I Ristoranti di Firenze...The Restaurants of Florence, Italy

Osteria Vini e Vecchi Sapori

Via dei Magazzini, 3R

50122, Firenze (Florence, Italy)

Tel: 39.055.293.045

Prices:  € € € € € 

We, literally, stumbled upon Vini e Vecchi Sapori while heading for the Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria, the busiest and most famous square in Florence. The streets in Florence are made of large stones, not so evenly laid and sometimes causing tourists to stumble. I had heard of this restaurant through word of mouth and reviews on Yelp, but was not sure where it was. We almost missed it if not for my clumsy feet, hurling me toward the menu outside the door.

The menu says, in English, “NO PIZZA NO STEAK  NO ICE” and consisted of five to seven each of the antipasti (appetizers), primi (first courses), and secondi (second courses) followed by a few contorni (side dishes) and dolce (desserts). The menu changes each day depending on what the chef feels like cooking and the fresh ingredients available. The choices on our first visit were enticing, so we asked if we could get a reservation that night…WRONG!

Thomaso, the 3o something owner and front man, is thin with Harry Potterish glasses and wavy brown hair. He was extremely nice as he explained that the restaurant was sold out for the next week, so we asked for the first available table, which was seven days away on the following Saturday at 9:00PM (fairly early by Italian standards). We snatched the reservation quicker than turtle tucks his head and waited, and waited, and waited…

When Saturday rolled around, we arrived at the appointed hour and Thomaso greeted me at the door…Signor Sorrentino, welcome! Impressed that he remembered my name after only one encounter, the festivities began. The restaurant is very small in a very old building with tall (18 foot) ceilings and tile floors. Beside the five or six tables, there is only a glass refrigerator case, like you would see in a deli, a small counter, and the door to the bathroom and to the kitchen (different doors). The walls are smothered, but tastefully so, with an eclectic variety of original art and prints, making the small room, I mean restaurant, warm and inviting.

pappardelle con ragu di anatra

The restaurant sits on a short, narrow, quiet street just north of the Piazza della Signoria and has five tables or so, holding about 20 people. It reminds me of my favorite Italian restaurant in Los Angeles, Palermo, run by my old friend Tony, an immigrant from Palermo, Sicily and a warm, wonderful person. When Palermo opened back in the late 1970’s, it was just as small and quaint. Now Palermo is huge and packed every night of the week, a few blocks west of its old location. I hope that the same does not happen to Vini e Vecchi Sapori for it will lose much of its charm.

paccheri con fiori di zucca e zafferano

Thomaso sat us, then sat with us to explain the night’s menu. My wife’s dear friend Maddalena was with us and we were celebrating her birthday. We had visited Pistoia and Lucca by train that day, and had eaten foccacia con mozzarrella, prosciutto cotto, e carciofi (thin, herb covered bread with mozzarella, cooked ham, and artichoke inside) in Lucca that was larger than expected, so we decided to skip the antipasti and save room for the wonderful selection of primi and secondi. We started with the pappardelle con ragu di anatra (pappardelle are very wide fettucini-type pasta and they were covered in a rich minced duck sauce - €9) and paccheri con fiori di zucca e zafferano (yellow zucchini flowers and saffron - €8). The papparedelle con ragu di anatra was out of this world, just enough to satiate the palate for the time being, but never to be forgotten.   The paccheri con fiori di zucca e zafferano was delightfully done in a rich, creamy sauce and the pasta was thick and al dente, just firm enough to hold all of the wonderful sauce. I had never had saffron, a spice used mostly in the Middle East, in an Italian pasta sauce before, but it was creamy and dreamy. I hinted to Thomaso about obtaining the recipe, but will wait until we establish ourselves as regulars to make such a proposition.

ossobuco con piselli

Having trouble deciding whether to have the scaloppine alla pizzaiola (similar to veal parmigiana, but much better - €14) or the ossobuco con piselli (veal shank - slow cooked with peas), Thomaso decided for me, it was the ossobuco (€14) and I was not disappointed! The veal shank was cooked to perfection, not huge by American standards, and falling off the bone with a hint of marsala wine sauce. It was delicious, the best ossobuco I have eaten and I have had a few. My wife had the torta ai carciofi (artichoke omelette - €8), but she wolfed it down while I was talking to the couple from Shang Hai at the table next to us, so I did not have the opportunity to get a taste.

 Friends from Shang Hai & Jordon...Thomaso (back)

Our meal was accompanied by a litre of sparkling water (€2) and a litre of Chianti wine (€14), which was dark, rich, and flavorful with hints of berry and chocolate. Being so small, you easily fall into conversation with the table next to you. The first diners were a couple from San Francisco, she a teacher on break, and very nice, he a silicon valley marketing executive, seemingly very impressed with himself and eager to end the conversation. The next couple was from Shang Hai and it turns out that his family was from Glendale, California where I spent much of my childhood and college years, moving to Hacienda Heights after his graduation, where I had spent all of my school years. What a small world! Emma is Chinese, a native of Shanh Hai, and extremely engaging and sweet. The couple on their other side, I thought were from Holland by the accent, turned out to be from Jordon and were equally as warm and engaging. It was one of the most delightful dinners I have experienced in a long time.

Front Door & Tall Ceilings

Finally, the dessert was ordered, while I was talking to Emma about her soon to be baby (due on Christmas day), so I did not have a choice in the matter. We tasted the tiramisu (€5), which was light and refreshing and minus the coffee, which by this time in the evening would probably have kept us awake all night, and the meringato (“big meringue” with cream and chocolate - €5), which was good, but not outstanding.

