Calabasas, CA: NBA Superstar and LA Lakers Great Kobe Bryant Dead At The Age Of 41 (January 26th, 2020)

Most people will remember Kobe as the magnificent athlete who inspired a whole generation of basketball players. But I will always remember him as a man who was much more than an athlete. pic.twitter.com/9EZuwk8wrV

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (@kaj33) January 26, 2020

https://www.cnn.com/videos/sports/2020/01/26/kobe-bryant-death-kareem-abdul-jabbar-nr-vpx.cnn/video/playlists/kobe-bryant-dies-in-helicopter-crash/ 

Title: Calabasas, CA: NBA Superstar and LA Lakers Great Kobe Bryant Dead At The Age Of 41 (January 26th, 2020)

Key Words: basketball, bryant, CA, Calabasa, crash, dead, death, hall of fame, helicopter, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, killed, kobe, kobe bryant, la, LA LAkers, Lakers, national, NBA, superstar, tribute, 

San Fernando, CA: Shiver Me Timbers, This Chubasco Blew Me Away!

Chubasco Restaurant
11220 Laurel Canyon Blvd
San Fernando, CA 91340
Phone number (818) 361-7408
Prices: $$$$

What a great little place! With an unassuming store front in a small strip mall with far too little parking, Chubasco serves top-notch, authentic Mexican food at a very reasonable price.

"A chubasco is a violent squall with thunder and lightning, encountered during the rainy season along the Pacific coast of Mexico, Central America, and South America" (Wikipedia).

With a plane to catch at Bob Hope Burbank Airport just a few miles away in two hours, I needed something quick and tasty. I ordered two crispy shredded beef tacos ($2.25) and a cheese and onion enchilada ($3) à la carte as well as a side order of guacamole ($1.95). They brought me a complimentary basked of fresh, warm chips and some salsa (green or red) to eat with my guac.

The guacamole was the size of a $5 - $6 order at most places and seasoned perfectly and tacos were spot-on with hot, crispy shells, an abundance of shredded beef, lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and grated queso fresco (fresh, white cheese). I added a little of the guacamole and some salsa, making these the perfect tacos, the tacos that I have been missing since moving to the Pacific Northwest. 

The enchilada had plenty o' cheese and onion, the homemade red enchilada sauce was sublime, a perfect blend of chiles (not tomato) and spices, and it was topped with more cheese and broiled before serving.

All in all, for just $12.50 including tax, this was one of the best values, when it comes to meals, I have had in recent memory. The service was fast and friendly and the place clean although very basic, with just a few small tables and chairs.

CombatCritic Gives Chubasco Restaurant 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 Chubasco Restaurant 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 1 Million Views!

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

Title: San Fernando, CA: Shiver Me Timbers, This Chubasco Blew Me Away!

Key Words: Chubasco Restaurant, San Fernando, CA, chubasco, LA, Los Angeles, Mexican, taco, tacos, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, Google, Facebook

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

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!

Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"

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

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube and our sister channel, CombatCounselor Chronicles, with 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

Eureka, CA: La Patria Means "Homeland" And Boy Is It Nice To Be Home Again!

La Patria Mariscos & Grill Restaurant

1718 4th Street
Eureka, CA 95501
Phone: (707) 407-3848

FINALLY, after 8 years of mediocre Midwest Mexican food, I found a real Mexican restaurant and I had to return to California to find it!

La Patria is unassuming and simple with 8-10 tables, one waitress, one cook, and great food. As soon as I sat down, a small (complimentary) bowl of refried beans topped with cheese arrived along with freshly made chips and both red and green homemade salsas. Draft beer is $3.50 and an order of guacamole is $3.95.

They have everything you would expect, including carnitas, carne asada, fajitas, tacos, rellenos, enchiladas, tostadas, burritos, tamales and so on, but they had a few things I had not seen before in 59 years of loving Mexican food. Gorditas and sopes, both coming in a baked masa (corn meal) enclosure, the gorditas more like a round sandwich and the sopes similar to a tart pastry shell. Both are filled with refried beans, cheese, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, and your choice of meat (carne asada, carnitas, shredded or ground beef, and chicken among others - fish, shrimp, lamb and goat are $2 more). 

For $10.49 you get your choice of a soft taco, crispy taco, super taco, enchilada, chili relleno, tamale, burrito, tostada, gordita, or sope (choose any two - any meat) with rice and beans. I had a super taco (a large, fried flour tortilla filled with shredded beef, lettuce, tomato, cheese and guacamole) and a gordita with carnitas. The super taco shell was a bit greasy, not surprising as flour tortillas do not deep fry quite as well as corn, but it was massive, filling and delicious. The gordita was excellent, not greasy at all with the crispy masa halves filled with carnitas and the other yummy ingredients.

The place is simple, the service excellent, the food delicious, and the prices very reasonable. What more can you ask for in a Mexican restaurant ... FINALLY!

CombatCritic Gives La Patria Mariscos & Grill Restaurant 9 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Nine Bombs Equates To:

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

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

Tabelog - Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - #1 Ranked Foodie





... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

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Title: Eureka, CA: La Patria Means "Homeland" And Boy Is It Nice To Be Home Again!

Key Words: La Patria Mariscos And Grill, La Patria, la, patria, Eureka, California, CA, Mexican, 4th, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

Editorial: Airbnb Condones Unprofessional Behavior And Discrimination By Its Hosts

Airbnb
San Francisco, California

I have noticed a recent trend on Airbnb, in Eureka, California at least, where hosts have either canceled after having made a "confirmed" Instant Booking or ignored my requests to reserve a room posted as "available" on their calendar during the applicable dates.

