Colorado Springs, CO: Gut Food, Gut Service, Gut Prices ... UWE's IS THE BOMB!

Uwe's German Restaurant

31 Iowa Ave

Colorado Springs, CO 80909

(719) 475-1611

Price Range: $$$$

I have spent quite a bit of time in Germany over the years, so I know good, authentic German food when I see and eat it. THIS IS THE REAL DEAL! I been eating at Uwe's for many years and very little has changed over the decades ... authentic German food, friendly and efficient service, large portions, and very reasonable prices. What more could you ask for?

The restaurant is not impressive to look at, being in a small 1950s era strip mall off of Pikes Peak Avenue with an interior that looks like it has not been updated since the 1960s. But looks are deceiving because their fresh bread, delicious salads, frothy beer, zesty goulash, rich sauces, tender schnitzel, succulent bratwürst, and homemade späetzel are everything you would expect at a restaurant in Germany. In-fact, the owner, Sabina and her husband (the chef), and most of the employees have a German accent, always a good sign.

My favorite is meal the wiener (veal) schnitzel cordon bleu, two breaded veal cutlets stuffed with ham and cheese then baked to gooey perfection, served with a side of Hunter's (mushroom) sauce, crispy home fries, and veggie of the day. Meals are preceded by fresh pumpernickel bread and either a salad, an assortment of German potato salad, pickled green beans, crisp greens, tomatoes and cucumbers topped with a light vinaigrette dressing, or you can have soup, either goulash or their soup of the day (if available).

Jägerschnitzel (Jaegerscnitzel)

The roulade is a traditional German stuffed beef roll with thinly sliced beef wrapped around pickle, bacon, onion and mustard, topped with a light sauce, and accompanied by German potato dumplings (spätzel) and red cabbage. For those with a zest for the spicy, the Hungarian paprika schnitzel is a good choice and the Jäegerschnitzel, breaded pork cutlets (2) covered with a thick mushroom (Hunter) sauce, is always a hearty, filling, rib-sticking meal.

Uwe's has a nice selection of wine and beer, domestic and import, with the Wärsteiner Dünkel, a dark, frothy, delight being my go-to beer for German meals. You can even get a pitcher of Wärsteiner in a traditional ceramic German decanter for around $15. Desserts are traditional and inexpensive with warm apple strüdel and ice cream taking center stage for those with massive appetites and room left over for their sweet finish.

Lunch is an even better value with slightly smaller portions and greatly reduced prices, but do not plan on getting much done that afternoon. As I mentioned earlier, the service is always excellent and, as you would expect in an authentic German restaurant, very efficient with little small talk while remaining friendly and helpful.

I have many excellent meals in Germany and Uwe's ranks right up there with some of the best, so if you like German food, do not miss a trip to Uwe's while in Colorado Springs. Because of their great food, excellent service, and outstanding value, I have no choice other than to give Uwe's my highest rating ...

CombatCritic Gives Uwe's German Restaurant 10 Bombs Out of 10 ... BOMBS ARE GUT ... And A Spot On CombatCritic's WALL OF FAME!

Ten Bombs Equates To:

"Phonetic spelling of the acronym HUA, which stands for 'Heard Understood Acknowledged.' Originally used by the British in the late 1800's in Afghanistan. More recently adopted by the United States Army to indicate an affirmative or a pleased response." - Urban Dictionary

"The Department of Military Science and Leadership, University of Tennessee claim HOOAH 'refers to or means anything except no' ... Regardless of its meaning ... the term is an expression of high morale, confidence, motivation and spirit." - WarChronicle.com

"The U.S. Air Force stole 'HOOAH' from the Army because we were part of the Army until 1947 and rather than waste a bunch of time coming up with something new and unique, we said 'screw it, let's go with HOOAH' ... thanks Army ... HOOAH! - CombatCritic

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Title: Gut Food, Gut Service, Gut Prices ... UWE's IS THE BOMB!

Key Words: Uwe's, Uwe, German, restaurant, 80909, Colorado Springs, Colorado, springs, schnitzel, weiner, Jäeger, Jäegermeister, Wärsteiner, dünkel, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Zomato

Translation for Civilians: HOOAH - "Sehr Gut!"