The bill came to €86, but Thomaso rounded it off to €80 even, so we left a generous tip, which usually is not required in Italy. On the way out we met the chef, Thomaso’s mother, and congratulated her on her wonderful meal, telling “ritorniamo prossima Sabato” (“we will return next Saturday”) and the Saturday after that, and the one after that…

HOOAH...it's the "BOMB"!

Vini e Vecchi Sapori gets 9 BOMBS OUT OF 10 (“bombs” are good) from CombatCritic…my highest rating yet!

Trattoria da Giorgio

Via Palazzuolo 100r, 50123 Firenze 

Tel: 39.055.28.43.02

Fax: 39.055.28.43.02 

Email: info@trattoriadagiorgio.it

http://www.trattoriadagiorgio.it
Prices:  € € € € € 

A hidden gem! At €13 for a 3 course, excellent dinner (€12 for lunch), wine and water included, Trattoria da Giorgio is a terrific BARGAIN! 

Diners select from a primo (first course, usually pasta or soup), second (secondo...that wasn't so hard! - usually a meat dish, but not necessarily), contorno (side dish - vegetables, salad, french fries - accompany the secondo), 1/4 litre of wine or a can of Italian beer, and 1/3 litre of water...ALL INCLUDED IN THE PRICE...NO TAX...SERVICE INCLUDED (although you should always leave a little something extra if the service was good).

Primi

Pasta and risotto dishes are moderate in size, just large enough to allow room for your secondo and maybe a little dessert. The ravioli with butter & salvia (sage, not something to smoke) was perfectly cooker light with a hint of sage and the ravioli slightly al dente as they should be.  The bigoli tartufo nero (thick spaghetti with black truffle cream sauce) were also excellent, thick and rich as you would expect from a truffle sauce. The risotto (rice) with asparagus and radicchio (not, radish, but a red cabbage-type vegetable) was of a perfect consistency and delicious while not overwhelming. The farfalle (butterfly) pasta bolognese (creamy meat sauce originating in Bologna...where else) with peas and mushrooms was outrageous and the pasta, again, cooked to perfection. 

Secondi

On our first visit, my wife and I both had the scallopini al tartufo (pork tenderloin in a cream and black truffle sauce) and it was WONDERFUL!  The pork tenderloins were medium in thickness and the sauce rich and creamy, softening the somewhat stale bread as I sopped-up what was left on my plate...not much! On our second visit, my wife had the prosciutto e melone (thinly sliced, cured (not cooked) ham, usually from Parma and white melon, similar to a cantaloupe in size and consistency, but not quite as sweet). The prosciutto was a bit dry, but delicious and the melon perfectly ripe. I, on the other hand, could not make up my mind between the insalata caprese (sliced tomatoes and mozzarella di buffala with freach basil and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil) or the scallopine marsala (thin veal medallions covered in a rich marsala wine reduction with walnuts). I love caprese and it rarely varies much in Italy, so I went for the scallopine...I was not disappointed! The veal was thin and tender as it should be and the marsala sauce was the best I have had in an Italian restaurant, and I have ordered it in many restaurants all over Italy, thick and rich....YUM! 

Dolce (Desserts)

The tiramisu, €3, was icing on the cake on our first visit, an excellent mixture of mascarpone cheese, savoiardi cookies, coffee, cocoa, sugar, egg, amaretto...and two spoons of course! We tried the pear tort, all desserts are €3, smothered in warm chocolate sauce on our second visit and were not disappointed. The tort was warm and fresh, fresher than the bread unfortunately, and the chocolate sauce equally so, tasty and not overwhelming.

Service

The service on our first visit was excellent and friendly, even though the place was packed (the place seats only around 50 diners at a time) and when the bill (conto) arrived, the extra 1/4 litre of wine we ordered and the service charge (servizio or coperto) were missing, so we left a generous tip. On our second visit, we arrived very early (by Italian standards), around 7:00 PM, and the trattoria was basically empty. The tattoo covered waiter seemed a bit overwhelmed by our arrival and spent more time surfing the internet than taking care of customers. We had to ask the chef for wine and my wife had to get up to get the dessert menu becaise our waiter had mysteriously disappeared. The chef seemed embarrassed by all of this, as he should be, but it really did not detract from our wonderful meal.

The only other disappointment remains to be the bread, while tasty, is obviously leftover from lunch, possibly yesterday's.  In any event, we will be returning again over the next month and will add menu items as we go...buon appetito da Giorgio!

Trattoria da Giorgio - Florence, Italy

Trattoria da Giorgio gets a very respectable 8 BOMBS (bombs are good) out of 10 from CombatCritic:

Abondanza...Simpatico...Buonissimo...La Vinaina is a Bargain and Treat in Residential Florence!

La Vinaina Firenze

Via dell'Agnolo, 48r, 50122 
Florence, Italy
Phone: +39.055.234.4120

Prices:  € € € € € 


My wife and I visited La Vinaina on several occasions with the students of the University of Kansas in July 2012. Our apartment was just around the corner and we enjoyed the proximity, warm welcome, fresh ingredients, and very reasonable prices for lunch.
Being a chef and food restaurant critic, having traveled to 46 countries around the world, I have eaten at few restaurants with the impeccable quality and value as we found at La Vinaina.

The pasta and bread...always fresh; the meat and fish...always prepared to perfection; the service...always attentive and friendly. I would recommend this restaurant to anybody...on a budget, like students, to more EXCLUSIVE and seasoned travelers alike. There is something for everyone at La Vinaina!

Watch my video collage dedicated to our friends at La Vinaina on CombatCritic TV:

Watch My Video of La Vinaina and Surrounding Area on CombatCritic TV!

or read more about this wonderful cucina tipica toscana in The CombatCritic Chronicle: 

http://www.CombatCritic.blogspot.com

I have also posted reviews on Yelp, Trip Advisor, and Fousquare...search for "CombatCritic" and send a Friend request.

