TravelValue: Portland, Oregon

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Vancouver, WA: Solid, For A Chain, Breakfast And Service ... The Decor Is Another Story

Biscuits Cafe

1801 SE 164th Avenue, Suite 103

Vancouver, WA 98683

Phone number: (360) 718-2293

Prices: $$$$

The place ain't much to look at, but the service was great, the food pretty damn good, and the prices fair. What more could you ask for ... ambiance?

In a strip mall, the floor is bare, the tables and chairs unimpressive, but functional and the decor nearly non-existent. Fortunately, we were not eating the decor. I was a bit concerned because the staff all looked very young, but they were actually quite impressive ... very friendly, efficient and professional. The also have a few large wrought iron tables out front, but being a cool Fall morning, we decided to eat in.

One Biscuit & Gravy Combo ($8.95*)

We arrived about an hour before my son needed to be at the airport (15 minutes away) for his flight home and there was a short wait when we arrived, but the hostess quickly seated us when I told her about our dilemma (we were next on the list BTW). She even brought us water and had our server Holly stop by post haste.

Country Fried Steak and Eggs ($12.99*)

My son had the Country Fried Steak and Eggs ($12.99*) and it looked pretty good, a fact he confirmed as he wolfed his breakfast down. My wife went with the Keeping It Simple ($8.95*), where you pick three items from a choice of 27 items, selecting French toast, hash browns and apple juice. She seemed pleased and was full when we left, so problem there you have it. I had the One Biscuit & Gravy Combo ($8.95*) , coming with a biscuit and gravy (obviously), two eggs (over-medium) and three slices of bacon, adding a side of hash browns for an additional $2.49*, a bit pricey I thought, but it was a massive portion. With a name like "Biscuits" Cafe, you would think the biscuits would be big and awesome, but mine was rather small although it was light and flaky as it should be. The country gravy was good, not great, the eggs perfectly cooked, the bacon just a tad too crispy, and the hash browns big, crisp (I ordered them that way) and tasty.

Keeping It Simple ($8.95*) - French toast, hash browns and apple juice

Holly was a delight, keeping us apprised of our order's status, keeping our coffees topped-off, delivering our food relatively quickly, even bringing the check ASAP so we could pay and get to the airport as soon as needed. Which brings me to my main concern, the reception/cashier's station which created a bit of a choke point at the entrance/exit. I think things would flow quite a bit better, especially when busy, adding a touch of sophistication if you paid your server vice having to walk up to the cashier to pay while they are trying to simultaneously take the names of customers coming through the door.

CombatCritic Gives Biscuits Cafe 7 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Seven Bombs Equates To:

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Read Chris S.'s review of Biscuits Cafe on Yelp

* All Prices Are Approximate Because They Do Not Publish Menu Prices Online And I Did Not Get A Copy Of The Itemized Check

Title: Vancouver, WA: Solid, For A Chain, Breakfast And Service ... The Decor Is Another Story

Key Words: Biscuits Cafe, biscuits, biscuit, gravy, breakfast, eggs, bacon, Vancouver, WA, POrtland, OR, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato

Translation for Civilians: S&G = "Shits & Grins"

Thursday, August 31, 2017

Tualatin: "Muy Buena Comida" Means "Very Good Food" ... A CombatCritic BEST VALUE!

Rosie’s Kitchen
8145 SW Nyberg Street
Tualatin, OR 97062
Phone number: (503) 563-6890
Website: rkmexicanfood.com
Prices: $$$$

"Muy buena comida!" or for the language impaired, go to Google Translate like I did ... "very good food!". I do not dole out five-star (9-10 Bombs) ratings very often, leaving my highest marks for the places with the best food, superior service, appropriate ambience, and, most importantly, outstanding value. The name of my blog, after all, is "TravelValue".

Off the beaten path and unimpressive from the outside, Rosie's sits in a small strip mall hidden from the main road and not far from I-5 in Tualatin. The inside is simple and basic with a counter where you order and several tables where you can sit and eat your meal if you so choose. This family run operation offers freindly, responsive and efficient service.

