TravelValue: England: Italian

Showing posts with label Italian. Show all posts

Friday, December 7, 2018

London: I Was, Nearly, Over The Moon For La Luna

La Luna
380 Walworth Road
London SE17 2NG
United Kingdom
Italian, Pizza
Phone number +44 20 7277 1991
Website: lalunapizzeria.com
Prices: ££££

Pretty good Italian food at a reasonable price, the place was quiet on a Thursday night after our first day in London and a miserable trip (two cancelled flights, lost luggage, and no sleep for 36+ hours). It is a simple place with a nice ambiance and the aroma of garlic in the air as we entered.

Many of the staff are Italians, a good thing at an Italian restaurant, with the chef hailing from bella Napoli. The pizza oven looks authentic, but it appeared out of use until the pizzaiuolo (pizza maker) put our garlic bread inside to bake. Turns out it is gas fired.

We started with a Caprese Salad - "fresh (buffalo) mozzarella cheese, tomato, basil, and olive oil" (£6.90) - as well as an order of garlic bread (£3) as previously mentioned. The mozzarella was neither fresh nor Mozzarella di Bufala as far as I could tell and there were just four large, halved cherry tomatoes surrounding the ball of cheese which was topped with one lonely basil leaf. There was a "skin" on the outside of the mozzarella and it did not ooze liquid, indicating that it wIt was not the worst Caprese I have had, but it was far from the best. The garlic bread was actually pizza dough topped with olive oil and salt, then baked in the gas oven. It was tasty and a decent value. I also had a half bottle of house red wine (£6.90), a Merlot which was smooth, light, and tasty.

I saw that they had a Salsiccia e Friarielli (sausage and broccoli rabe sautéed in olive oil) Pizza (£9.90) on the menu, so I asked if they could make me a pasta dish with sausage and friarielli as well, a request to which they readily agreed. Bravo! The pasta was quite tasty and well prepared, indicating that the Neapolitan chef knew what he was doing. They charged me the same for the pasta as they do for the pizza (£9.90).

My wife's Spaghetti Carbonara (£8.50) was made with cream, pancetta, and egg and she enjoyed it very much even though it was "a bit too salty". It was a decent portion and a very good value for the price, but authentic it was not as you would never find cream as an ingredient in a carbonara in Italy.

I would have given them an extra "BOMB" had the Caprese salad been better and more fresh and the carbonara prepared more traditionally. As they say in bella Napoli ... così così (so-so).

CombatCritic Gives La Luna 6 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Six Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Good To Go"

Saturday, March 24, 2018

London, England: Bizzarro Does Not Even Start To Describe This Place

Bizzarro

18-22 Craven Road

London W2 3PX

United Kingdom

Paddington Station

Phone number +44 20 7723 6029

Website: bizzarro.co.uk

Prices: ££££

Everything is à la carte here, like in Italy, but the food is not ... like in Italy. Meat dishes come with nothing and bread is €1/person. A 10% service charge (£4.19 - $5.80) was also automatically included, so our server seemed extremely arrogant and nonchalant, a bit of an ass. Why should he care if the service charge (tip) is mandatory? He did not get a pence more.

A half liter of house red wine is £9.40 ($13) on their website menu, but it was £10.20 ($14.15) when the bill arrived. The half liter carafe was far from full and it was not good. I had the Pasta e Fagioli (£4.50) and it was too soupy, had the wrong beans, and bland. Two teaspoons of grated parmesan did not even help. My wife the Olives (£2.90), a decent portion, but a tad spicy-hot because of the sliced jalapeños in the olive oil. Strange.

She had the Fettuccine Prosciutto e Funghi (£8.90 - $12.32 for a "main" - £1 more than the small) and I the Vitello Saltimbocca alla Romana (veal topped with prosciutto and sage in a wine sauce - £10.90 - $15.09). Her portion of fettuccine was not very big, so I would hate to see the small version (£7.90), and it was bland with little flavor. My veal was actually beef (you can tell by the color - greyish, not white - and the way it cuts) and had a strange flavor. I am not sure if it was the wine they used, the sage, or both, but it tasted a little of a chemical of some kind.

It was a disappointing experience after having read the great reviews, but then some throw 5-Stars around like candy. I guess I am a bit more demanding than most, having lived and traveled extensively in Italy for many years, but this meal was not even close to the 4-Stars (7-8 Bombs) they average on yelp. It was one of the worst £46 ($64) meals I have eaten. Bizzarro!

CombatCritic Gives Bizzarro 3 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Three Bombs Equates To:

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

Saturday, March 17, 2018

Huntingdon, England: Good Food, Good Meat, For Cryin' Out Loud Go There And Eat!