CombatCritic gives La Vinaina 7 BOMBS OUT OF 10...bombs in this case are good!

LIKE La Vinaina on Facebook!


Trattoria Lounge Bar Il Girasole

Via dell'Agnolo, 91R
50122 Firenze
Phone:  39 348 8768071
Web: www.trattoriagirasole.it
Email: info@trattoriagirasole.it
Prices:  € € € € € 

Bring your fan...it's hot, and I am not talking about the food. Beside the lack of AC, the pizza was good, although a bit overpriced and the house wine (della casa) not inexpensive (7 Euros/Half litre), but as hot as the room.

We had a pizza with prosciutto, walnuts, and gorgonzola cheese (7 Euros) and another with salame piccante (similar to American pepperoni, but much better), mozzarella, and tomato sauce. The salame pizza was very good, reminding me of pizza napolitana (Naples style) and the pizza prosciutto was dry and crisp, not all that great.

The owner told us he is Egyptian and the staff were mostly Eastern European. Considering the heat, and the great amount of sweat emanating from the owner, the service was good, not great. Thankfully, the owner did not bend over our table and our pizza was served senza (without) sweat!

Trattoria Il Girasole gets a very mediocre 4 BOMBS (bombs are good) out of 10 from CombatCritic:

Osteria Santo Spirito
Piazza Santo Spirito, Firenze
Phone: 39 055 2382383
http://www.osteriasantospirito.it/
Prices:  € € € € € 

Osteria Santo Spirito is a small osteria with outdoor (covered) patio on the Piazza Santo Spirito, varied menu, and fairly reasonable prices.

The Spezzatino Di Manzo (beef stew) was HUGE and delicious (€15) with big, tender chunks of beef and potatoes in a gravy much like you would find it the US. The gnocchi in salsa di formaggio gorgonzola e tartufo (€10 - cheese and truffle sauce) al forno (baked) was scrumptious and plentiful. The ravioli in cream and walnut sauce looked delicious and was also also huge (€12). The insalata mista (mixed green salad) came in a bowl the size of a cooking pot and was fresh and colorful.

The crostata di mirtilli (blackberry tort) was warm and tasty, and the accompanying caffe Italiano completed the meal nicely. The service was fair and the staff spoke English well. In all it was a nice lunch at moderate prices. Smaller portions and prices are also available on some dishes.

CombatCritic gives Osteria Santo Spirito 6 bombs out of 10.

Buon Appetito...A Presto!

Paravicini's - An Old Colorado City Favorite ... Great Food, Reasonable Prices

 Paravicini's Italian Bistro

Authentic Foods - Great Service - Quality Atmosphere

2802 W Colorado Ave, 
Colorado Springs, CO 80904-2444

(719) 471-8200 

Hours: Sun-Thu 11:30am - 9:00pm
Fri-Sat 11:30am - 10:00pm

Paravicinis.com

I have been eating at Paravicini's since they opened in 2003 and have not been disappointed once. Ted Sexton and Franco  Pisani, the owners, opened their doors, just minutes from our Old Colorado City home, to rave reviews and Franco, the head chef, deserves every one of them. The food is and always has been consistent, reasonably priced, and made with quality ingredients and the wine list robust and reasonable as well.

Appetizers include many of the Italian specialties you would expect, including calamari, fried mozzarella, mussels, bruschetta (pronounced bru-ske-ta, not bru-she-ta as many Americans mistakenly do), and assorted meats, cheeses, and marinated vegetables among others. I stopped ordering appetizers a long time ago because you can expect an abundance of food from ordering the main course including pasta (full meals or as sides), meats (veal, chicken and steak prepared in an abundance of sauces), salad (served family style - Ceasar is $2 extra per person) and fresh baked bread (keep bringing it!).

Pastas include many regulars including spaghetti and meatballs (a dish you will never see in Italy), manicotti, lasagna, ravioli, rigatoni, and gnocchi (small potato dumplings) in portions even the biggest eaters will not be disappointed by, but the meat dishes are not to be missed!

The veal dishes are the best value on the menu, just a buck or two more than the pastas and chicken dishes, served in a variety of sauces second to none. My favorites, not on the menu but available nonetheless, are the Veal (vitello in Italian) Saltimbocca (veal scallopini - medallions - covered with prosciutto and mozzarella, then baked and served in a lemon butter and sage sauce over angelhair pasta) and the Veal Capricosa (veal medallions covered with mozzarella then baked and served with sauteed prosciutto, mushrooms, and onion over angelhair). Other favorites are the Veal Toscano (veal scaloppini sautéed with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and artichoke hearts, finished in a roasted garlic cream sauce), Veal Porcini (sautéed veal scaloppini in a porcini mushroom brandy cream sauce), and for those who enjoy hot and spicy, the Veal Giuseppe (veal scaloppini sautéed with spicy Italian sausage, onions, hot and sweet peppers, capers, olive, garlic & olive oil). All veal dishes are between $16.95 and $18.95 and served with salad, fresh, hot bread, and pasta, very reasonable for the quality of the milk-fed veal and portion sizes.  

The wine selection is moderate and varied, with glasses or bottles available at a fair price. A full bar is available for those who wish to partake.

Desserts, which I have been able to order only on a few occasions because of the robustness of the meals, are excellent and include classic tiramisu and delicious cannoli (tubular stuffed with a sweet ricotta cream), a specialty of the island of Sicily, my wife's original home.

Paravicini's, a name that is actually a bit redundant due to the fact that words ending in "i" are always plural in the Italian language, is a Colorado Springs treasure. Located in historic Old Colorado City, offers a wonderful American-style (Italians would never think of eating meat and pasta together) Italian meal with the opportunity to stroll through the historic district after dinner to digest before going on your way...buon appetito!