Taco Zone (Lawrence, KS) - Kansas City yelp Review of the Day (ROTD) - January 7, 2016

Taco Zone
13 East 8th Street
Lawrence, KS 66044
Phone: (785) 424-7123
Website: thetacozone.com
Prices: $$$$

Selected yelp Review of the Day (Jan 7, 2016)

In a small shop in downtown Lawrence on 8th Street just east of Massachusetts Street (known to locals as "Mass") you will find Taco Zone's new location. Having originated in the back of a bar a few blocks up the street on Mass, they have apparently done well enough to rate their own space. Yelp reviews have been very favorable so far, so we decided to give them a try.

Being a self-proclaimed guacamole connoisseur and aficionado (and legend in my own mind), we had to start with the Guacamole and Chips ($5). At first glance, the guacamole was a bit on the small side for the price, maybe half an avocado's worth ($.75 retail) at best considering, like many restaurants, they use tomato as an ingredient and "filler". Having grown up in California with its rich Mexican influence, tomatoes are not routinely used in guacamole and, I believe, they detract from the essence of the almighty avocado. Beside being on the puny side, the guacamole was not bad, the avocados ripe and, unlike many commercial varieties, it was well seasoned. The chips were obviously made in-house, perfectly crisp and a deep golden brown. Tortilla chips need just the right amount of salt and my wife and I normally have to add salt to restaurant tortilla chips, but these were over-salted, detracting from otherwise nearly perfect taste. Close on both counts, but unfortunately no cigar.

The menu selections are very limited. You can get tacos (3), a burrito, a torta (Mexican-style sandwich), nachos, or their "special", which in this case was a roasted pork and green chili soup, all at $7 a pop. Meals are not accompanied by rice or beans, in-fact they are not even an option. I am not a big rice fan, but a traditional side or two, such as borracho (the word for "drunk" due to beer being a primary ingredient) or charro ("horseman" or "cowboy") beans would be a nice option.

Traditional tacos vary by region in Mexico and come with some form of meat, normally grilled or roasted, such as "carne asada" (sliced or chopped, marinated beef steak), "al pastor" (roasted pork shoulder shavings, normally served with pineapple), "picadillo" (ground beef cooked with tomato, onion, and chiles), "carnitas" (pork braised or simmered in oil for several hours), "barbacoa" (barbecued beef, normally from the head of the cow), "de pescado" (grilled fish), or "de camarones" (grilled or sauteed shrimp) just to name a few. Each meat filling comes with its own unique accompaniments, including chopped/diced onion, pineapple, avocado, guacamole, tomato, pico de gallo, chile, radish and/or carrot, almost always accompanied by green or red salsa, chopped cilantro, and fresh, sliced lime.

Being our first visit, we tried the tacos and nachos for our entrees at $7 each. You get three tacos in a box with your choice of three of the seven somewhat unusual filling options. I say unusual only because these are, for the most part, uncommon taco combinations (beef and sweet potato, mole and poblano pepper, chorizo and potato) or ingredients (mole, sweet potato, potato, and cheese). I ordered one each taco cochinita pibil (pork, normally pigling, marinated in citrus juice with achiote seed), chile rojo beef and sweet potato, and green chile chorizo and potato. The nachos came with cochinita pibil and roasted garlic queso because my wife does not like pico de gallo (tomato in particular) or crema (cream, sour cream), both of which were included.

Each taco came with one tortilla instead of the usual two and they were a tad small, coming in at around 3.5 to 4 inches max, so the fillings appeared to be more substantial than they actually were. I am not positive if the corn tortillas are made on the premises or are purchased elsewhere, but they were good and thick enough that they held up well without falling apart, so two would have been overkill in this case. The cochinita pibil was topped with pickled carrot, the beef and sweet potato with sliced red onion, the chorizo with diced green chile and sour cream, and all were topped with too little chopped cilantro. There was a small container of a reddish salsa verde on the side which was obviously not store-bought and was neither too mild nor too hot (spicy). The cochinita pibil was tasty although a bit too dry and the other two were palatable enough, but could have done without the potatoes altogether in my opinion. Like the tomatoes in the guacamole, they seemed to serve more as a filler, saving the house some money rather than enhancing the culinary experience.

The nachos came in a similar size, but deeper cardboard box with the same good, but over-salted chips, the roasted garlic queso, and cochinita pibil (you also get your choice of the seven fillings - in this case toppings). There were plenty of chips and the cheese sauce, although again nontraditional, was warm, creamy, and delicious. There was also plenty of the too dry pork and another container of the red/green salsa. When I added the pico de gallo and salsa to the nachos, they were quite good although they were not bad without them. The crema was unnecessary in my opinion, detracting from the yummy cheese sauce and adding additional fat while contributing little to the flavor.