Guacamole (about $4) is made to order and we were given the option of eliminating tomatoes and jalapeńos (which my wife is intolerant to), so we took them up on it. With avocado, cilantro, and diced onion as the main ingredients, it was both tasty and plentiful for the price. The chips were homemade and fresh as were the salsas with not one, but six different choices (regular, avocado, habańero, tomatillo, and one other ultra-hot variety).

The cheese and onion enchilada (about $3.50) was unlike any I have had. The handmade tortilla had been soaked in red chile sauce, but instead of being smothered in more sauce, covered with cheese and broiled, this one was topped with shredded lettuce, tomato, queso fresco (queso blanco), and slices of avocado. I like the smothered variety, but this one was deliciously fresh.

My wife's quesadilla ($4.95) was a decent size for the price and her carne asada taco ($2) traditionally made with a hot handmade tortilla, diced steak, cilantro and onion, not the Americanized variety so many places pump out with pre-fab hard shells, ground beef, loads of shredded lettuce and a little cheese.

I ordered the carne asada dinner ($10.95), a thin marinated grilled steak with grilled green onion, a roasted poblano pepper, three handmade corn tortillas, rice and beans. A good value for the price, there was not as much beef as you would see in some restaurants that charge $14-$18 for carne asada, but plenty enough for me to make three reasonable size tacos. The only thing missing was some guacamole on the plate, a nice addition they may want to consider offering for an additional 50¢ to $1.

The menu is very simple, but missing some ala carte items (enchiladas and guacamole for example, hence my "about" estimations) as well as drinks, so I am merely guessing at the prices of those items. They also charge 50¢ for soft drink refills, but may want to consider raising the price by 25¢ and foregoing the refill charge for simplicity's sake. At less than $27 for our dinner for two, we ate very well, the quality of the food was top-notch, and the service excellent.

Do yourself and the owners a favor and seek this place out. They are a small family-run business open for just 10 months and in a building void of much street or foot traffic, making it all that more critical to market themselves properly and for word-of-mouth advertising by folks like you and me to let others know about this hidden gem.

CombatCritic Gives Rosie's Kitchen 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/'17 - 650,000+ Views A Year

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie - Over 1,890,733 Review And Photo Views

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

Read Chris S.'s review of Rosie's Kitchen on Yelp

Title: Tualatin, OR: "Muy Buena Comida" Means "Very Good Food" ... A CombatCritic BEST VALUE!

Key Words: Portland, Rosie's Kitchen, Rosie, Rosie's, kitchen, Rosy, taqueria, Tualatin, Portland, Oregon, Mexican, taco, tacos, restaurant, combatcritic, combat, critic, review, menu, travel, value

The "Star" Of The 2017 Eclipse: Taqueria La Fuente

Taqueria La Fuente

12198 SW Main Street

Tigard, OR 97223

Phone number: (503) 639-3653

Website: lafuentedetigard.com
Prices: $$$$

A bright, sunny, cloudless day in Portland, Oregon suddenly turned dark and cool, the birds stopped chirping. The quiet deafening, the light seemingly escaped into the vastness of the great Northwest before suddenly returning as if someone flipped a celestial light switch. Was the end of time near? If this was going to be our final meal, it seemed clear that we should eat a bunch o' tacos.

In a tiny strip mall perpendicular to Main Street in downtown Tigard and barely visible from the street, we found Taqueria La Fuente. Nondescript from the outside, the inside was simple, yet clean with several laminate-top booths and tables. The hot, fresh homemade chips and salsa quickly arrived compliments of the friendly server who warmly welcomed us on this historic day.

A Dos Equis Amber draft (16 oz - $4.25) seemed like a good way to start, quickly followed by a side order of guacamole ($2.95). The beer was cold and frothy and the guacamole as good as any restaurant guac I have had, simple, flavorful and larger than those others charge twice as much for.

