TravelValue: England: street

Showing posts with label street. Show all posts

Thursday, April 11, 2019

London: Shockingly Unprofessional Staff And A Complete Waste Of Time And Money

Madame Tussaud’s
Marylebone Road
London NW1 5LR, United Kingdom
Regent's Park
Website: madametussauds.com
Prices: $$$$

We paid very good money to be insulted by staff, then have management tell me "I've known him for 15 years, he wouldn't do that!" when I complained about the jerk's behavior. When customers pay the kind of money we paid, we should be treated with dignity and respect. Madame Tussaud's apparently thinks their poop does not stink and that people will continue to pay exorbitant prices to see the same wax figures that have been there for years, so normal customs and courtesies simply do not apply to them.

For the extremely high prices they charge, the very few wax figures on display and massive crowds pushing and shoving to have their photo taken with their favorite celebrity mannequin, hardly made it worth the price of admission. On top of that, they try to charge extra other attractions, leading you, quite literally, down the primrose path only to find that the attraction is not included in the price of admission.

I went to Madame Tussaud's (London) back in the mid-90s and was not impressed then, so I am certainly not now. The creep that insulted me upon arrival left a bad taste in my mouth and his manager was just as bad, so maybe my perception of the place was a bit jaded. Well, all I can say is tough titties and KISS MY BLOODY ARSE MADAME TUSSAUD"S!

CombatCritic Gives Madame Tussaud's 1 Bomb Out Of 10 And A Spot On My "WALL OF SHAME" ... More Bombs Are Better!

One Bomb Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Fucked Up Beyond All Repair"

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Valletta, Malta: "Sunk" My Teeth Into This "Submarine" And Boy Was I Glad I Did

The Submarine

Italian, Fast Food, Mediterranean

Triq II Merkanti, 42B (aka 42B Merchant Street)

Valletta, Malta 1173

Phone: +356 7706 4944
Facebook Page

Prices: €€€€

TripAdvisor has this little place listed about four blocks East (toward the fort) on Merkanti, so we had to call to find out exactly where they were. The owners have been begging TripAdvisor to fix the map issue for months, but have been ignored. That is one of the reasons why I resigned as a Top Contributor on TripAdvisor, because they do not respond to customers (merchants or reviewers - aka the people that pay their bills) and because they selectively publish reviews, a practice I found deceiving and dishonest.

The Submarine is run by a very nice Italian couple from Bologna and boy do they make great sandwiches and at reasonable prices. Fresh breads (ciabatta, baguette, ftira and others) and fillings of your choice (salami, prosciutto, mortadella ... you name it ... and dozens of cheeses, toppings and sauces ... all for just €3.50 ... MAMMA MIA ... CHE BUONO ... HOOAH!

If the map is wrong, which like most addresses in Malta is very likely, ask a local where 42B Merkanti Street is. I can guarantee you it is worth the effort.

Salami, Gouda, Mushroom and Tomato with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinaigrette on Ciabatta

Half of a Finocchiona, Provolone, Olive and Pesto on Toasted Ftira

It is a tiny place, but the sandwiches are big and scrummy. I had a salami, gouda, mushroom and tomato sandwich with an olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette, toasted on ciabatta and YUUUUUUUUM, it was delicious. My wife's finocchiona (a Tuscan salami), provolone, olive and pesto on toasted ftira (Maltese bread) was equally as good. Include a cold pint of beer and an ice tea, and we were satiated and happy as larks for just €13 total. What more can you ask for?

CombatCritic Gives The Submarine 10 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Ten Bombs Equates To:

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

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

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Title: Valletta, Malta: "Sunk" My Teeth Into This "Submarine" And Boy Was I Glad I Did

Key Words: Valletta, Malta, The Submarine, the, submarine, 42, Merkanti, Merchant, street, sandwiches, sandwich, shop, fast, food, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato

Saturday, April 22, 2017

Lawrence Kansas: Adios Fuzzy's!

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop

1115 Massachusetts Street

Lawrence, KS 66044

Phone number: (785) 841-8226

Website: fuzzystacoshop.com

Prices: $$$$

I am a loyal Fuzzy's patron and disabled veteran and have ordered on the phone for pick-up for nearly four years at their Lawrence, Kansas location.

I just made a batch of guacamole and called to order our dinner, but the young man on the phone said" we're too busy right now and are not accepting take-out orders". Seriously? Too busy to take my money? What kind of operation are you running in Lawrence?

I have given Fuzzy's high marks on my popular blog and Yelp, Zomato and Tabelog reviews, but that has now come to an end as I will never set foot or call-in to Fuzzy's again.

Adios amigos!

CombatCritic Gives Fuzzy's Tacos (Lawrence, Kansas) 1 Bomb Out Of 10 And A Spot On My "WALL OF SHAME"

One Bomb 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

Read Chris S.'s review of Fuzzy's Taco Shop on Yelp

Title: Lawrence Kansas: Adios Fuzzy's!