CombatCritic gives Paravicini's a whopping nine out of ten bombs for quality, value, and consistency ... BOMBS ARE GREAT!

Cascone's Italian Restaurant - Good, Consistent American-Style Italian Food, Large Portions at MODERATE Prices (April 2013 Update)

Cascone's (North Oak)

3733 North Oak Trafficway
Kansas City, MO 64116
(816) 454-7977

www.Cascones.com

$$$ (PREVIOUSLY $$)

Ponte Vecchio - Florence, Italy

I am an Italian-American, was raised by first generation immigrants from the hills between Napoli (Naples) and Bari on the Adriatic Sea, lived in Italy for three years on assignment with the U.S. Air Force, and married an Italian (Sicilian to be precise), so we travel there often to see family and enjoy the wonderful cuisine.

Traditional Italian food (in the old country) only resembles what we call "Italian" here and you have not lived until you have eaten a traditional Italian meal...in Italy. Dinner in Italy normally does not start until 9PM and rarely ends before midnight. Starting with the antipasto, you may have assorted fresh meats and cheeses, prosciutto e melone (cured Italian ham from Parma and melone which is Italian cantaloupe - a traditional antipasto during the warm summer months), or, my favorite, insalata caprese (fresh buffalo mozzarella with bright red tomato slices drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and topped with fresh basil leaves). Fresh homemade bread always accompanies your meal, but you may be charged a "coperto" (cover) of one or two euros for the bread and place setting. Primo (or the first dish) is next and usually consists of soup or pasta, an infinite variety of freshly made pastas mixed with an equally infinite number of sauce combinations. All the while, you sip bottled water (with or without gas...bubbles) and some of the most delicious wines in the world, usually locally made, if not on the premises. Next comes the secondo (or main dish), usually meat or fish, simply prepared and accompanied by contorni (vegetables, potatoes, and salad...yes, salad comes with the main dish, not before your meal). Italians would never think of eating pasta and meat (or fish) on the same plate, so the traditions you see in the U.S. (e.g. Olive Garden...excuse me while a vomit a little in my mouth) DEFINITELY did not originate in Italy. Finally, a digestivo, a liquor such as grappa, amaretto, or, my favorite, limoncello, is served before cafe (what you call espresso (cappuccino is never drunk after morning and is considered a woman's drink) and dolce (dessert), usually something simple like fruit and cheese or biscotti (cookies).

My wife and I have been going to Cascone's for three years and have never had a bad meal. Some were not as good as others were, but never bad. My Sicilian spouse has grown accustomed to the American version and, even though nontraditional (in her eyes anyway), Cascone's is one of her favorites. Strong praise indeed from an Italian citizen.

We inevitably arrive on Sunday evening and the soup selection (all entrees come with soup or salad and a loaf of fresh baked bread) is very limited, rather predictable, and mostly boring..chicken of one sort or another with noodles or rice.

The salad with the house dressing (an olive oil and vinaigrette) is always good, but inconsistent. Sometimes you get olives, artichoke heart, and croutons, sometimes not. I order the blue cheese crumbles on the side and get a twist of fresh cracked pepper. Very good salad and the great bread makes up for the lack of consistency in ingredients (croutons for example). ... UPDATE ... THE NEW MENU ) AS OF APRIL 2013) IS NOW ALA CARTE (AGAIN ... WE HAVE BEN THROUGH THIS BEFORE) AND SOUP OR SALAD ARE NOW EXTRA WITH A HOUSE SALAD GOING FOR AN ADDITIONAL $3.50 WITH AN ENTREE.  INSTEAD OF GETTING THE WARM LOAF OF SESAME SEED TOPPED OF WARM, CRUSTY BREAD IS NOW A COUPLE OF PIECES IN A BASKET ... BOOOOOO!

The antipasto selection is limited and non-traditional, including the "Italian Nachos" a huge concoction that looks filling, but not appetizing. With the size of the entrees and the soup/salad, you will not need an antipasto anyway. If you do, get the steamed artichoke (when it is in-season) and share it with your guest.

I love veal and their veal parmigiana is superb. Pounded thin, lightly breaded, and pan fried, you get two large escallops on a bed of spaghetti (I order the mastacioli instead, a type of large penne). I do not like that the meat covers the pasta and inevitably have to dig the pasta out to scrape enough sauce together to cover the mastacioli, sometimes having to ask for extra marinara to cover the white bits. The servers are skimpy on the hand grated parmigianno-reggiano cheese, so I usually have them fill up my bread plate and scatter the cheese as I see fit.  

... UPDATE  UPDATE  UPDATE ... 

EVEN THOUGH THE MENU HAS CHANGED TO ALA CARTE AGAIN, AND PRICES HAVE GONE UP, PORTIONS ARE SMALLER.  MY MASTACIOLI LAST NIGHT WAS NOT DRAINED WELL AND THE SAUCE WAS WATERY.  CASCONE'S MARINARA SAUCE IS VERY GOOD, BUT WATER, UNFORTUNATELY, DOES NOT ADD TO THE FLAVOR ... ANOTHER BOOOOOOO!

I have had the veal marsala and it is not like any marsala dish I have ever tried. They use green (bell) peppers and onions in addition to the more traditional mushrooms, a combination that does not quite work with a delicate marsala sauce. I would not bother with this dish if I were you.

The chicken spedieni is very good and bountiful, but everything comes with pasta and marinara sauce, so if you want alfredo or olive oil and garlic, which would be more appropriate, be prepared to pay extra.