Tacos were the star of this show. We ordered the Crispy Tacos ($8.50) and Tacos Mexicanos ($8.85), coming three each to the plate with no rice and/or beans. The crispy tacos came deep fried with two medium tortillas each, filled with carne asada (or your choice of meat), lettuce, tomato and cheese. A little leftover guacamole, metaphorically, was the icing on the cake. The tacos Mexicanos were simple, as they should be, one with carnitas, one with carne asada and one with shredded beef (cabeza), all on large, soft corn tortillas, topped with chopped white onion and cilantro, and accompanied by sliced radish and lime wedges. If they do tacos this well, I can hardly wait to return to sample the other menu items because these were some of the best restaurant tacos I have had in recent memory.

On our second visit, they were closing soon, so we did not go nuts, ordering the go-to Crispy Tacos and a Cheese and Onion Enchilada ala carte ($3.25). I also tried the House Margarita ($5.75), asking for it blended with salt, but when it arrived it was "on the rocks". I did not make an issue of it being so late. The margarita was OK, not big and not very strong, so I think I will stick with the cerveza from now on. The enchilada was presented quite nicely with shredded lettuce, a drizzle of sour cream and some chopped cilantro, but the toppings masked the flavor of the enchilada which was what I wanted to taste.

Cheese and Onion Enchilada

Flan

The service was impeccable - friendly, efficient and professional. We even received a complimentary order of Flan at the conclusion of our second visit, fluffy and delicious as any I have had. Taqueria La Fuente was the "star" of the show and a "bright" spot on an otherwise dark day, celestially speaking. At just $24.55 before tip on our first visit, this was one of the best values I have seen in my two plus months since moving to Portland, hence my nearly perfect rating ...

CombatCritic Gives Taqueria La Fuente 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/'17 - 650,000+ Views A Year

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie - Over 1,890,733 Review And Photo Views

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

Read Chris S.'s review of Taqueria La Fuente on Yelp

Title: Tigard, OR: The "Star" Of The 2017 Eclipse: Taqueria La Fuente

Key Words: Portland, Taqueria La Fuente, taqueria, la, fuente, la fuente, Tigard, Portland, Oregon, Mexican, taco, tacos, restaurant, combatcritic, combat, critic, review, menu, tavel, value

Monday, August 28, 2017

Sherwood, OR: Pizza Schmizza - The Only Good Thing About This Place Is The Beer

Schmizza Public House

15982 SW Tualatin Sherwood Road

Sherwood, OR 97140

Phone number: (503) 925-8093

Website: schmizzapublichouse.com

Prices: $$$$

Not good. We filled our pie holes and left satiated, but otherwise it was a very forgetful experience.

The place is not inviting, bright and laid out in a strangely open arrangement with relatively few tables. They were playing a trivia game when we entered and received many strange looks, as if we were somehow not welcome. We gave a hint (the answer) to the metrosexuals next to us for an opera question they obviously had no clue how to respond to, the answer to which was "Carmen". They basically ignored us, looking like they had never been to an opera in their lives, but celebrated gleefully when they found out that their (our) answer was correct. Grow a pair girls and thank your knowledgable and compassionate neighbors for your victory. Anyway, ...

My wife had another unimpressive $14 Mac and Cheese, boring and severely overpriced, and I the Tuesday Street Tacos Special ($11). The mac and cheese was flanked by two pieces of garlic toast, adding a little flavor to the otherwise tasteless dish. The tacos (shredded beef) were attractive to the eye, but mediocre to the palate with little beef, more lettuce, a dusting of cheese, and a very thin slice of avocado (great idea, sad execution). The cheap tortilla chips on the side were straight out of the bag and disgusting.

The best value of the night was the cold pint of IPA ($5), so go for a beer and head down the street to the OSF for lots o' pasta.

CombatCritic Gives Schmizza Public House 4 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Four Bombs Equates To:

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16/'17 - 650,000+ Views A Year

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie - Over 1,890,733 Review And Photo Views

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

Title: Sherwood, OR: Pizza Schmizza - The Only Good Thing About This Place Is The Beer

Key Words: Schmizza, pizza, Sherwood, Oregon, beer, pub, public, house, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, business, review, Yelp, Zomato

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