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"

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

Key Words: La Luna, la, luna, Italian, pizza, Southwark, England, Walworth, Kennington, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, Google, Facebook

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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"

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Read Chris S.'s review of Bizzarro on Yelp

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

Key Words: Bizzarro, Italian, Italy, pizza, London, England, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, Paddington, Tube, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

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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"

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

Key Words: Prima, Italian, Italy, pasta, Huntingdon, downtown, Cambridgeshire, England, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

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Rochester, England: GRRRRRRRRRROWL ... Golden Lion Big On Value, But Not On Ambiance

Golden Lion

147-149 High Street

Rochester ME1 1EL

United Kingdom

Phone number +44 1634 880521

Website: jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/rochester

Prices: ££££

Another JD Wetherspoon, while very short on charm and ambiance, it has, like the others, reasonable prices and consistency not found in every pub.

They overcharged me by a few quid for my wife's shandy (which was refunded), but the British Beef and Doom Bar Ale Pie (£6.39) was pretty good and a decent value. I just hope the Brits sorted out that Mad Cow thing if you know what I mean. 

The beers are relatively cheap (£1.99 and up) with a nice variety of hand-pulled, room temperature ales. Not charming and with a 2 Bomb deduction for overcharging me, JD's is still a good TravelValue ... HOOAH!

CombatCritic Gives The Golden Lion 7 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Seven Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Shits & Grins"

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Title: Rochester, England: GRRRRRRRRRROWL ... Golden Lion Big On Value, But Not On Ambiance

Key Words: Rochester, England, Golden Lion, golden, lion, United Kingdom, pub, food, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

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Gravesend, England: A Proper, Quaint English Tea Room In Not So Charming Gravesend

Marie’s Tea Room

23 High Street

Gravesend DA11 0BA

United Kingdom

Phone number +44 1474 335149

Website: mariestearoom.co.uk

Prices: ££££

A quaint little tea room with a great selection of teas, coffee, savories and sweets, and reasonable prices just next to the Victorian market and down the hill toward the River Thames from Gravesend's main shopping street.

Old, mismatched furniture and similarly unique cups, saucers, plates and teapots match the cute Victorian corner building that house them. The prices are right with a Cream Tea (scone, clotted cream, jam and tea of your choice) just £4.20 ($5.95) and a large caffe latte just £2.50 ($3.50). 

The Daily Special the day we were in was Truffle Risotto (£5.95/$8.40), quite a bargain by British standards, but with dinner just a couple hours away, I did not sample it and, therefore, cannot comment on the taste or quality. The tea and coffee, however, were plentiful and tasty and the scones (plain, cheese, or fruit) large, fresh and scrumptious.

The staff are very friendly, efficient, inviting and professional. A sign of quality and proper sanitation, the toilet (bathroom - one unisex) is spic and span and properly stocked with TP, hand soap, hot water, and plenty of paper hand towels. I was told they just finished renovating the kitchen, having installed 100% stainless steel counters and equipment.

A delightful little place, appropriately enough there was a large group of sweet, older ladies having High Tea (finger sandwiches, cakes, pastries, scones, clotted cream, jams, and tea) when we were there. If in Gravesend and in need of a drink, snack, or meal, Marie's is a good bet and a GREAT TravelValue!

CombatCritic Gives Marie's Tea Room A well Deserved 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

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Title: Gravesend, England: A Proper, Quaint English Tea Room In Not So Charming Gravesend

Key Words: Marie's Tea Room, Gravesend, England, English, Tea Room, tea, scone, cream tea, cream, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, Google, Facebook

Copyright 2018 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved