Jaipur, India: Jammie's Is Jammin' In Jaipur ... It's "The Bomb"

Jammie's Kitchen

52, Green Park, Queens Road, Khatipura, Jaipur 302021, India

Phone: +911412358308

Website: http://www.jammieskitchen.com

Prices: $$$$

What happens when a five-star chef opens a restaurant in the suburbs of Jaipur, serving top quality food with outstanding service, in an upscale environment at extremely reasonable prices? You get one of the best values money can buy, so if you are in Jaipur, or anywhere close for that matter, you MUST go to Jammie’s!

We were recommended Jammie’s by our host at Rampura Kothi, our guesthouse just a few blocks away. We entered early by Indian standards, about 6:45, because we were leaving very early the next morning for Goa and needed to pack and hit the rack. The restaurant was deserted except for several well-dressed staff standing around as the door was held open for us and we were seated.

Tablecloths, cloth napkins, nice cutlery, and a candle adorned the table and the room was warmly decorated in an upscale, modern design. The service impeccable, we had one of the six or so waiters at our table even if we only looked like we might need something. Our order was quickly taken and our first courses (appetizers) arrived after 15-20 minutes, rather quickly considering what we had ordered.

My wife had the Mushroom Quiche (325 rupees/$5.20), a short crust pastry filled with mushrooms and cheese topped with beaten eggs and cream and baked in the oven. It was remarkably big, probably six to seven inches in diameter, perfectly baked, with a crisp, thin crust and a light, savory filling that was not moist and not dry … perfection!  I decided on the Croquettes de Pommes de Terre au Fromage (295 rupees/$4.75), potato croquettes stuffed with cheese, coated in breadcrumbs and fried, and served with a zesty house side salad. Again, they were perfectly cooked and delicious with six rather large croquettes and a salad that was small, but extremely tasty and spicy.

For our entrees, my wife had the Wild Mushroom Risotto (350 rupees/$5.65), fresh Shitake mushrooms and Arborio rice finished with dry white wine Parmesan cheese and I the Chicken Cordon Bleu (395 rupees/$6.40), marinated chicken breasts stuffed with ham and cheese, coated with bread crumbs, fried, and served with parsley potatoes and garden vegetables. The risotto was good with just the right consistency, but a tad on the bland side. Fortunately, it came with a small cup of grated parmigiano cheese, enhancing the flavor and experience. The cordon bleu came two on the plate and were, again, perfectly cooked with the outside crispy, not burnt, and the ham and cheese at the appropriate temperature on the inside. I would have preferred mashed potatoes, but the potatoes were well seasoned and delicious and the vegetables nicely steamed. I have to say I have not had a better chicken cordon bleu anywhere in the World, especially at that price.

Jammie stopped by the table after our meal to introduce himself and I complimented him on his fine restaurant, outstanding food, and amazing service, telling him that I would highly recommend Jammie’s to all of my readers, so …

CombatCritic Gives Jammie’s Kitchen A VERY RARE 10 Out Of 10 Bombs … BOMBS ARE GREAT!

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: Jammie's Is Jammin' In Jaipur ... It's "The Bomb"

Key Words: Jammie’s Kitchen, Jammie’s, kitchen, Jammie, continental, food, restaurant, menu, Jaipur, TripAdvisor, trip, advisor, travel, value, CombatCritic, India, review, menu

Colorado Springs, CO: Sushi Or Not Sushi, That Is The Question

I-Fish

562 West Hwy 105

Monument, CO 80132

Phone: (719) 488-9898

Website: ifishmonument.com

Prices: $$$$

I am not a big sushi or sashimi fan. I have eaten both on several occasions and I personally just don't get it or see what all the fuss is about. A bunch of rice with seaweed wrapped around it and some vegetables or fish inside. Paying top dollar for something with so little taste just ain't my style. I ate freshly caught Mahi Mahi sashimi while on a 50 foot sailing yacht during a SCUBA diving trip to Yap and it was "OK", nothing to write home to Guam about.

Anywho, my sons and a friend of theirs wanted to come here for the $14.95 all-you-can-eat lunch deal, so I was cajoled into joining in. Two of them had the all-you-can-eat deal and what they received looked quite appealing and filling for the price. 

