5102 N. Nevada Ave., Ste. 130
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
(719) 599-WICH
(719) 598-4329 (fax)
universityvillage@whichwich.net
Hours:
Mon-Sat, 10 am – 9pm
Sun, 10 am – 7pm
Order Online
My computer was STILL ON CENTRAL TIME, but I was in Colorado and arrived an hour early to pick-up my online order.
Month: January 2014
THE MERC … Not My Cup of Chamomile
My Favorite Restaurant In The Whole World, Owned By A Good Friend … PALERMO RISTORANTE ITALIANO (LA)
The place is a Hollywood landmark with photos of stars all over the walls, including CombatCritic! There’s a small photo of me in Palermo, Tony’s hometown, near the front door and an 8×10 of me in uniform high on the right wall as you go back to the men’s loo. At least they used to be there! Make sure you tell Tony that LtCol Chris Sorrentino said “HI” if you go! You’ll get the royal treatment.
The food is excellent, home style Sicilian, not “gourmet”, with thick red sauce, massive portions, and reasonable prices. The veal parmigiana is my favorite and their pizza is TO DIE FOR. Free wine while you wait, which is commonplace between 5:30 and 8pm, and the cannoli are wonderful, possibly ON THE HOUSE if Tony is there and you tell him you know me. Tell him I’ll try to get out there soon and BUON ANNO … a presto amico!
Key Words: Palermo Ristorante Italiano, Italian, restaurant, Los Angeles, California, Hollywood, Los Feliz, food, pizza, pasta, veal, parmigiana, cannoli, Tony, CombatCritic, Chris, Sorrentino, TravelValue
Deliciously Greasy Burgers, Cold Beer … And Air … Yummy Truffle Fries – Must Be Dempsey’s!
(785) 856-5460
DempseysBurgerPub.com
Price: $$$$$
I was a bit reluctant to try Dempsey’s after reading recent reviews by my Elite ’14 brothers and sisters in Lawrence, Kansas saying that “things have gone downhill” and that the burgers are “greasy”, but heck … don’t burgers and grease go hand-in-hand? I am sure glad we gave ’em a shot!
Mushroom, Bacon, Swiss Burger |
The fries were plentiful and awesome! Lightly salted, the hand cut fries were sprinkled with Parmesan (parmigiana in the old country) cheese, parsley, and accompanied by no less than 6 different sauces (catsup, spicy mustard, old bay and tomato coulis aioli, sweet chili aioli, truffle cream, and roasted garlic aioli … all made from scratch). We barely made a notch in the basket, taking half home for my wife to eat the next night while I fasted in prep for the next morning’s procedure under the influence of “Milk of Amnesia”.
House Burger with Bacon |
Basket O’ Truffle Fries ($4) |
Title: Deliciously Greasy Burgers, Cold Beer … And Air … Yummy Truffle Fries – Must Be Dempsey’s!
Key Words: Dempsey’s Burger Pub, Dempsey’s, burger, hamburger, pub, bar, fries, truffle, French, food, eat, beer, drink, Vermont, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, Lawrence, Kansas
Best Pizza in Lawrence (Kansas)!
Lawrence, KS 66049
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tadspizzeria
Price: $$$$$
Overpriced by a buck or two a pie, CombatCritic Gives Tad’s Pizzeria 7 Out of 10 Bombs based on VALUE … BOMBS ARE GOOD!
Marsana Wellness in Rincón, Puerto Rico Is Neither A Beachhouse Nor A Spa
CombatCritic Gives Marsana Wellness Beachhouse and Spa 6 Out of 10 Bombs … BOMBAS ARE BUENAS!
“We enjoyed our stay, especially your sweet, wonderful dogs. We were pleased overall with the accommodations, but felt your description was misleading. As a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, honesty and integrity are very important to me and I do not like being misled. My decision to stay at your “beachhouse and spa” was partially influenced by your description:
“mountain-beach views”
– I could barely see the water from the roof, not a beach in sight
“organic natural macrobiotic and vegan cuisine”
– Yuri and Marina may be eating it, but we were never told about it
“wholistic therapies, treatments, classes”
– Where, when? Why were we not informed of these options and who was leading them?
“natural foods catering, meals available”
– Again, we were not informed of this option
“concierge services, natural beauty care treatments”
– If you call the 5 minutes Marina spent with us the evening we arrived “concierge services”, that is misleading
“2 naturapathic doctors on site”
– Are Yuri and Marina naturopathic doctors?
“acupuncturists, herbalist, nutritionist, physical therapist ,massage therapist, cooking classes and surfboards available”
– Available where?
“we have installed our outdoor Jacuzzi”
– True, but it was empty the entire time we were there and by the rust on the metal, it looks like it probably does not work
My recommendation is to be more honest in your description or actually provide the options you say you have. My 6 Out of 10 rating is very generous and strictly based on the value of what we got for what we paid ($45 a night for a basic room) and I did not deduct for the deceiving description.
Again, we were not displeased with our stay, only the misleading description.
As a travel critic I have the duty to report honestly and accurately to my readers and followers and would be doing them a disservice if I omitted the facts I described above. Because this review will be published on AirBnB and my blog, http://www.CombatCritic.com, I would be remiss if I were not completely honest. I hope you understand.
Finally, I think you should consider reducing your rate to the $50 per night range as your new $60 rate is probably more than the room is worth.
Thanks for having us!”
