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!
Follow Me To TravelValue!
Vancouver, WA: No Veal, No Deal – Olive Garden Delivers Mediocrity with a Side of Sticker Shock
Olive Garden 16405 SE Mill Plain Blvd Vancouver, WA 98683 Phone number: (360) 256-4051 olivegarden.com Prices $$ $$ We came for the all-yo...
Showing posts with label La. Show all posts
Showing posts with label La. Show all posts
Thursday, June 15, 2023
Monday, January 27, 2020
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
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,
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Gresham, Oregon: Not A Lot Of Luck, But A Decent Meal At La Herradura
La Herradura Mexican Restaurant
90 NE Division Street
Gresham, OR 97030
Phone number: (503) 491-1650
Prices: $$$$
My buddy took me to La Herradura (the horseshoe) and it was pretty good, but I have had better and less expensive Mexican meals at many other restaurants in this and numerous other cities. Portland Mexican restaurants, like their Italian brethren, are, unfortunately, mediocre at best and this horseshoe was not exactly what I would call lucky.
First off, we had to pay for chips and salsa ($2.50), which were OK, coming with a small cup of mild green salsa and a similar size cup of bean dip. For the price ($4.95), the equally small cup of guacamole we ordered was not particularly a bargain, but it was decent. So far, so average.
 |
| My Tacos - Excuse The Crappy Photos, But My Samsung S7 Went Tits-Up |
I had recently been through a rather traumatic experience and the purpose of our lunch was to talk about what had been going on and how I was doing. The place was relatively empty, but the server kept coming to our table, asking me if I was ready to order every 3-4 minutes, interrupting our rather sensitive conversation on each occasion. She eventually tried to sway me toward the lunch specials, which I had seen on the way in and was not particularly thrilled about. Finally, I had to quickly peruse the menu and out of frustration, went with my mainstays, two Carne Asada Street Tacos ($1.60 ea) and two Cheese and Onion Enchiladas (ala carte - $2.50 ea). Each taco came on two tiny little corn tortillas with a small amount of chopped, grilled steak, along with some diced white onion and cilantro. They were adequate, but I get much more meat on two larger corn tortillas at my local taqueria for just $1.50 a piece. The enchiladas were pretty good with lots of cheese and red chili sauce, but the onions were inexplicably missing.
 | |
|
All in all, not bad and not great, but lunch for $30, including tip, with only water to drink seems a bit pricey for the meal we had. The service was efficient and friendly enough, but the nearly constant interruptions and the pressure to order our meals was a bit disconcerting.
CombatCritic Gives La Herradura 5 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!
Five Bombs Equates To:
Translation for Civilians: "Continue Mission"
Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:
... 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: Gresham, Oregon: Not A Lot Of Luck, But A Decent Meal At La Herradura
Key Words: Gresham, Oregon, luck, La Herradura, la, herradura, horseshoe, mexican, taco, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook
Copyright 2020 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved
Monday, December 16, 2019
Mesquite, NV: Go On Inn To La Fonda For Overpriced, Underwhelming Mexican Food
La Fonda
550 W Pioneer Blvd
Mesquite, NV 89027
(702) 346-0907
Website: None ... Really?
Prices: $$$$
550 W Pioneer Blvd
Mesquite, NV 89027
(702) 346-0907
Website: None ... Really?
Prices: $$$$
One tiny taco and one small cheese enchilada with a smattering of rice and beans for $14 seems a bit unrealistic to me, but that was the case here. Margaritas start at $8, guacamole was $3.99 for a tiny scoop ($6.99 serves 2), and the chips were straight out of a bag. I got one small basket of tortilla chips, along with mild and spicy salsas, the highlight of a rather forgettable meal.
Hidden in the back of a strip mall, if you blink while on Pioneer Boulevard, you will likely miss the sign which is hidden among numerous other businesses. The inside lacks any warmth or charm, reminiscent of something between Taco Bell and Denny's.
The service was adequate, but unfriendly and I had to walk up to the register to pay because I got tired of waiting for the check to arrive.
What food I got tasted OK, but I walked away hungry and with $17 less in my pocket. Earth to La Fonda ... make your own chips, serve them warm, and bring an extra basket if necessary; a single taco and single enchilada dinner should top out at $10 to $11 max, not $14; a basic 12 ounce house margarita should cost $5 to $6 if you hope to draw in customers; and show your customers that you appreciate them by making us feel welcome and appreciated.
Go to El Coyote Charro across town if you want a delicious, fresh, authentic Mexican meal with a similar lack of ambiance for half the price. How this place rates 4/5 stars is beyond me unless most of the customers come from Back East or across the sea.
CombatCriticitic Gives La Fonda 3 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!
