CombatCritic's yelp Reviews of the Day (ROTD)

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Another Yelp "Review of the Day" (ROTD) For CombatCritic ... HOOAH!

Portland Yelp ROTD for 10/23/2019

SOLID. No BS here like I had at a place in downtown Washougal recently, Shelby's has fresh, hot food (not frozen); excellent and friendly service; and fair prices. What more can you ask for?

It was chow time, so we headed to Shelby's for the first time and I am not quite sure why we waited so long because I had heard good things about them. The decor is simple and nostalgic with tasteful maple wainscoting and knick-knacks adorning the walls. Best of all, it was very clean! We were met with a smile and a welcome, then taken immediately to a booth in the main dining room (the pub-style lounge was also an option).

I asked about happy hour and was told that it was from 2-5pm daily in the lounge, so we were a bit late anyway. Their happy hour food menu looked appealing with a few real bargains like a hamburger or BBQ sandwich for $7 or street tacos for $3 a piece. I was a bit dismayed by their happy hour drink discounts with just 50¢ off of wells ($8-$11), wine ($9), and beer ($6). Their drinks are not particularly cheap, so a food deal is definitely in order.

My wife got the Mushroom and Havarti Burger ($13) with grilled mushrooms, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato and garlic mayo, coming with a large side o' fries, a relative bargain in this town ... HOOAH! Her meal was hot, obviously freshly made, and very tasty. The meat looked fresh and the Havarti was real cheese, not the processed cheese-like squares some places serve their customers.

I had a hankerin' for some BBQ, so I asked for the Brisket Plate ($14.50) with 6 ounces of brisket so tender and juicy that you could cut it with a fork, choice of two sides (fries, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, hush puppies, brussel sprouts and bacon, etc. - I had the fries and hush puppies), choice of BBQ sauce, and cornbread and butter. The brisket was scrummy, perfectly cooked and seasoned, and the fries were cut in house and hot and crispy, just like I like them. The brisket rivaled some of the best BBQ I had during our 11 years living in Kansas City, a city where you can find some of the best BBQ in the world. The hush puppies were also very good, crispy outside and soft and moist inside although I could taste neither the bacon nor the jalapeños purportedly contained therein.

The only negatives were minor ones: the temperature inside (could have been 4-5 degrees cooler); the minuscule happy hour drink discount; and the honey for the cornbread we were promised, but which never quite materialized. Those minor infractions were the only things separating this review from a perfect rating, a rating I do not routinely hand out as readily as many other reviewers do. So there ya have it ... good grub!

CombatCritic Gives Shelby's Grille 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

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

Sunday, December 30, 2018

Yelp Review of the Day (ROTD) - December 30th, 2018

Yelp Review of the Day - December 30th, 2018:

Portland Saturday Market
2 SW Naito Pkwy
Portland, OR 97204
Southwest Portland
Phone number (971) 252-1866
Website: portlandsaturdaymarket.com
Prices: $$$$

Adjacent to and under the Burnside Bridge in downtown Portland, the market extends west across Pacific Hwy. Food stalls, arts and crafts, clothing and hats, musical instruments, jewelry ... you name it and it can be found at the Portland Saturday (and Sunday) Market.

You can find reasonably-priced parking in nearby public lots on the weekend or take either the Red or Blue Line to the nearby Skidmore Fountain MAX Station. Start under the Burnside Bridge next to the Willamette River and work your way south, then west across Pacific Hwy, ending your journey at Portland's legendary Voodoo Doughnuts to pick up a dozen of their unique and tasty treats to take home with you. Do not forget to take a photo at Voodoo Doughnuts and immediately across the street in front of the "Keep Portland Weird" wall mural.

Open every weekend from March through Christmas Eve, the market is open Saturdays from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sundays from 11:00 am to 4:30 pm. Not much of a shopper myself, I simply enjoy people watching and sampling some of the eclectic food offerings both in the market and at neighborhood eateries.

Enjoy a couple of hours meandering through the 252 booths, sit and soak in the sun, watching the seagulls along the Willamette River, or shop to your heart's content. What more can you ask for?

Yelp (Portland) Review Of The Day (Dec 30, 2018)

CombatCritic Gives Portland Saturday Market 10 Bombs Out Of 10 And A Spot On My "WALL OF FAME" ... More Bombs Are Better!