Key Words: Fuzzy's Taco Shop, Fuzzy's, Fuzzy, taco, shop, Lawrence, Kansas, KU, University of Kansas, university, Massachusetts, street, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp

Translation for Civilians: FUBAR = "Fucked Up Beyond All Repair"

Saturday, February 25, 2017

"TravelValue: Lawrence, Kansas"

Welcome To Lawrence, Kansas

aka "LFK"

Lawrence is a medium size city of around 90,000, not including 28,000+ students attending the University of Kansas (KU), in East Central Kansas about 40 miles from the Missouri border and the city of Kansas City, Missouri.

Lawrence is the sixth largest city in Kansas, was founded by the New England Emigrant Aid Company, and was named after Amos Adams Lawrence (bust and photo below) who provided finances to establish the settlement. Lawrence was a Union town during the Civil War and site of a massacre of nearly 200 men and boys on August 21st, 1863, also known as Quantrill's raid. Many of the town's wooden structures succumbed to the raider's torches, burning to the ground and leaving a select few that still stand today.

Most well known for KU's infamous basketball powerhouse program with 10 out of the last 12 Big 12 Conference titles and 5 national championships, KU is a charming college town and a liberal enclave in a VERY conservative state. Allen Fieldhouse, named after famed KU and Olympic basketball coach Phog Allen, is home to KU's basketball team. Beside the team's incredible home record, Allen Fieldhouse is one of the most intimidating venues for visiting teams in the NCAA.

A new addition has been built on the east side, ground level, of historic Allen Fieldhouse, making room for thousands of photos, National Championship Trophies, game balls, uniforms and many other displays highlighting the history of KU sports and the University of Kansas Hall of Fame, not just for basketball. Many of the displays are chronologically arranged, making a trip back through KU sports history a breeze.

Lawrence is also loved for its historic downtown, "Mass Street", so named after Massachusetts Street on which the majority of shops and restaurants can be found between 6th Street to the north and 12th Street to the south. Many of the buildings date back to the mid to late-1800s with a few modern monstrosities mingled in for good measure. You can even find an old fashioned department store, Weaver's, that has been in the same spot since 1857 and is still going strong today.

The Granada Theatre, also on Mass Street, was built in the 1930′s and started as a silent movie theater, continuing to show movies until the 1980s. The Granada has been a well known venue for live acts, mostly music groups, since the late '90s, hosting famous performers such as Marilyn Manson, Smashing Pumpkins, and John Mayer just to name a few.

The KU campus is most charming and the hub of activity and employment in Lawrence with older, classic buildings going back many decades - Wescoe Hall being one of the exceptions - and sitting atop Rock Chalk hill (actually, "Rock Chalk" is the name for a limestone outcropping found on Mount Oread on which the KU campus is perched).

There are several notable museums in Lawrence, among them KU's Spencer Museum of Art with its eclectic and impressive collection, including works by Andy Warhol, Angelo Bronzino, Albert Bierstadt, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Édouard Manet, and John Singer Sargent just to name a few.

Having been to some of the world's greatest museums, including the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay and l'Orangerie (Paris), the British Museum and Tate Modern (London), the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Guggenheim (NYC), the Vatican Museums, Galleria dell'Accademia and Galleria degli Uffizi (Italy), Museo del Prado and Museo Picasso Málaga (Spain), and the Philadelphia Museum of Art to name just a few, I must compare the Spencer to them. Although not on the same level as any museum listed above, the Spencer is impressive on several levels, an excellent value, and entertaining way to spend two to three hours.

Lawrence also has plenty of outdoor activities to enjoy, including Clinton Lake State Park to the southwest, three top-rated golf courses (Eagle Bend, Lawrence Country Club, and Alvamar), several miles of walking and biking trails, the Kansas River and several city parks, the largest being South Park (established 1854) with its gazebo-style bandstand (built in 1906) where you can enjoy free concerts on summer evenings and numerous fairs and events throughout the year.

There are numerous restaurants in Lawrence, from chains like On the Border, Chili's, Burger King and Applebee's to fine dining as is the case with Cafe Beautiful. I have not been overly impressed with the quality or choice of restaurants in Lawrence, but some of the better ones are Zen Zero (Thai/Asian fusion), Limestone (pizza), Dempsey's Burger Pub and Burger Stand at The Casbah (hamburgers), Mi Ranchito (Mexican), Thai Diner (Thai), and Korean Cafe (Korean). Lawrence does not have a decent Italian restaurant (an Olive Garden would be the best Italian in town if there was one) and if you want French or German, you have to travel 30+ miles to Topeka or Kansas City.

MORE ABOUT LAWRENCE, KANSAS

COMING SOON

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: Welcome To "TravelValue: Lawrence, Kansas"

Key Words: Lawrence, Kansas, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurants, parks, museums, golf, course, Mass, Massachusetts, street, raid, Quantrill, KU, University of Kansas, university, Jayhawks