7.50), brimming with cubes of steak, melted cheese, onions, and a seasoning which was good, but a tad too spicy for my wife. Our server graciously offered to make her two tacos without the seasoning and offered me her's, so I ended up with four. They were delicious ... HOOAH!

We ended our fiesta with the Churros com Cajeta, a big bowl of churros and another small bowl of Doce de Leite (dulce de leche), both excellent, but the doce de leite would have been much better had it been served warm rather than cold.

We enjoyed our Mexican feast and, considering how much delicious food we ended up with, I consider this restaurant an excellent TravelValue!

CombatCritic Gives El Chilito 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

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

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Mafra (Lisbon), Portugal: Central, Superficially Nice, But Bed And Pillows Were A Nightmare

Hotel Mafra

Avenida 25 de Abril, Mafra 2640-456 Portugal

+351 261 816 050

MafraHotel.com

Prices: €€€€

We stayed here because the hospital where our dog was having his second cancer operation recommended it. I expected a better value and a decent night's sleep.

Pros:

Staff were very nice
Fairly modern facility
Small refrigerator in the room
Good breakfast, many choices
Distant ocean view

Cons:

Bed was terribly uncomfortable

We woke up with back aches - deal breaker!

Pillows were far too thick and hard ... ouch!
There was black mold in the shower

For €80, during low season, with an uncomfortable bed and in an isolated area, I would expect to pay €70 max!

CombatCritic Gives Mafra Hotel 4 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

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

Friday, December 2, 2022

Olhão (Faro), Portugal: Good, Authentic Mexican Food In Europe? You Bet!

Hola Torito Restaurante Mexicano

Avenida 5 de Outubro 156

Olhao 8700-304 Portugal

+351 289 704 343

Website: HolaTorito.pt

Menu: HolaTorito.pt/menu

Prices: €€€€

Comparatively speaking, 'Hola Torito' (their new name) would get 9 Bombs (5 Stars) because Mexican restaurants in outside the USA are normally quite inauthentic and bad. This place actually has better Mexican than some stateside cantinas.

Their Guacamole (€4) is quite good with fresh smashed avocado, plentiful in the Algarve as cultivation of the little, green delights has skyrocketed in recent years (weather similar to SoCal where avocado trees flourish), diced white onion and tomato, garlic, salt, and cilantro. An order comes with a basket of fresh, hot, crispy homemade tortilla chips (otherwise €3 w/ their tasty salsa, also made in-house).

I have had their Enchiladas Rancheras (€10.90), which are pretty good, coming with rice and beans, but I prefer the crispy Gringos tacos (3 for €10.90) with ground beef, cilantro, cheese, pico de gallo, and guacamole as well as rice and beans.

The Margaritas (€5) are excellent even though they could use a tad more tequila, but I recommend getting a Jarro (jug/liter ´€15) if purchasing three or more because you will get at least one additional margarita for the price.

So often, even in the US, you get store bought tortilla chips which taste like crispy cardboard and Old El Paso prefab taco shells, but Hola Torito stands out by taking the time to make their own chips, salsa, and taco shells ... HOOAH!

I cannot, in good conscience, give them 9 or 10 Bombs (5 Stars) because I know deep in my heart that this is not the best Mexican restaurant I have ever eaten at, but by European standards, they do a pretty damn good job. The owners apparently lived in San Diego for a time and, fortunately for us, learned a few things about making authentic Mexican food ... Olé!

CombatCritic Gives Hola Torito 7 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Seven Bombs Equates To

Translation for Civilians: "Shits & Grins"

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