Ten Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians:

HOOAH!: "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 like "ROO-YAH" or "HAL-A-LOO-YAH", we said 'screw it, let's go with HOOAH' ... thanks Army ... HOOAH!" - CombatCritic

Monday, August 7, 2017

Ho Hum, Another ... YELP REVIEW OF THE DAY (August 3rd, 2017 - Kansas City, MO): Bayleaf Indian Restaurant - Lawrence, Kansas

Chris S. wrote a review for Bayleaf Indian Restaurant & Bar

4/15/2017

ROTD 8/3/2017

We have been wanting to try Bayleaf since they opened, but had not until tonight. The food was ready as promised, 20 minutes exactly after I ordered on Eat Street. The place was empty at 5:35 on a Saturday, a bit odd, but the friendly server gathered our order post haste, listing the contents by memory exactly as we ordered them ... meat samosas - check, beef vindaloo - check, palak paneer - check, plain and garlic naan - check. She handed me my bag and I left.

With the $7 Eat Street discount, the tab came to just a tad under $32, not bad. But $39 for one appetizer, two entrees and some bread - no soup or salad, no drinks, no dessert - without the coupon it would not be a great value.

The Meat Samosas ($4.95), savory pastries with a chicken and vegetable filling and two dipping sauces (a red sweet and sour and a mild green) were big and good. The Naan (Plain - $2 and Garlic $3) were large and as fresh and good as any I have eaten.

My wife's Palak Paneer ($10.95) with fresh spinach and homemade curd cheese in a mildly spicy sauce was also as good as any we had during my four months in India. The Beef Vindaloo ($14.95) had plenty of beef and a few potatoes in a tomato and onion curry that was delicious. Both the palak paneer and beef vindaloo came with basmati rice, but $14.95 for a medium size curry and rice is a bit on the pricey side. At $8.95 and $11.95, they would have been a much better value, but the Indian restaurants in Lawrence seem to think they can get away with charging $15 for a curry and rice, so they do. That is why we do not eat at the two Indian restaurants (across the street from each other) in town all that often.

OK, maybe I am spoiled, but having eaten similar, but much better, meals for two in India for $10-$12 max, I find it difficult to shell out nearly 4 times as much stateside. If it were not for the $7 Eat Street discount, we probably would not have bothered, but I am glad we did because the food at Bayleaf was very good. Having lived in England for three years and traveled India for four months, I am used to good Indian food at reasonable prices. The Indian restaurants in Lawrence need to drop their dinner prices if they hope to fill their tables, which they are not doing currently.

I am basing my rating on a dinner for two for $31.50 (7 rating - with coupon), not $38.50 (5 rating - without coupon) ...

CombatCritic Gives Bayleaf Indian Restaurant 7 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

YELP REVIEW OF THE DAY (August 3rd, 2017 - Kansas City, MO): Bayleaf Indian Restaurant - Lawrence, Kansas

Read Chris S.'s review of Bayleaf Indian Restaurant & Bar on Yelp

Title: Ho Hum, Another ... YELP REVIEW OF THE DAY (August 3rd, 2017 - Kansas City, MO): Bayleaf Indian Restaurant - Lawrence, Kansas

Key Words: Yelp, ROTD, review of the day, of, the, day, Kansas City, Lawrence, Portland, Oregon, Missouri, Kansas, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value

Sunday, November 13, 2016

Yelp KC "Review of the Day" #5 For CombatCritic - Review of Formosa Bakery, Lawrence, Kansas

Read Chris S.'s review of Formosa Bakery on Yelp

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie

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

Title: Another Yelp KC "Review of the Day" - CombatCritic's Review of Formosa Bakery, Lawrence, Kansas

Key Words: ROTD, Review of the Day, day, KC, Kansas City, Kansas city, Missouri, Lawrence, Formosa Bakery, formosa, bakery, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato

Translation for Civilians: HOOAH! = "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 'fuck it, let's go with HOOAH' ... thanks Army ... HOOAH! - CombatCritic

Thursday, January 7, 2016

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:

Less salt on the chips
Slightly larger or cheaper guacamole WITHOUT tomato
A few more menu options, including some side dishes
Focus on more traditional meat fillings and lose the fillers
Fresh lime slices are required with traditional tacos and are very inexpensive - provide them
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!

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

TripAdvisor - Top Contributor

Tabelog - Official Judge (Bronze)

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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