They have specials every day and a decent, varied selection of reasonably priced drinks. The taco plate would be more appropriately priced at $5.50 to $6 and "Taco Tuesday" brings the plate in at a much more reasonable $5. Another bargain is "Finally Friday" with Cadillac margaritas being half-price (on Fridays of course) although I am not positive about either the size of or ingredients in them, so I cannot comment on their full-price or half-price value. You get free "fresh water" on Wednesdays if that is any kind of deal or enticement. The only addition to the drink menu that could contribute to a better, more authentic experience would be horchata, a traditional sweet Mexican drink made from rice and with vanilla, cinnamon and sugar added. A digestivo such as RumChata, a liquor made with cream-based horchata and rum, would be another good after dinner option.

My recommendations for a better value and experience are:

1. Less salt on the chips
2. Slightly larger or cheaper guacamole WITHOUT tomato
3. A few more menu options, including some side dishes
4. Focus on more traditional meat fillings and lose the fillers
5. Fresh lime slices are required with traditional tacos and are very inexpensive - provide them
6. Drop the entree prices slightly or add a side, like borracho beans, effecting profits negligibly

I was quite pleased with our meal overall and service was excellent, but there are too many concerns for me to give them 9 or 10 Bombs (5 Stars on Yelp, TripAdvisor, Zomato, and Tabelog). Therefore, ...

CombatCritic Gives Taco Zone 7 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

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Read Chris S.'s review of Taco Zone on Yelp

Taco Zone

Title: Kansas City yelp Review of the Day (ROTD) - January 7, 2016

Key Words: Taco Zone, taco, tacos, zone, Lawrence, Kansas, Massachusetts, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, review of the day, ROTD, of, the, day

Translation for Civilians: "S&G" - Shits And Grins

Colorado Springs: Went Twice, Closed Both Times - Stop Wasting My Time!

Duca’s Neapolitan Pizza

12229 Voyager Pkwy

Colorado Springs, CO 80921

Phone: (719) 487-3200

Website: ducaspizza.com

Prices: $$$$

My son and I tried to eat here twice during my recent visit to Colorado, but on the night I got into town (Wednesday), they were closed when we arrived shortly after 8pm. We returned the following Sunday at around 5pm hungry for a Neapolitan pizza, but they were again closed so we gave up on Duca's.

How is the pizza? No idea and I guess I will never know because they will not be open long if paying customers arrive to find the doors locked. 

I checked their prices online and they are not unfair, but I cannot tell you if this is a good value because I COULD NOT TASTE THE PIZZA. For example, a Margherita pizza in Naples (hence their name, Neapolitan: "someone or something from Naples, Italy") runs around €5 to €6 which equates to around $5.50 to $6.50 (today), so $6.95 is not unreasonable. 

American "Neapolitan" pizzas tend to average 12" in diameter, but if you order a pizza in Naples, you will never get a 12" pizza unless it was a mistake. True Neapolitan pizzas are at least 13" to 14" in diameter and you would never find chicken on a pizza in Naples, particularly the "BBQ" or "Buffalo" or variety as is the case at Duca's.

A pizza place that closes at 8pm? Give me a break and stop wasting my time!

CombatCritic Gives Duca's Neapolitan Pizza 1 Bomb Out Of 10 ... You Know The Rest

One Bomb Equates To:

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Title: Colorado Springs: Went Twice, Closed Both Times - Stop Wasting My Time!

Key Words: Duca's Neapolitan Pizza, Duca's, Duca, Neapolitan, pizza, Naples, Colorado Springs, Colorado, springs, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Zomato

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

Colorado Springs, CO: Oh Brothers, $19 For A $10 Pizza Special?

Borriello Brothers

15910 Jackson Creek Pkwy

Monument, CO 80132

Phone: (719) 884-2020

Website: borriellobrothers.com

Prices: $$$$

Beware when ordering "specials" and adding extra ingredients. Our $10 18" one-topping pizza specials skyrocketed to $19 because the $1 extra toppings we were quoted turned out to be $3 each on an 18" pizza.

The pizza is average and the Genoa salami I paid extra for as a "specialty topping" was used very sparingly. I may as well have ordered a cheese pizza because there was hardly any of the up-charged salami anywhere to be found.

My son is vegan and ordered his pizza without cheese, but having added red pepper, roasted tomato and fresh basil, the "$10 special" ballooned to $19. I can buy an entire basil plant for a little more than $3, so charging that much for a few measly leaves is unconscionable. His pizza was also burnt on the bottom, so we had to wait an additional 20 minutes to get an edible pizza while mine grew cold to the touch.