Three Bombs Equates To:
Translation for Civilians: "Situation Normal, All Fucked Up"
MENU
Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:
... 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: Mesquite, NV: Go On Inn To La Fonda For Overpriced, Underwhelming Mexican Food
Key Words: Mesquite, NV, La Fonda, la, fonda, inn, Mexican, tacos, taco, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook
Copyright 2019 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved
Friday, December 7, 2018
London, England: I Was, Nearly, Over The Moon For La Luna
La Luna
380 Walworth Road
London SE17 2NG
United Kingdom
Italian, Pizza
Phone number +44 20 7277 1991
Website: lalunapizzeria.com
Prices: ££££
380 Walworth Road
London SE17 2NG
United Kingdom
Italian, Pizza
Phone number +44 20 7277 1991
Website: lalunapizzeria.com
Prices: ££££
Pretty good Italian food at a reasonable price, the place was quiet on a Thursday night after our first day in London and a miserable trip (two cancelled flights, lost luggage, and no sleep for 36+ hours). It is a simple place with a nice ambiance and the aroma of garlic in the air as we entered.
Many of the staff are Italians, a good thing at an Italian restaurant, with the chef hailing from bella Napoli. The pizza oven looks authentic, but it appeared out of use until the pizzaiuolo (pizza maker) put our garlic bread inside to bake. Turns out it is gas fired.
We started with a Caprese Salad - "fresh (buffalo) mozzarella cheese, tomato, basil, and olive oil" (£6.90) - as well as an order of garlic bread (£3) as previously mentioned. The mozzarella was neither fresh nor Mozzarella di Bufala as far as I could tell and there were just four large, halved cherry tomatoes surrounding the ball of cheese which was topped with one lonely basil leaf. There was a "skin" on the outside of the mozzarella and it did not ooze liquid, indicating that it wIt was not the worst Caprese I have had, but it was far from the best. The garlic bread was actually pizza dough topped with olive oil and salt, then baked in the gas oven. It was tasty and a decent value. I also had a half bottle of house red wine (£6.90), a Merlot which was smooth, light, and tasty.
I saw that they had a Salsiccia e Friarielli (sausage and broccoli rabe sautéed in olive oil) Pizza (£9.90) on the menu, so I asked if they could make me a pasta dish with sausage and friarielli as well, a request to which they readily agreed. Bravo! The pasta was quite tasty and well prepared, indicating that the Neapolitan chef knew what he was doing. They charged me the same for the pasta as they do for the pizza (£9.90).
My wife's Spaghetti Carbonara (£8.50) was made with cream, pancetta, and egg and she enjoyed it very much even though it was "a bit too salty". It was a decent portion and a very good value for the price, but authentic it was not as you would never find cream as an ingredient in a carbonara in Italy.
I would have given them an extra "BOMB" had the Caprese salad been better and more fresh and the carbonara prepared more traditionally. As they say in bella Napoli ... così così (so-so).
CombatCritic Gives La Luna 6 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!
Six Bombs Equates To:
Translation for Civilians: "Good To Go"
Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:
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!
Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 3 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: London, England: I Was, Nearly, Over The Moon For La Luna
Key Words: La Luna, la, luna, Italian, pizza, Southwark, England, Walworth, Kennington, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, Google, Facebook
Key Words: La Luna, la, luna, Italian, pizza, Southwark, England, Walworth, Kennington, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, Google, Facebook
Copyright 2018 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
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: $$$$
What a great little place! With an unassuming store front in a small strip mall with far too little parking, Chubasco serves top-notch, authentic Mexican food at a very reasonable price.
"A chubasco is a violent squall with thunder and lightning, encountered during the rainy season along the Pacific coast of Mexico, Central America, and South America" (Wikipedia).
With a plane to catch at Bob Hope Burbank Airport just a few miles away in two hours, I needed something quick and tasty. I ordered two crispy shredded beef tacos ($2.25) and a cheese and onion enchilada ($3) à la carte as well as a side order of guacamole ($1.95). They brought me a complimentary basked of fresh, warm chips and some salsa (green or red) to eat with my guac.
The guacamole was the size of a $5 - $6 order at most places and seasoned perfectly and tacos were spot-on with hot, crispy shells, an abundance of shredded beef, lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and grated queso fresco (fresh, white cheese). I added a little of the guacamole and some salsa, making these the perfect tacos, the tacos that I have been missing since moving to the Pacific Northwest.
The enchilada had plenty o' cheese and onion, the homemade red enchilada sauce was sublime, a perfect blend of chiles (not tomato) and spices, and it was topped with more cheese and broiled before serving.
All in all, for just $12.50 including tax, this was one of the best values, when it comes to meals, I have had in recent memory. The service was fast and friendly and the place clean although very basic, with just a few small tables and chairs.
11220 Laurel Canyon Blvd
San Fernando, CA 91340
Phone number (818) 361-7408
Prices: $$$$
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.
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:
... 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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)