The pasta dishes are good and my wife usually orders the tortelonni Savina Maria, large shells stuffed with veal and cheese in a white sauce with mushrooms, peas, and pieces of prosciutto (cannot tell if it is cotto or crudo). It is very good and enough for one very hungry person of two light eaters (be prepared to be charged if you share, they charge for everything not priced on the menu). She also likes the Pasta Asiago, bowtie pasta in a crème sauce with broccoli and mushrooms (and chicken if you want to pay extra). The Pasta Asiago comes with tomatoes, but my wife is intolerant to tomatoes (can you believe it, an Italian woman that does not eat tomatoes, drink wine, or cook!).  There are a couple pizza choices (two to three depending  on the menu) and are decent, being the single serving (one person) size and much smaller than their Naepolitano (from Naples, Italy) cousins...VERY DISTANT COUSINS!

I have never had room for dessert, but the choices are traditional and look good so go for it if you have room.

The wine list (and menu) change as often my brother's underwear, so do not become too attached to any particular maker or vintage. The house wines are pretty good and come in various varieties and at $6 per glass, are a relative bargain ... 

... UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE ... 

We returned for dinner on April 26th, 2013 and the menu had changed once again! THE WINE LIST IS VERY DIFFERENT ... WINE BY THE GLASS ARE NOW $8 TO $11 AND UP!  BOTTLES MAY HAVE RISEN, BUT ARE NOW A MUCH BETTER VALUE.  MANY "UPSCALE" RESTAURANTS CAN GET AWAY WITH $8 TO $11 GLASSES OF WINE, BUT CASCONE'S IS NOT THAT KIND OF RESTAURANT AND THESE PRICES ARE GOING TO HURT WINE SALES BECAUSE CASCONE'S HAS A LARGE SENIOR CITIZEN CUSTOMER BASE AND IN TODAY'S ECONOMY, FOLKS ARE NOT GOING TO PAY THE EQUIVALENT OF $60 FOR A $25 TO $30 BOTTLE OF WINE. 

As I said, we have been going to Cascone's practically every Sunday for five years, so you would think the wait staff would know us by name by now. They do not. The receptionist is quite friendly and knows us by face, but do not expect to be called by name by any of the staff, no matter how long you have been going there. Service is friendly enough and things get done on time (mostly), but they do not chit chat and seem to care less who you are. After all, I am there for food and companionship with my table mates, not to make friends with the wait staff. 

... UPDATE  UPDATE  UPDATE ...

OUR SERVER LAST NIGHT WAS WONDERFUL AND VERY FRIENDLY AND ACCOMMODATING, EVEN THOUGH SHE NEVER TOLD US HER NAME ... THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND EXCELLENT SERVICE ... WHATEVER YOUR NAME IS!

CombatCritic NOW gives Cascone's (North Oak) ONLY 6 out of 1o BOMBS ... BOMBS in this case are good!

CombatCritic's BOMB ratings are based on "VALUE" ... quality of the food, service, ambience compared to the prices, so the drastic price changes in the case of Cascone's dropped their score one BOMB ... SORRY FREINDS!

On the Front Lines in the Battle Against Overpriced Food

Boston, Terrorism, the Media, and Human Nature

Boston ... Our thoughts and prayers are with the loved-ones of the two victims who lost their lives as well as those who were injured and the first responders who put their lives in peril to save others. Decoy devices are quite common among terrorists, so let's hope they have successfully cleared the area of additional IEDs.

As was the case with Sandy Hook, this event is and will receive a great deal of attention for days, if not weeks, not to mention many anniversaries to come. That is EXACTLY WHAT THE PERPETRATORS AND TERRORISTS WANT AND NEED TO EXIST!

The purpose of terrorism is, obviously, "to terrorize" and you cannot terrorize without the mass media. The mass media (TV, radio, internet) profit from these events because humans have a sick need to be entranced by trauma and gore. So disasters such as these are extremely profitable for the networks, stations, and websites because humans are innately sadistic.

Think about the times you've arrived at the source of a traffic jam only to find people rubber-necking to see if the can view some blood and gore ... even on the opposite side of the highway! I cannot tell you how many times I have been delayed on LA freeways only to find a fender fender or a flat tire miles away that people could not resist gawking at.

"Sadistic" may be a strong word, but characterizes rather succinctly the need people have to view traumatic, bloody scenes. Other examples of this phenomena are the people who hear of a tragedy (fire, earthquake, hurricane, etc.) and feel compelled to go to the scene, PUTTING THEIR LIVES, AND THOSE OF THEIR FAMILIES IN SOME CASES, IN PERIL!

Bullfights, car races, boxing, ultimate fighting, running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain and other events where there is a high probability of blood and guts being exposed are extremely popular. You have to be "a little slow" (to put it nicely) to watch 33 cars go round and round and round and round until somebody FINALLY crosses the finish line hours later, usually a rather anti-climactic event and the lowlight of the race...hopefully there were a few crashes!

Why do we humans act this way? One reason is that people are inherently curious creatures. Beyond that, there is some subconscious satisfaction in seeing others suffer. The suffering of others gives us a momentary feeling of superiority or a sense of "wow...I'm sure glad that wasn't me!". In either case, it makes it feel, on a level we are not necessarily aware of, that we are better off or safer than others and that can be very comforting. Another reason people may rush to a disaster scene is to be able to say "I was there!" ... BEEN THERE, DONE THAT, GOT THE T-SHIRT!

A woman actually canceled her Hawaiian vacation to go to Arizona TO WATCH THE JODI ARIAS MURDER TRIAL ... Are you serious ... Jodi Arias over Hawaii? Now that is sick!

