Lawrence, KS: A "World" Away From a Great Cafe

Global Cafe

820 Massachusetts Street

Lawrence, KS 66044

Phone number: (785) 838-4600

Website: globalcafelawrence.com

Prices: $$$$

I have to agree with my fellow Elite and friend Scott T in his less than stellar impression of Global Cafe. We also sat for nearly 10 minutes while the two servers walked to and fro, ignoring us to clean tables rather than greet us and give us menus.

Once the server arrived, turns out she is one of the owners, we got a lukewarm greeting, menus, and an inquiry about what we wanted to drink. I said: "I'll have a coffee please", but she said, "let me get you a drink menu". I just ordered a coffee! Once the drink menu arrived, the $2.50 price tag for a cup of drip coffee seemed excessive, so I opted for ice water.

My wife ordered a short stack of pancakes, two large pancakes for $3.75 and an extra $1.50 for a tiny pitcher of "real maple syrup". I guess you get Aunt Jemima syrup and a high fructose corn syrup buzz if you opt out of the "real" thing. Anyway, the pancakes were pancakes, nothing special.

I had the Carnivore Omelet ($8.75) and a half order of biscuits and gravy, which were not on the menu, but advertised on a sign out front (with no price). The carnivore omelet came with ham, bacon, sausage, caramelized onions and sharp cheddar cheese, but very little of each and what was there was cooked into the omelet rather than folded on the inside. It came with "two sides" (toast, breakfast potatoes, cottage cheese, or sliced tomato), but the only enticing side was the potatoes, so I asked for a double order. I would hate to see a single side order of potatoes because the "double" side was extremely sparse and void of much taste. The biscuit and gravy came with green chili, an odd topping for biscuits and gravy (apparently a "New Mexico specialty"), so I asked for it on the side. The biscuit was small, the gravy thick, but rather tasteless (no sausage or bacon in sight), and the green chili thin (not thick as true green chili should be) and watery, but very spicy.

When the check arrived, it was not itemized, coming to a total of $19.08, so I assume that the single biscuit topped with mediocre country gravy and watery green chili ran around $4 ($19 - $3.75 - $1.50 - $8.75 - tax = about $4). At $23, including tip, I was not impressed considering that my wife had two pancakes, I had a mediocre breakfast, and neither of us ordered a drink other than ice water.

I have had much better breakfasts in town, so I doubt we will be returning here anytime soon. The interior is nothing special, the ceiling covered in flags of the world (hence the name I guess), and the service not very attentive, but semi-friendly. Therefore, ...

CombatCritic Gives Global Cafe 4 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Four Bombs Equates To:

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: Lawrence, KS: A "World" Away From a Great Cafe

Key Words: Global Cafe, global, cafe, breakfast, lunch, Lawrence, Kansas, Massachusetts, street, KU, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

Translation for Civilians: BOHICA = "Bend Over, Here It Comes Again"

Manhattan, KS: Not Quite A Star, This Aggieville Pub Is Decent And Cheap

Keltic Star Public House

1215 Moro Street
Manhattan, KS 66502
Aggieville
Phone number: (785) 320-7456
Website: kelticstarmanhattanks.com
Prices: $$$$

Claiming to be a Welsh pub, Keltic Star offers traditional pub food (Cornish pasties, shepherd's pie, bangers and mash, curry, fish and chips, and lamb stew) as well as appetizers, sandwiches, burgers, and an assortment of drinks from the bar.

Located in Aggieville, an area of bars and restaurants near the Kansas State campus, it was "Funday Sunday" the night we were there, so tap beers were $2.50 for what they refer to as a "pint". A true Imperial (British) pint is a little over 19 ounces and, as we all know, a U.S. pint is 16 ounces. These were neither, being closer to 12 ounces than 16 or even 19, but for $2.50, who is to complain?

We started with a Welsh Rarebit ($6) which has nothing to do with rabbit as many people falsely assume. Coming on five small slices of baguette, the seasoned cheddar cheese was broiled then topped with a few slices of green onion. It was pretty good, but at $1.20 per piece, a tad overpriced, likely costing less than $1 to make (all five).