Prima Restaurant

143 High Street

Huntingdon PE29 3TF

United Kingdom

Phone number: +44 1480 455553

Website: primarestauranthuntingdon.co.uk

Prices: ££££

With fairly reasonable prices by British standards, our dinner at Prima with some old mates I had not seen in 20 years was smashing, jolly good fun!

Parking can be a challenge in the center of Huntingdon, but some local knowledge (and permission) got us a spot in close proximity. Attractive inside and out, the restaurant is modern and tastefully decorated with stone and wood accents.

We were the only four customers on a weeknight, so the service was fast and efficient. We started with a Basket of Bread with EVO and Balsamic Vinegar (£2.95), Marinated Olives (£2.95), and a bottle of Pinot Grigio (£15.95). The bread was fresh and tasty, the olives delicious and the wine ... white, not my favorite, but dinner was our treat and our dear friends prefer vino bianco, so there you have it.

My wife had the Linguine Carbonara (£8.95) and I the Mussels in Marinara and Cream Sauce (Special - £9.95). Our friends had Penne (£10.95) and Mussels (£9.95) with the two boys sharing a side of French Fries (£2.95). My wife is Italian and the carbonara was of the non-Italian variety (made with cream, not eggs - damn salmonella!), so she was not thrilled although she said it was "not bad" (picky Italians). The mussels were very good, but I would have thought a "main" (we had the option of "appetizer" or "main") would have had more mussels than we ended up getting (about a half pound).

Everybody had the Amaretto Ice Cream (£6.95) except me, so I had a taste of my wife's. It was good. Overall, the dinner was extremely enjoyable and did not break the bank. The food was good, probably the best Italian we had in our month in England, but having lived in Italy and being married to an Italian, our standards are pretty high. I would definitely recommend Prima if in the Huntingdon area.

CombatCritic Gives Prima A Very Respectable 7 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Seven Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Shits & Grins"

Thursday, November 2, 2017

Camas, WA: Hey Portland, Twilight Is Worth A Trip Across The River!

Twilight Pizza Bistro
1905 SE 192nd Ave, Stuie 101
Camas, WA 98607
Phone number (360) 833-1919
Website: twilightpizzabistro.com
Prices: $$$$

A good friend of mine recommended Twilight, having only good things to say about them. Being new to the area, we decided to give 'em a shot.

They changed the TV channel so I could watch my Dodgers versus the Diamondbacks (NLDS Championship Series) and our server was extremely friendly, helpful and efficient. She even told me about their 20% Military Discount, a generous savings and 10% more than most places offer ... HOOAH!

The garlic bread ($6) was pretty good, but overpriced by at least $2 and the Caprese salad ($7.95) lacking enough mozzarella, but otherwise the food good and prices reasonable.

Garlic Bread $6

Caprese Salad $7.95

The place is comforting to the eye and the food good. What more could you ask for? My wife had the Baked Mac and Cheese ($11.50) with penne pasta in a rich, creamy Tillamook cheddar sauce, topped with breadcrumbs, then baked ... savory and tasty ... YUM!

I built my own pizza ... I'm so proud ... a 12 inch "The Cheese Stands Alone" with a tomato sauce and mozzarella base on hand tossed crust ($11.75), adding Italian sausage for $1.60 ($13.35 total). Excuse my French, but there was a shitload of sausage on the pizza. Big slices of whole sausage covered the pie, probably 1 1/2 - 2 sausages in total. Can you say sausage fest? This pie was pretty damn good!

Draft beers are $4.75 to $5.50 for a pint and my IPA was cold and frosty, making me extra hoppy (get it?). For two appetizers, two meals and a draught beer, the total came to around $47 with tax, but the 20% military discount brought the total to just under $37 plus tip ... whatta bahgain!

They even have Happy Hour Sunday through Thursday from 2 to 6PM and Friday and Saturday from 2 to 6PM and 9PM to close (dine-in only-available throughout the restaurant). You can save $2 on an appetizer or glass of wine and all draught pints are $1 off.

The only reason I deducted 2 Bombs was because of the overpriced garlic bread, much more tomato than mozzarella on the Caprese, and a total lack of salami. No salami in an Italian joint? Salami pizza is my favorite, so add some damn salami to the topping menu and mozzarella to the Caprese, and maybe I will upgrade my rating ... CAPISCHE?

CombatCritic Gives Twilight Bistro 9 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

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Read Chris S.'s review of Twilight Pizza Bistro on Yelp

Title: Camas, WA: Hey Portland, Twilight Is Worth A Trip Across The River!

Key Words: Twilight Pizza Bistro, twilight, pizza, pasta, bistro, Italian, Vancouver, Camas, WA, Portland, OR, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato

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