CombatCritic's TravelValue™: moules

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!

Showing posts with label moules. Show all posts

Monday, December 24, 2018

Paris, France: Mussel Your Way In To Cafe de l'Est

Café de l’Est
78 Boulevard de Strasbourg
75010 Paris, France
10ème, Canal St Martin/Gare de l'Est
Phone number +33 146070094
Website: cafedelest.com
Prices: €€€€

A small brasserie just across from Gare du l’Est, this place may not look like much, but the food was good and the price was right. Very basic, but clean, they have an extensive “Entrée Bar” (think salad bar) available at a nominal fee.

My wife and I both had the Moules Frites (€11.90 each), a large portion (about 500g) of fresh mussels in a sauce made with white wine, cream, sautéed onions, and parsley. There was a South Asian flavor in the sauce, maybe coriander or curry, I was not sure, but it was tasty nonetheless. Not the best mussels I have had, they were very good and a great value. Dinner for two, including 50cl of Cote du Rhone, cost us a grand total of €32.

Our server, Roumaissa, was extremely friendly and her English excellent. The owner, Mohammed, was also very kind, having offering us an after dinner drink on the house.

CombatCritic Gives Cafe De l’Est 7 Bombs Out Of 10 … More Bombs Are Better!

Seven Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Shits & Grins"

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CombatCritic's Travel Value: France

Friday, December 1, 2017

Bugibba, Malta: By "George", This Little Pub Was Quite The Find

The George

Tourist Street Qawra

San Pawl il-Baħar (Bugibba) Malta

Facebook Page: @thegeorgepubmalta

Phone: +356 2734 9002

Prices: €€€€

We stop by The George nearly every night for a pint on our way back to our apartment from the Bugibba Bus Terminus, but tonight was the first time we actually had something to eat.

I saw someone eating the mussels last week and they looked incredible. We stopped by last Tuesday for dinner, only to find that the kitchen is closed on Tuesdays ... DRAT! The kitchen was open tonight, fortunately, and we had a very enjoyable dinner (or is it "pudding"?).

Being a retired Air Force airman, I had a couple pints of Bombardier, getting us off to a good start, then it was on to the Bangers and Mash for the wife €8 and the Mussels, of course, for me. The bangers and mash were quite savory and tasty, three scrummy sausages on top of mashed potatoes topped with brown gravy and a pork rind ... very nice. My mussels (€16), a kilo no less, were in a stout, cream and horseradish sauce that was quite spicy and delectable. The accompanying crusty bread was fresh, soft and perfect for dipping in the tasty sauce. I had to add a side of chips (€3) because that is the way the French do it and we all know that the French do it better than the Brits ... I'm winding you up, so don't get your knickers in a twist!

The food and service, thanks to Julie, were spot-on, but the prices are just a tad high compared to other places on Malta we have frequented, so that is one reason for the small deduction in rating. The other being the fact that the first time we heard about The George was from a gent on the corner across from the bus terminal advertising free music and £1 pints that night, but when I ordered a pint of Bombardier later that evening, I was charged €3.50 (£3.09), more than three times the advertised price. Finally, a €10 to €14 burger should also come with a side of chips, but that is just this reporter's opinion.

My blog is called "TravelValue", so I must be honest when it comes to little things like "value", bang-for-the-buck if you will. For example, €4 for a pint of John Smiths last night seemed a tad high, the bangers and mash (with no side/salad) would be better priced in the €7 to €7.50 range, and at €16 the mussels might come with a side of chips (fries) as has been the case in most places I have had mussels in the past. Otherwise, I can find no faults with The George and we shall return after a week's closing for maintenance on the 11th.

Cheers big ears!

CombatCritic Gives The George 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better Mate!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

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Title: Bugibba, Malta: By "George", This Little Pub Was Quite The Find

Key Words: Bugibba, Malta, The George, pub, the, George, mussels, moules, frites, chips, Qawra, San Pawl, il-Baħar, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, review, Yelp

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

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Denver, Colorado: Le Central Is "Le Bombe"

Le Central (French)

112 E 8th Ave

Denver, CO 80203

Southwest, Capitol Hill

Phone: (303) 863-8094

Web: lecentral.com

Prices: $$$$$

Escargots En Brioche - $7

Le Central is one of my favorite restaurants … anywhere … and I have eaten at some of the best restaurants in the 39 countries I have visited so far. I was in India a week ago, but found out that my mom was hospitalized and dying, so I made my way over a 72 hour period to be by her side in Colorado Springs when she died on February 12^th, 2015. Long story short, I was taking my wife to the Denver airport so she could return to work and we decided to stop at Le Central for their Happy Hour menu.

We have been gone for seven years, but the place has not changed except for the being open in the afternoon with a limited, but exceptional menu. They offer a $3 glass of wine, escargots, crepes, their fabulous mussels and French fries (moules frites).

Moules Et Frites "Portugaise" - $12.95

I has a glass of pinot noir ($3), which was excellent, the escargots in brioche ($7), and the moules Portuguese ($12.95). The pinot noir was dry, a deep red, and robust. The escargots were superb as usual and I mopped-up every last drop with the wonderful French baguette. The Portuguese mussels were excellent with slices of chorizo and chunks of fresh tomato in the white wine based broth infused with garlic although the broth was not as plentiful as I would have liked as was the case in years past. The frites were excellent, perfectly salted and hot, but by the time I de-shelled all of my mussels, they were not as hot as I would have liked … DRAT!

The prices have gone up a bit since we were there last, but Le Central is still an outstanding value. The service is always excellent, the food sublime and very reasonable, the wine list extensive, and the ambience country French. If you have not tried Le Central, you do not know what you are missing!

CombatCritic Gives Le Central the Coveted 10 Out of 10 Bombs … Plus de Bombes Sont Mieux! (More Bombs Are Better)

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Title: Le Central Is "Le Bombe"

Key Words: Le Central, le, central, French, France, restaurant, menu, escargots, wine, moules, frites, fries, Denver, Colorado, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value

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Vancouver, WA: No Veal, No Deal – Olive Garden Delivers Mediocrity with a Side of Sticker Shock