I have done it myself, so even perfect people like me are not immune! I was in Paris the weekend Princess Diana was killed. We had walked by the Ritz Hotal that very afternoon on our way back to our room from the Eiffel Tower. The next morning, we woke up to a French NEWSFLASH claiming that Princess Diana had been killed early that morning. We we're planning on visiting that area along the Seine later that day (that's my story and I'm sticking to it) to visit the Hard Rock Cafe (I collect Hard Rock sweatshirts, having visited the Los Angeles, Paris, Tokyo, Budapest, Rome, Seoul, London, Edinburgh, Brussels, Munich, and many other franchises). It was two in the afternoon when we arrived at the hill next to the entrance of the tunnel and could see the doomed Mercedes as the police continued their investigation. A rather large makeshift memorial had already been erected on that very hill being comprised of hundreds of bouquets of flowers, stuffed animals, balloons, and cards from people communicating their grief and condolences. She truly was the "People's Princess" as I had observed during my three years in England. I was also in London the following weekend, visiting Buckingham Palace where the memorial extended for hundreds of yards along the fence, 50 feet deep in some places, with the same flowers, balloons, signs, and stuffed animals. It was quite a spectacle and something I will not forget soon. Even more memorable was the funeral coverage (no, I was not there) and the true heartfelt grief and sadness the people of England were feeling. It was very sad and an incredible experience...I WAS THERE!

Again, my blessings go out to the dead and many injured, physically AND psychologically, by this horrific event. We as a nation have been very lucky since 9/11/2001 and need to be prepared and vigilant for.future attacks ... IT IS INEVITABLE. And humans being humans, some will die, many will flock to the scene, and even more will find a way to profit from the tragedy. Whether it is a con artist setting up a fake website in one of the victim's names to solicit donations (to him or her) or ABC programming untold hours of coverage from every perspective imaginable. Can we really blame ABC for trying to profit from the misery of others? No, not really, because that is the business they are in and owe it to their shareholders and viewers to give them what them want or need. What the media, ABC is only an example, can and should be chastised for is giving the perpetrator or terrorist organization the publicity, the coverage they need to be successful. Whether it is for their 15 minutes of fame, satisfaction of a long held grudge, or instilling terror in the populace. Terrorism could not exist without the worldwide media where disasters can be televised around the world literally seconds after it happens and sometimes AS IT HAPPENS in the case of smartphone camera that make capturing news AS IT HAPPENS, then going viral on YouTube as all of us sadistic humans click on the Facebook link.

In conclusion, I truly mourn for the dead, wounded, and their families involved in the Boston Marathon Attacks. I have provided a psychological perspective of human nature because it seemed to be a compelling story on which to discuss the topic. I hope I have not detracted from this sad turn of events and pray I did not offend anyone because that was not my intention. I am a compassionate person, but there are times to get your message across and this seemed like one of them. I hope you learned something from this discussion because that is my only intent ... AND NO, I DO NOT MAKE ANY MONEY DOING THIS!

#PrayForVictims

SIGN OUR WHITE HOUSE PETITION: To help end military suicides and the negative stigmas surrounding PTSD and mental health treatment in the military

Until our WHITE HOUSE PETITION reaches 150 signatures, it will not be publicly viewable on the Open Petitions section of We the People (the White House Petitions webpage), so be sure to share these URLs with all of your friends and followers: 

Short: http://wh.gov/oKbz

URL: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/help-end-military-suicides-and-negative-stigmas-surrounding-ptsd-and-mental-health-treatment/DTjdBHdY

Petition Verbiage:

More of our men and women in uniform die by their own hand than are killed in combat! Nineteen (19) military/veterans commit suicide each day and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a factor in many of those deaths.

Military men and women DO NOT HAVE THE CONFIDENTIALITY available in the private sector when seeking treatment for their problems (e.g. PTSD, depression, anxiety), causing negative PTSD and mental health treatment stigmas. Because troops fear losing their career or security clearance, they REFUSE TO SEEK TREATMENT, many killing themselves instead.

END THE STIGMAS NOW, today, by giving confidentiality to our military, before one more hero dies by his or her own hand!

Read more in The CombatCounselor Chronicle:  http://combatcounselor.blogspot.com/2012/12/article-stigmas-killing-american-heroes.html

WE NEED 100,000 SIGNATURES BY APRIL 12TH, 2013 IN ORDER FOR THE PRESIDENT TO TAKE ACTION, SO GET THE WORD OUT NOW:

Facebook Post: 

More of our men and women in uniform die by their own hand than are killed in combat! Nineteen (19) military/veterans commit suicide each day and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a factor in many of those deaths.

Military men and women DO NOT HAVE THE CONFIDENTIALITY available in the private sector when seeking treatment for their problems (e.g. PTSD, depression, anxiety), causing negative PTSD and mental health treatment stigmas. Because troops fear losing their career or security clearance, they REFUSE TO SEEK TREATMENT, many killing themselves instead.

END THE STIGMAS NOW, today, by giving confidentiality to our military, before one more hero dies by his or her own hand!

Read more here: http://combatcounselor.blogspot.com/2012/12/article-stigmas-killing-american-heroes.html

Please SIGN OUR WHITE HOUSE PETITION to end military suicides and the negative mental health and PTSD stigmas in the military by clicking on the link below.

IF YOU REALLY APPRECIATE AND SUPPORT OUR MILITARY MEN AND WOMEN, SHARE THIS POST WITH ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS...NOW!