My wife ordered the Cornish Pasty ($8.50) which is not Welsh at all, but as the name implies it is a specialty of Cornwall, an area in the southwest of England. A pasty has a savory filling, in this case ground beef, potato, carrots, onion, and rutabaga. The dish came with choice of one side dish, so she chose mashed potatoes and gravy. There was also a small cup of brown gravy for dipping the pasty in. The pastry was flaky and the filling tasty, and having had pasties in the UK, I have to say fairly well done.

I decided on the Pub Platter ($14.95), a combination of small servings of shepherd's pie, pasty, banger and mash, and fish and chips. The shepherd's pie was very small but good, obviously made with traditional minced lamb, carrots, peas and topped with a dollop of mashed potatoes. The pasty, as I said before was flaky and good, as was the banger (sausage) and mash, coming with sautèed red cabbage and covered with brown gravy. Everything was good, except for the fish and chips which were very greasy, likely pre-fried, stored, then tossed in the deep fryer a second time right before serving. The fish was flaky and the batter crisp, but both the fish and the chips (fries) were soaked in oil as you can see in the photo below. Otherwise, everything was good and portions were just right as to be not too filling, but not leaving me hungry.

The place has somewhat of a pub feel with an obligatory red British phone booth and other decor you might find in an English or Welsh pub. The service was efficient and friendly. In all, not a bad meal.

CombatCritic Gives Keltic Star Public House 6 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Six Bombs Equates To:

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

Read Chris S.'s review of Keltic Star Public House on Yelp



Keltic Star Public House

Title: Manhattan, KS: Not Quite A Star, This Aggieville Pub Is Decent And Cheap

Key Words: Keltic Star Public House, Keltic, Celtic, star, public, house, pub, bar, Manhattan, Kansas, state, Kansas State, Aggieville, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato

Translation for Civilians: G2G = "Good To Go"

Lincoln, NE: Classic Faux Pas, But Decent Italian And Reasonable Prices

Vincenzo’s Ristorante  

808 P Street, Suite 100

Lincoln, NE 68508

Phone number: (402) 435-3889

Website: vincenzos-ne.com

Prices: $$$$

First of all, if you are going to try to use Italian words on your menu, make sure they are the right words and are spelled correctly if you want to be credible. It is "Antipasti", plural of antipasto (Italian for appetizer), not "Aperitivo" (which is an alcoholic, pre-meal beverage intended to stimulate the appetite). Enough said.

We tried to make a reservation, but at first nobody answered the phone, then we were told they only take reservations for parties of five or more. Keith Urban was having a concert that night and parking was a nightmare, but we managed to find a handicapped spot right in front of the restaurant (I am 80% disabled by the VA if you are wondering).

Fairly empty at 5;15pm on a Saturday, the place quickly filled up. John, our server, was indifferent, yet friendly and efficient, but with poor timing. He seemed overeager to take our order, not giving us much time to peruse the menu. 

We ordered the Garlic Cheese Bread ($4.95) to start. He asked if we would like some marinara with the bread, not mentioning the $1 upcharge that I later found on the check, so I said "of course". The loaf of bread was hot, soft, and garlicky, but I found little if any cheese.

My wife ordered the Cavatappi Formaggio Al Forno ($13.95), spiral, tube shaped pasta and chicken (or shrimp) in a white cheddar cream sauce baked with breadcrumbs and Provel cheese. The breadcrumbs and Provel cheese were difficult to find and it barely appeared to be "al forno" (baked in the oven), but it was creamy, tasty, and rich. Not bad for Lincoln, Nebraska.

I wondered why the "veal parmigiana" ($12.95) was in a different section of the menu than the other veal dishes ($17.95), asking the server. He told me that the only difference was that it was "breaded" and "baked, not sautèed", so I decided to try the parmigiana. Well, I found out why there was a $5 difference. More soon.

We received our salads shortly after finishing the garlic no-cheese bread and they were decent. My wife had the house salad and I the Caesar ($1 extra), although they went a bit overboard with the anchovies in my opinion. Then came the classic server faux pas, my pet peeve, our entrees arrived before I was halfway done with my salad. Oh, John, get a grip. Normally, I would have sent the entrees back unti I was done with my salad, but I let it slide.