My youngest son, who is not a sushi/sashimi fan like myself, and I decided to go with something more flavorful, so we both went with the Beef Yakisoba ($8.95). It was tasty enough, but not overly abundant. There was a medium size pile of the flavorful, fried noodles and a shredded carrot garnish, but it seemed as though my son got most of the beef when they split it into two dishes. As Wendy would say, "where's the beef?"

I will not let my opinion of sushi and the like sway me, so I base my rating on the quality of the food, the flavor of what I ate, the service, the atmosphere, and most of all the value. The food was good, the service excellent, the atmosphere nice, and the value average.

CombatCritic Gives I-Fish 6 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better

Six Bombs Equates To:

"Good To Go"

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I-Fish

Title: Sushi Or Not Sushi, That Is The Question

Key Words: I-Fish, I, Fish, IFish, sushi, sashimi, Monument, Colorado, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Tabelog, Zomato

Translation for Civilians: G2G = Good To Go

Colorado Springs, CO: Muy Bueno ... Very Good, Authentic Food And An Excellent Value!

Rodolfo’s Mexican Grill
15932 Jackson Creek Pkwy
Monument, CO 80921
Phone: (719) 487-9410

Prices: $$$$

Bare bones atmosphere, a few tables and chairs, a walk-up service window, and no servers, but very good food at reasonable prices in the corner location of a strip mall.

My son is a vegan and loved his bean and rice burrito with guacamole ($4.45). It was huge!

I am not vegan, or even a virgin for that matter, so I ordered chips and guacamole ($2.80), carne asada tacos ($2.35 each), and cheese and onion enchiladas ($3.95) ala carte. The chips were a tad too greasy, as if they had just been reheated in the deep frier, but pretty good with a little shredded cheese and a bit more guacamole on top. I needed some more guacamole, so I went back to the counter to get an additional side order for the chips and my tacos., but when I asked to pay I was told "no charge". Wow ... gracias!

The carne asada tacos came on large corn tortillas and were heaped with sliced beef, diced onions, pico de gallo, guacamole, and a little shredded cheese ... just the way I like them ... buenísimo! They also have a small salsa bar with three different salsas (two red and one green), some pico de gallo, fresh cut lime, and pickled jalapeño and sliced carrots. They were all great, but I had to taste each to find out how hot they were, so some signage would be my only suggestion.

The enchiladas were also very good. The red chili sauce was spicy and tasty and there was just the right amount of cheese to sauce ratio. The only drawback being way too many sliced onions on top instead of a few diced onions inside the enchiladas. The taste was pretty much the same, but it was hard to see the enchiladas through the onions and they were a bit overpowering.

In all, the food was fresh, excellent, and very reasonable. Coming from Lawrence, Kansas where they do not seem to know what good, authentic Mexican food is, Rodolfo's was a breath of fresh air in more ways than one. Being a cold Colorado night, the place was a bit chillier than expected, so dress warm and enjoy some good food.

CombatCritic Gives Rodolfo's Mexican Grill 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... Más Bombas Son Mejores!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

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Rodolfo’s Mexican Grill

Menus

Title: Muy Bueno ... Very Good, Authentic Food And An Excellent Value! 

Key Words: Rodolfo's Mexican Grill, Rodolfo's, Rodolfo, Rudolfo, Mexican, grill, Monument, Colorado, springs, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Tabelog, Zomato

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

Parkville, MO: Guacamole Price Skyrockets, Otherwise Same Good Food

Rancho Grande Cantina

11015 NW Hwy 45

Kansas City, MO 64152

Phone: (816) 505-9097

Website: ranchograndecantina.com

Prices: $$$$

We don't get over to Parkville that often, but when we do, we always stop at Rancho Grande.

Pitchers of margaritas are $12 during Chiefs games, a great deal for some of the best and strongest margaritas in the Midwest. 

They raised the prices on guacamole by $1.30 (which always needs extra salt) among other things, uncool, but the food is still good and plentiful. The small guacamole (used to be $3.69) is now the large ($4.99) and is overpriced by at least a $1 based on quantity, Chips are obviously made in house, half tortillas, and the salsas are very good.