Key Words: Marsana, wellness, beachhouse, spa, AirBnB, hotel, room, beach, Rincón, Aguada, PR, 115, Puerto Rico, puerto, rico, CombatCritic, combat, critic, TravelValue, travel, value
Palmas: Good, Friendly, Nothing Special, Overpriced
at Tanaca Corner
San Juan, Puerto Rico 00901 (787) 630-4725 $$$$$
We ordered the Asopao de Pollo (chicken and rice stew – $13.99) and Queso Frito (fried cheese with mango sauce -$8.95). The cheese was good, probably $3 overpriced for the size even in Old San Juan, with a mango dipping sauce.
El Tapatio; Good, Cheap Mexican Food … and Potent Margaritas … Near Rincón, Puerto Rico
El Tapatio – Comida Mexicana
PR-115, KM 20
Aguada, Puerto Rico
$$$$$
Margarita – $6.25 |
Tacos Duros – $1.60 Each |
Beef and Cheese Enchilada – $4.75 |
Das Alpen Café (Rincón): Pretentious, Overpriced, Microwaved?
Rincón, Puerto Rico
$$$$$
Dinner Salad |
Potato Leek Soup ($3.50) and Goat Cheese Tart ($8) |
Jägerschnitzel – $20 |
Forest Schnitzel – $20 |
Waterfront Cantina (Naguabo): Mexican Fare, Fresh Fish, Cheap Drinks … What More Can You Ask For?
Playa Naguabo, Puerto Rico
$$$$$
Menu |
Taco Rico (Punta Santiago, PR): Nothing Fancy, But A Very Good Value
Punta Santiago, Puerto Rico
$$$$$
Punta Santiago Apartment: Spacious, Friendly, And A Bit Noisy Dog Lover’s Delight
First of all, Bonnie, Tony, and the boys and girls are a delight, wonderful human beings and dogies (all 10) who made our stay in Punta Santiago comfortable and caring … THANK YOU ALL!
Furnishings are basic and somewhat dated, but in working order with the exception of the stove which we were unable to use. There are AC units in the bedroom and living room and were sufficient in providing cool sleeping conditions. The apartment gets plenty of air from trade winds, so the AC really is not necessary much of the time. There is an older color TV with cable in the living room (be sure to ask Tony how to get rid of the “blue” screen) and the wireless internet worked well the entire week we were there.
There is a market down the street with most everything you need at reasonable prices and several small restaurants (see Taco Rico review) and bars just across the street, so food is abundant. Playa Naguabo (ten minute drive North) has several seaside restaurants including Waterfront Cantina and an outdoor cafe with three food stalls that serves fresh fish to hundreds at a time arriving on busses.
The towns of Humacao and Fajardo are close by, so restaurants are abundant and the islands of Vieques and Culebra are a little over an hour away by ferry from Fajardo. The Humacao Nature Reserve is less than a 10-minute drive, offering trails, a secluded beach, wildlife, and mangrove swamps.
The primary drawback as other guests have mentioned is the noise at night from the bar across the street, blaring music at decibles in the hundreds as well as the occasional vehicles with custom stereo blaring music at all hours of the day and night running up and down PR-3 adjacent to the house. Bring earplugs and/or a white noise machine as we did and unless you are a very light sleeper, you should not have any problems.
If you love dogs, the sea, friendly people, and life in a relatively quiet fishing village, you will love the time you stay with Bonnie and Tony in Punta Santiago.
CombatCritic Gives Bonnie and Tony’s Punta Santiago Apartment 7 Out of 1o Bombs … BOMBAS ARE BUENAS!
Key Words: Bonnie, Tony, Antonio, Punta Santiago, AirBnB, punta, santiago, Humacao, Puerto Rico, puerto rico, travel, value, CombatCritic, TravelValue, apartment, room, hotel
Humacao Nature Reserve: Lizards Birds, Turtles … Manatees and Monkeys?
Punta Santiago, Puerto Rico
$$$$$
The Humacao Nature Reserve, on Hwy P3 between Humacao and Punta Santiago, Puerto Rico, is a small, free natural park with trails, bathrooms, souvenirs, and the opportunity to kayak through mangrove swamps (for a fee).
We decided to take an hour-long hike on our way to look at some properties in Vista del Mar, a huge resort community a few miles South of Humacao on the sea. It was serenely quiet and oddly beautiful as we made our way down the soggy road looking for our first iguana, said to grow up to 12 feet in length!
We saw several large lizards (up to 18 inches long), a large beetle of some type, a few birds, but no iguana, turtles, manatees, or monkeys along our journey. The park is well worth the detour if in the area, but bring some stable shoes, ones that you do not mind getting muddy and soggy along the way.
Pasta y Pueblo: An Italian Flare in Puerto Rican Cuisine
Pasta y Pueblo
Luquillo, Puerto Rico
$$$$$
Dining Room – Five (5) Tables |
Scallops and Penne Carbonara ($20) |
Skirt Steak with Penne Carbonara ($16) |
CombatCritic Gives Pasta y Pueblo 8 Bombs Out of 10 … BOMBAS ARE BUENO!
Guava Cheesecake ($3.50) |
Key Words: combat, CombatCritic, critic, Luquillo, pasta, Pasta y Pueblo, pueblo, steak, scallops, chicken, mussles, wine, beer, puerto, Puerto Rico, rico, TravelValue
Key Words: Which Wich, which, wich, sandwich, grinder, Italian, meatball, fast food, food, eat, shop, Colorado Springs, Colorado, marijuana, CombatCritic, TravelValue, combat, travel