As I was saying, I was curious why the parmigiana was $5 less than the other dishes and found out when it arrived. Coming in a casserole dish, the "veal" was obviously a processed patty, likely from Sisco or another restaurant supplier, smothered in marinara sauce, covered with cheese, and baked. For some reason, the sauce was somewhat watery at the bottom of the casserole, like pasta that has not been strained properly, but for $12.95 (including a side of pasta and salad) I could not complain too much or be surprised by the processed veal. It actually was not that bad, but was not the "veal parmigiana" that was listed on the menu.

For Lincoln, Nebraska, I would have to say that Vincenzo's was not great, but not bad. The decor was pleasant, the service good (except for the faux pas), and the prices very reasonable for an "upscale" restaurant (according to reviews - by Nebraska standards).

CombatCritic Gives Vincenzo's Ristorante 6 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Six Bombs Equates To:

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: Lincoln, NE: Classic Faux Pas, But Decent Italian And Reasonable Prices

Key Words: Vincenzo's Ristorante, Vincenzo, ristorante, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, Lincoln, Nebraska, pasta, veal, aperitivo, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

Translation for Civilians: G2G = "Good To Go"

Omaha, NE: Cold French Fries Left Me With Cold Feet About A Decent Recommendation

Jackson Street Tavern

1125 Jackson Street

Omaha, NE 68102

Old Market, Downtown

Phone number: (402) 991-5637

Website: jacksonstreettavern.com

Prices: $$$$

Located just south of Omaha's Old Market area, Jackson Street Tavern was selected for us by the coordinator of a conference we attended, otherwise we likely would not have chosen it ourselves. 

No IPA on tap and no Wi-Fi? Unheard of, but that was the case. Off to a bad start, particularly because the Dodgers were playing in the first game of the NLDS against the Nationals and I wanted to see the rest of the game.

The draft beers they had were $7 or listed "Market Price", slang for "too expensive to list on our menu", so I went with a local bottle of Zipline IPA for $4.50, the least expensive beer on the menu.  I also tried Zipline's Porter and both were cold and good.

"French Dip" ($16)

Also cold were the fries that came with my "French Dip" ($16). The sandwich was about the size of half a Subway footlong with about as much meat (the real thing, not the ones they show you in their commercials). The sandwich was OK, but for $16 a few more ounces of beef and warm fries would have been nice.

"Local Wagyu Burger" ($15)

My wife had the "Local Wagyu Burger", coming with caramelized onion, cheddar cheese, bacon, tomato, lettuce, and "aioli" on a brioche bun as well as more cold fries. The burger was decent, but not worth $15. A similar burger at Dempsey's or The Burger Stand at The Casbah back in Lawrence would top out at $10 for example.

Read Chris S.'s review of Dempsey's Burger Pub on Yelp

Long and narrow, the space has brick walls (in an old building) and tall ceilings, making the obnoxiously loud patrons even louder and impossible to carry on a conversation with the person next to you. The short blonde hostess who failed to even greet us on arrival was impersonal and unfriendly, showing us to our table with barely a word. Our server was semi-friendly and fairly efficient, the highlight of the night and that is not saying much. Our server did manage to have the nearest TV changed to FS1 so I could watch the end of the Dodgers vs Nationals game, which the Dodgers won 4-3 by the way ... one down and ten to go to the 2016 World Championship ... HOOAH!

"Chloe" - Joe's Collectibles (Behind Jackson Street Tavern)

CombatCritic And Chloe Give Jackson Street Tavern A Measly 3 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Three Bombs Equates To:

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

Tabelog - Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - #1 Ranked Foodie





... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Read Chris S.'s review of Jackson Street Tavern on Yelp

Jackson Street Tavern
Title: Omaha, NE: Cold French Fries Left Me With Cold Feet About A Decent Recommendation

Key Words: Jackson Street Tavern, Chloe, jackson, street, tavern, Omaha, Nebraska, Old Market, old, market, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

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