Their fried tacos are excellent, although shredded beef would be a good option, and the cheese and onion enchiladas are some of the best within a 50 mile radius. I normally get the #1 combo, two cheese and onion enchiladas, a deep fried beef taco, a tostada, rice and beans ($10.09), but I sub an extra taco for the tostada at no extra charge.

The service is always good, although we were weekly regulars for 5 years and most employees do not remember us. I guess absence does not make the heart grow fonder at Rancho Grande.

CombatCritic Gives Rancho Grande (Parkville) 7 Bombs Out Of 10

Seven Bombs Equates To:

"Shits & Grins"

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Rancho Grande Cantina

Title: Guacamole Price Skyrockets, Otherwise Same Good Food

Key Words: Rancho Grande Cantina, rancho, grande, cantina, Mexican, Parkville, Kansas City, MO, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Tabelog, Zomato

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

Abilene, KS: Great Man, Not So Great Library

Eisenhower Presidential Library & Museum

200 SE 4th Street

Abilene, KS 67410

Phone: (785) 263-6700

Website: eisenhower.archives.gov

Prices: $$$$

A bit disappointing - based on the fact that Ike was not just a president, but a hero, a man of great honor and integrity - there were far too many words and too few artifacts. The campus is unremarkable in its 1940s/1950s era architecture with stark rectangular yellow brick buildings surrounding the highlight of the grounds, the white, two-story Eisenhower home built in the late 1800s.

There are four buildings to visit: the visitor's center with gift shop and a 24-minute introductory video; the meditation chapel where he, Mamie, and there young son are entombed; the Presidential Library which is off-limits except for the lobby and a small exhibit upstairs on our WWII Allies; and the museum. There is also a large sculpture of Ike between the library and museum. It was a cool December day and the somewhat lengthy walk between buildings was quite chilly, I cannot imagine it being much fun during a blizzard or a sub-zero day in the middle of winter.

The Eisenhower home is small, so it does not take long to tour. The most impressive thing about it is the original furnishings, decor and photos, all as they were when Ike's mother died in the 1940s and when it became a museum. You can imagine the family siting around the front room or parlor, listening to the radio or talking about their day on the farm.

The meditation chapel is nothing special and you would never know a president and his wife were buried there if not for the small bronze plaques at the base of each marble slab covering the graves and the American flag at the head of Ike's tomb.

The walk to the library from the chapel takes 5 minutes across the quad. It has a modern feel with brick and glass as you enter the two-story lobby where you will find a guard, a large conference room, a life size photo of Ike and Mamie, a cross section of the famous Eisenhower tree cut down at Augusta National Golf Club (where Ike was a member) after a storm in the 1990's, and a bronze sculpture of Ike's head. On the second floor is an exhibit of the less known World War II Allies (e.g. Belgium, France, Poland, Ukraine) and, like the museum across the way, far too many story boards with lengthy descriptions to read and not enough historical pieces to admire.

The museum is much the same way, lots of reading and not much stuff. If you like to travel long distances to read, this is the place for you. There are some interesting items like the enigma machine mentioned in another review, Ike's mother's electric car, his Cadillac staff car from the war, some WWII era weapons, a tank, and a Jeep, Mamie's wardrobe from the White House years, and a 1950's living room as well as a replica of Eisenhower's office. Otherwise, there is a lot of reading, a photo or some other period piece (not necessarily directly related to Ike) here and there, and a couple short videos.

At $12 a pop, $9 for retired military/veterans and students (with ID), it is not the best value. Compared to the Truman library in Independence just 2 1/2 hours east on I-70, I found it a bit disappointing. Particularly because a fair portion of the museum is under construction with 2x4s laying around next to half built displays (with more words on them). If you are passing by Abilene on I-70 east or west between Denver and Kansas City and have an hour or two to spare, it is definitely worth a visit. If you have to make a special trip like we did, an hour and 45 minutes each way, I am not sure it would be worth it, particularly because Abilene is a town of 7,000 in the middle of nowhere with nothing else to do except watch the streets rust. Enough said.

CombatCritic Gives Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum 5 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better

Five Bombs Equates To:

"Continue Mission"

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Title: Abilene, KS: Great Man, Not So Great Library

Key Words: Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, Eisenhower, Ike, presidential, president, library, presidential library, museum, archive, grave, Abilene, Kansas, KS, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor

Translation for Civilians: "Charlie-Mike" =Continue Mission