I requested a reservation on two different occasions at Jennifer's Garden View Room for a upcoming trip to Eureka, changing the dates due to unforeseen circumstances, but never getting a response despite promises to get back to me the "in next day or so". Here is the transcript of messages:

July 6, 2016

Hi Jennifer! 

I'm thinking of coming to Eureka for at least a week. Your calendar looks clear and I'm finalizing the rest of the details, but want to make sure your place is available and for how long before I make reservations in other towns. 

Look forward to hearing from you soon.

Thanks!

Chris

--------

July 6, 2016 

Hi Chris! 

Nice to hear from you. I will have to check with a couple of possible renters and get back to you in the next day or so. 

Thanks! 

Jennifer 

 ----------

July 9, 2016 

Change of plans out of my control ... Please let me know if your place is available (during these dates) or know (of) another option. Not much available in my price range in town during that period. 

Thanks! 

Chris

------- 

July 9, 2016 

Hi Chris. Good to hear from you. I need to check my calendar tomorrow and get back to you. 

Jennifer

------ 

Not one, but six days later and no response from Jennifer, I sent he another message: 

July 15, 2016 

I'll take the silence as a no. Not having much luck with Eureka hosts. Thanks anyway! 

Chris 

------ 

July 16, 2016

Sorry Chris, I haven't been able to check my phone or work on your questions. But I think I'll pass on this one. 

Extremely unprofessional behavior and bordering on discriminatory, considering the fact that the room is posted as available, but she refuses to accept my reservation. Maybe I should change my profile:

About Me 

School: Los Altos High School (Hacienda Heights, California); California State University, Los Angeles, California 

Work: Retired Air Force Officer, Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in the treatment of PTSD with military and Veterans 

Languages: English, Italiano

After being ignored, then refused, by Jennifer, I checked Airbnb for other options in Eureka during those dates and, oddly enough, Jennifer's Blue Room - Arcata, CA, United States was still available for the exact dates I was requesting. It seemed obvious that Jennifer did not want me staying with her for some reason. Maybe she does not like Veterans because that was all she knew about me based on what is in my profile, that and the countless positive reviews from hosts we have stayed with.

As I mentioned earlier, I made an "Instant Book" reservation (for the very first time) at Terri's "Serene Views", a different private room in Eureka, California. Instant Book is a feature that allows you to enter your dates of travel and if a listing's calendar has no occupancy during that time, you can get an instant "confirmed" reservation instead of waiting for the owner to get back to you. Sometimes it takes days to get a confirmed reservation from some of these ding-a-lings, so when I saw what looked like a nice place at a good price, I cancelled a reservation I had made on another site in the interim and booked with Eureka Terri ... BIG MISTAKE!

An hour-and-a-half later, I got a message from Terri:

"Looking forward to meeting you!"

BUT ... nearly four hours later, as I was prepping for my trip, I received this surprising, inadequate and unprofessional excuse from Terri:

"My family requests a visit during this time. Hope you find a suitable replacement. Thank you."

Here is Airbnb's CONFIRMATION OF MY CANCELLATION:

UNSAT ... FUBAR ... My week in Eureka was now Tango-Uniform  and I scrambled to find a place to stay in my price range ... thanks, for nothing Jennifer, Terri and Airbnb!

I had to pay hundreds of dollars more because a couple of Airbnb Airheads, an unprofessional newbie and a tree hugging liberal, could either not keep their calendars up-to-date or simply discriminate against guests based on the information in our "verified" profiles. It makes Airbnb look bad because they condone this unprofessional behavior and it should not have been allowed. 

What is the purpose of Instant Book if your confirmed reservation can simply be cancelled on a whim by the host? Useless ... both Instant Book and Airbnb's response to the situation ... because when I sent them a message communicating my dismay, all I got was an automated response telling me, to paraphrase: "we're too busy and important to respond to every customer ... sorry, you are on your own bub!"

Here is the message I sent to Airbnb, telling them about the discriminatory behavior by their hosts:

I requested a room for these exact dates on two occasions with Jennifer and she told me there was no availability (just yesterday), yet this room in her home is advertised as available during that period. She told me twice that she'd "get back to me" the next day, but failed to contact me after more than 5 days both times, leaving me hanging without a reservation. 

She is the second inconsiderate host in Eureka, having Instant Booked a room at another house (with Terri), only to have (her) cancel four hours later.

Airbnb should police their hosts a little better to prevent unprofessional behavior and/or outright discrimination against Veterans (and many others according to the NY Times and numerous lawsuits). It's obvious that these "liberal" hosts don't want a male, conservative, retired, military officer staying with them and that is not just wrong, it's illegal.

If you don't do something about it, I will. 

Thanks!

Chris S

I have yet to receive a response from Airbnb, hence, I am writing this editorial. If you would like to read the New York Times article on Airbnb's condoning of discriminatory behavior by their hosts, you can read more here: New York Times: Discrimination by Airbnb Hosts Is Widespread, Report Says

CombatCritic Gives Discriminatory Jennifer, Cancellation Terri And Airbnb 1 Bomb Out Of 10 And A Spot On MY WALL OF SHAME ... More Bombs Are Better!

 One Bomb Equates To:

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

Tabelog - Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - #1 Ranked Foodie





... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Title: Editorial: Airbnb Condones Unprofessional Behavior And Discrimination By Its Hosts

Key Words: Airbnb, room, apartment, stay, Jennifer, Terri, Eureka, Arcata, CA, California, accomodation, hotel, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, service, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog, airbnb.com

Translation for Civilians: FUBAR = "Fucked Up Beyond All Repair"