It is difficult to find good pizza anywhere but on the right and left coasts and I was left unimpressed after this experience. My son also told me that the last time he went there he asked if he could substitute an additional topping seeing that he cannot eat cheese and asked that the mozzarella be excluded, but he was told, "no you cannot" ... UNSAT. 

CombatCritic Gives Borriello Brothers 4 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Four Bombs Equates To:

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Title: Oh Brothers, $19 For A $10 Pizza Special?

Key Words: Borriello Brothers, Borriello, brothers, brother, pizza, pasta, Colorado Springs, Colorado, springs, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Zomato

Translation for Civilians: BOHICA = "Bend Over, Here It Comes Again"

Is The AgroMafia Diluting Your Extra Virgin Olive Oil?

Italian products, from wine and olive oil to Mozzarella di Bufala, Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto, are well known, desirable, and expensive, so when we purchase a well-known Italian brand name we should get what we pay for ... right? Well that may not in-fact be the case.

According to a CBS 60 Minutes story on what is called the "AgroMafia", 50% of extra virgin olive oil on Italian market shelves and 70% - 80% on American store shelves are substandard, sometimes dangerous products black-marketed under well known brand names by the mafia and/or camorra. The problem is not confined to just olive oil, but wine, cheeses, tomatoes, ham and many other Italian products are also being exploited.

View More: 60 Minutes News|Live News|More News Videos

For those with seed or nut allergies, be extremely careful when purchasing Italian products, particularly olive oil, because cheaper seed or nut oils (e.g. sunflower oil) are often used to dilute or replace the extra virgin olive oil. For information on how you can avoid buying and overpaying for substandard products from Italy, watch this 60 Minutes Overtime video:

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Title: Is The AgroMafia Diluting Your Extra Virgin Olive Oil?

Key Words: Agromafia, agro, mafia, Italy, Italian, olive oil, extra, virgin, extra virgin olive oil, wine, parmigiano, prosciutto, CBS, 60 Minutes, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, story, black, market, Yelp, TripAdvisor

Translation for Civilians: 

Lawrence, Kansas: Siam Feeling My Arteries Clogging After Eating Their Curry

Thai Siam
601 South Kasold Drive
Lawrence, KS 66049
Phone: (785) 331-2525
Website: Don't Have One
Prices: $$$$

This review will be shorter than most because I only had takeout for myself this time and the last time I tried to eat there, the lady would not let me in because I was there eight minutes before opening at 5pm, so I left. I should not have returned ... fool me once, shame on me (you know the rest).

I ordered egg rolls (2 for $2.25) and the Panang Beef Curry ($9.99). When I asked what was in the curry, I was told that there was "beef, curry, Thai basil, carrots and peanuts". I love beef, curry, basil and peanuts, but I do not like cooked carrots and they REFUSED to substitute potatoes or green peppers for the carrots. "We do not make substitutions" - not very flexible.

When I got home I found no peanuts in the curry, but in addition to the carrots there were red and green bell pepper and sliced jalapeños. No substitutions? Let me just say that it was not great. 

There was far too much fat (oil) floating on top and not nearly enough beef in the curry. I will say it once again for the second time in a week ... "hey Wendy, where's the beef?". In fact, there was so much oil that I skimmed 3-4 ounces off the top (see photos), all I could, and there was still too much fat. The flavor, once de-fatified, was not bad, but I can get a much better and cheaper Panang Beef Curry at Zen Zero on Mass Street for $1.70 less and I do not have to eat carrots.

The egg rolls were egg rolls, possibly made in house, but much like the curry, too greasy. I can feel my arteries clogging as I sit here writing this two hours later. If I were to die of a heart attack in my sleep tonight, I am sure this meal would be a contributing factor.

CombatCritic Gives Thai Siam 3 Bombs Out Of 10 (Feeling generous, I rounded up to 2 Stars Out Of 5 for this Yelp review) ... More Bombs (or stars) Are Better!

Three Bombs Equates To:

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Title: Lawrence, Kansas: Siam Feeling My Arteries Clogging After Eating Their Curry

Key Words: Thai Siam, Thai, Siam, Thailand, Chinese, Lawrence, Kansas, Kasold, curry, fat, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Zomato

Translation for Civilians: SNAFU = "Situation Normal, All Fucked Up"