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/help-end-military-suicides-and-negative-stigmas-surrounding-ptsd-and-mental-health-treatment/DTjdBHdY

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Twitter Tweet: 

Help end military #suicides and the negative #stigmas surrounding #PTSD and mental health treatment in the #military http://wh.gov/oKbz

Key Words: anxiety, career, combat, confidentiality, depression, health, mental, military, PTSD, post-traumatic, stress, disorder, security, stigma, suicide, treatment

Credit Scores and Their Impact While Traveling

You probably use credit cards when traveling.  Who does not use them...right? They are convenient, safe, and save money when it comes to exchange rates.  Exchange rates at currency exchanges and foreign banks are NOTORIOUSLY BAD with those on credit and debit cards very close to the great rates the banks get.  Credit card and ATM fees can eat into your savings, but you will still save money when compared to foreign currency exchanges.

The other consideration, when using credit cards, is your interest rate.  Most people do not pay their balances in-full every month, so those charges incurred while on vacation are multiplied exponentially based on how long you carry a balance and HOW HIGH YOUR INTEREST RATE IS!  Your credit card interest rate, whether very high, very low, or somewhere in between, is based almost solely on your CREDIT SCORE.  FICO, previous known as Fair Isaac Corporation, has been providing credit scores for years, but many people do not know that the VantageScore may soon replace your "FICO" score.

I was watching 60 Minutes on CBS recently and there was a story on the three national credit bureaus, Trans Union, Equifax, and Experian, and the fact that ten percent (10%) of Americans, one in every 10, have errors on their credit reports.  I was even more shocked to learn that one out of five of us, five percent (5%), have errors on our credit reports BAD ENOUGH TO HURT OUR CREDIT SCORES!  I will get back to these problems, huge problems in-fact, a little later, but first I want to understand the credit reporting process a little better.

I am one of a minority of Americans who check their credit reports and FICO scores regularly.  I visit one of the “BIG 3” every four months for a free credit check through AnnualCreditReport.com. DO NOT CONFUSE AnnualCredit Report.com, where you can get a FREE credit report once a year from each of the BIG 3 credit reporting agencies, with FreeCreditReport.com, a website that will charge you for services and mimics the free site in order to sway you into purchasing “credit monitoring”.  

Most people do not need credit monitoring and can monitor their own credit by doing what I do, checking my credit on one of the BIG 3’s websites every four months, in doing so, checking three times a year FOR FREE and ensuring there are no errors or identity theft occurring.  For example, I will check Experian in March, Trans Union in July, and Equifax in November each year.  I normally enter a recurring reminder on my Microsoft Outlook calendar or Google Calendar, making it easier to remember.  The only problem you may encounter is trying to check a report to soon and wasting a little time, so make sure you wait at least a year before trying to check your credit with each agency.

There is a new rating system replacing the old “FICO” score, which ranged from 300 to 850, called the “VantageScore”, which is based on information from your credit report.  Your credit information may differ among the BIG 3 national credit reporting agencies and, as a result, your VantageScore based on each of those reports may vary.  A VantageScore ranges from 501 (being very bad) to 990 (being very good) and, from Experian at least, you also receive a RISK GRADE in the following ranges:

A: 900–990

B: 800–899

C: 700–799

D: 600–699

F: 501–599

You are also assigned one of five applicable CREDIT CATEGORIES based on your risk grade, including “High Risk” (F); “Non-Prime” (D); “Prime” (C); “Prime Plus” (B); and “Super Prime” (A) and given a percentile score, indicating where your credit rating ranks, on a scale of 1 to 100 among U.S. consumers.  According to Experian:

“VantageScore is the credit industry’s first credit score developed jointly by the three national credit bureaus. This innovative new approach to credit scoring simplifies the credit granting process for consumers and creditors by providing a consistent, objective score to the marketplace. Credit scoring is used to help potential lenders and users of credit reports quickly measure your credit worthiness and decide the type of risk they are taking by doing business with you. In addition to your credit score, lenders may also consider other factors such as your income, assets, length at current residence and employment history. There are many different scoring models used in today’s marketplace and different criteria used by different lenders. Regardless of what scoring model is used, they all have one purpose: to summarize your credit worthiness.”

Your credit score, now called VantageScore, is used for a variety of things, things you may not be aware of.  Most of us know that your score not only influences, it determines whether or not you will get a loan (home mortgage, car/consumer loan, etc.) and the interest rate that goes along with it.  The better your VantageScore, the lower the interest rate.  With the “prime” interest rate hovering around 3.25% for the past year, one of the lowest in history, those with the best credit will normally be able to get a loan with an interest rate close to prime.  If you have negative entries (late payments, loan defaults/collections, bankruptcy, or foreclosure) on your report, your Vantage Score will drop and the interest rate you receive on your loan will rise exponentially depending on how bad your score is.

Other things affect your VantageScore beside poor payment history and bankruptcy, including how long your credit history is, how many credit accounts you have, the credit limits on those accounts, and the debt to credit limit ratio.  Other things affecting your score negatively are closing accounts and having too many accounts at any given time.  The logarithm used by the BIG 3 to determine your score is a closely held secret and trying to figure it out is not an exact science, but some things you can do to maintain a good credit score are:

1. Make payments on-time

2. Keep a good balance of accounts and credit limits (higher is better)

3. Maintain a reasonable debt to credit limit ratio (not too high and not to low)

4. Use your accounts and credit cards regularly (at least once a year)

5. DON'T close accounts if possible, particularly before shopping for a loan!

Many people do not understand that your VantageScore also influences other areas of your life.  According to Forbes magazine, things, other than loan interest rates, that can be affected by your credit score include your home and car insurance rates, renting a home, getting hired or not, getting utilities for your new home, professional licensing, and even whether or not you will be investigated as a possible TERRORIST … seriously!

Now that you understand the system we are working with, I would now like to get back to the problems with the credit scoring process reported by 60 Minutes and discussed earlier.  Because your credit score has such a large and significant impact on your life in so many areas, there is a failure in the system when five to ten percent of citizens are affected negatively because of errors that ARE NOT THEIR FAULT!  

60 Minutes highlighted the story of one woman who attempted to fix errors on her reports with the BIG 3 for SEVERAL YEARS.  A person with bad credit, with a name and social security number totally unlike hers, was mistakenly being included on HER CREDIT REPORTS!  When she tried to fix the problem, the BIG 3 ignored her request or refused to believe her, EVEN AFTER THE OTHER WOMAN AND HER CREDITORS SIGNED AFFADAVITS SUPPORTING HER CLAIMS!  People lose jobs and houses over things like this and the BIG 3 were totally unresponsive.  60 Minutes indicated that this was not an isolated incident and reported that it appears to be a systemic problem, a problem the BIG 3 refuse to address or fix … another example of Institutional Terrorism ™ at work in America.

My own credit history was flawless, without a late payment or other blemish for over 30 years and a FICO Score very close to a perfect score of 850.  We regularly shopped at Kohl’s, a discount department store chain, for clothes and household items three or four times a year.  Kohl’s offers special discounts for the credit card customers, so we applied for a card and used it every few months.  We have most of our credit card, utility, and other recurring payment accounts on “auto pay”, having the statement balance taken out of our bank account automatically every month.  Because we only shopped at Kohl’s every few months, that option was not possible, so I relied on their email “payment due” reminders and, as a backup, statements mailed to our home to remind me to make a payment.

While paying our bills one weekend, I suddenly remembered that we had shopped at Kohl’s a while back and I had not received an email or statement, so I logged in to their website to see when the payment was due.  I do not know about you, but time flies by and when I saw that our account was over 60 days past due, I was flabbergasted!  I knew it had been a while, but did not realize it had been 60 days.  

I immediately called Kohl’s and told them I was sorry for the late payment, asking to make a payment immediately over the phone.  After doing so, I asked the woman if Kohl’s had reported our late payments to the BIG 3 and she indicated that they had.  I told her that I had not received a reminder email or statement in the 60 days since making the purchases and asked her if she could PLEASE remedy the discrepancy with the credit bureaus, having had “golden” credit for 30 years.  She rudely told me “I guess you are the only customer out of thousands of Kohl’s customers not to receive a statement!”  I told her “yes, I guess I am” and asked her again, very nicely, if she could help us out.  She told me, in no uncertain terms, that I was a liar and that she would do nothing to help me, so I asked her to close our account.  She told me that Kohl’s had already closed our account, again without even notifying us!  

What kind of business reports negative information to the BIG 3 and closes a (very good) customer’s account without ever sending an email, statement, late notice, or calling to find out what was going on?  We shopped almost exclusively at Kohl’s, spending from $2,000 to $3,000 a year at their stores and had a perfect payment history, 53 straight months without a late or missing payment, a pretty good customer by most standards, and Kohl’s closes my account for a simple oversight?  I admitted and continue to assert that, in the end, I AM RESPONSIBLE and should have paid much closer attention to our obligations, but Kohl’s not only failed to help us succeed, THEY INSULTED MY CHARACTER!

As a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, I take great pride in my core values and character, so if you really want to upset me, question my character!  Kohl’s has lost two very good customers, customers who spent in excess of $10,000 over a 5-year period, paying on time in all but the last two months.  So who is the loser here?  Kohl’s and their shareholders … NOT US … we still buy clothes, from J.C.Penney!

The moral of this story is that a small error, particularly one you caused yourself, can cost you BIG TIME when it comes to your credit score.  After Kohl’s reported our two late payments to the BIG 3, our FICO scores dropped from the low to mid-800s to 620!  Thankfully, we were not refinancing our mortgage or buying a car at the time because we would have been turned down or forced to pay an interest rate far above prime … all for a simple mistake and two late payments in 30 plus years.

Because credit scores play such a significant role in our everyday lives, making the difference between success and failure, owning a home or living on the street in some cases, it is critical that the BIG 3 get it right and when they do not, they need to respond quickly and with compassion … but they do not and probably will not UNLESS FORCED TO DO SO.

If my constituents decide to support me for political office, I will go after the BIG 3 and ensure that no more citizens are terrorized by ignorance, incompetence, or lack of concern for customers.  I will fight Institutional Terrorism, as my family experienced with Kohl’s (and other large companies/organizations) and like the poor woman in the 60 Minutes story experienced with the BIG 3.  Why? Because it is the right thing to do and because American citizens deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.   Citizens in general and customers in particular should be given the benefit of the doubt instead of automatically being assumed a liar or con artist.  Innocent until proven guilty?  Maybe in the courts, but not by large organizations like Kohl’s, Experian, Trans Union, Equifax, and others, perpetrating Institutional Terrorism on innocent Americans.

Americans are all struggling financially in this economy, even the richest of the rich have suffered losses ... not that we feel too sorry for the millionaires and billionaires who are "suffering" out there. Financial problems invade many if not most homes across the country, so it is important to communicate effectively with your partner about financial issues, ensuring that both parties are at least informed about the current situation, even if it happens to be bleak.  Relationship success is based on communication and teamwork, particularly when it comes to finances. Four eyes are much better than two are, especially when large organizations, like the BIG 3, think they can act with impunity, ruining lives without a thought about it.  So keep a regular eye on your credit reports by visiting either Experian, Trans Union, or Equifax once every four months at this FREE SITE: 

AnnualCreditReport.com

Key Words: Trans Union, Equifax, Experian, Kohl’s, credit reports, FICO, VantageScore, credit, score, bureau, consumers, creditors, lenders, risk, business, payment, bankruptcy, history, accounts, limits, debt, payments, balance, credit card, blemish

Copyright 2013 – C.T. Sorrentino and 3rd Wave Media Group, LLC – All Rights Reserved