Camas, WA: Hey Portland, Twilight Is Worth A Trip Across The River!

Twilight Pizza Bistro
1905 SE 192nd Ave, Stuie 101
Camas, WA 98607
Phone number (360) 833-1919
Website: twilightpizzabistro.com
Prices: $$$$

A good friend of mine recommended Twilight, having only good things to say about them. Being new to the area, we decided to give 'em a shot.

They changed the TV channel so I could watch my Dodgers versus the Diamondbacks (NLDS Championship Series) and our server was extremely friendly, helpful and efficient. She even told me about their 20% Military Discount, a generous savings and 10% more than most places offer ... HOOAH!

The garlic bread ($6) was pretty good, but overpriced by at least $2 and the Caprese salad  ($7.95) lacking enough mozzarella, but otherwise the food good and prices reasonable.

Garlic Bread $6

Caprese Salad $7.95

The place is comforting to the eye and the food good. What more could you ask for? My wife had the Baked Mac and Cheese ($11.50) with penne pasta in a rich, creamy Tillamook cheddar sauce, topped with breadcrumbs, then baked ... savory and tasty ... YUM!

I built my own pizza ... I'm so proud ... a 12 inch "The Cheese Stands Alone" with a tomato sauce and mozzarella base on hand tossed crust ($11.75), adding Italian sausage for $1.60 ($13.35 total). Excuse my French, but there was a shitload of sausage on the pizza. Big slices of whole sausage covered the pie, probably 1 1/2 - 2 sausages in total. Can you say sausage fest? This pie was pretty damn good! 

Draft beers are $4.75 to $5.50 for a pint and my IPA was cold and frosty, making me extra hoppy (get it?). For two appetizers, two meals and a draught beer, the total came to around $47 with tax, but the 20% military discount brought the total to just under $37 plus tip ... whatta bahgain!

They even have Happy Hour Sunday through Thursday from 2 to 6PM and Friday and Saturday from 2 to 6PM and 9PM to close (dine-in only-available throughout the restaurant). You can save $2 on an appetizer or glass of wine and all draught pints are $1 off.

The only reason I deducted 2 Bombs was because of the overpriced garlic bread, much more tomato than mozzarella on the Caprese, and a total lack of salami. No salami in an Italian joint? Salami pizza is my favorite, so add some damn salami to the topping menu and mozzarella to the Caprese, and maybe I will upgrade my rating ... CAPISCHE?

CombatCritic Gives Twilight Bistro 9 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

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Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16/'17 - 650,000+ Views A Year

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

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Read Chris S.'s review of Twilight Pizza Bistro on Yelp

Title: Camas, WA: Hey Portland, Twilight Is Worth A Trip Across The River!

Key Words: Twilight Pizza Bistro, twilight, pizza, pasta, bistro, Italian, Vancouver, Camas, WA, Portland, OR, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato

Translation for Civilians: WTFO! = "What-The-Fuck ... Over!"

Copyright 2017/2018 - 3rd Wave Media Group, LLC and CombatCritic - All Rights Reserved

Vancouver, WA: A Little Italy Goes A Long Way In Downtown Vancouver

Little Italy’s Trattoria

901 Washington Street

Vancouver, WA 98660
Phone: (360) 737-2363
Facebook: LittleItalysTrattoria
Prices: $$$$

The first time my wife and I tried to eat here (last November), they were closed (during business hours) for renovations. The second time, they were open but out of veal, the dish I drove all the way across state lines to order. This review incorporates visits #2 and #3.

The place has the feel of an old, historic restaurant as you enter, but I was seated in the bar in the back which has recently been renovated from what I understand. There is another large dining room in between the two. The bar is dark and modern, and the drinks (based on what I saw on the menu) reasonable.

On Visit #2, the IPA and other drafts were $3.75 on the drink menu I received, so I ordered one to start, then another with my entree. When I was told they were out of veal after a busier than expected 4th of July weekend, I almost left, but was famished, so I ordered the Spaghetti Bolognese ($12) which was not bad. Most meals come with salad and garlic bread, a nice touch, my Caesar (or garden salad if you choose) being very good and the two pieces of garlic bread also very tasty. The Bolognese was a bit dry and lacked zest, nothing that some grated parmesan could not fix, making it much more flavorful.

I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt regarding the veal, so my friend and I returned the following Sunday for Visit #3. We ordered a bottle of Chianti ($20), a decent wine and value. My friend ordered a spaghetti dish topped with 5-6 shrimp tossed in an olive oil, garlic and lemon sauce which looked good, but was "nothing special" according to him. I finally got to try the Vitello (veal) Parmigiana ($19), an overly thick chop, not a cotoletta (cutlet) as is normally the case, buried under quite a bit of sauce and melted cheese that had been broiled a tad too long. Had the the same piece of veal been pounded out into a thin cutlet then breaded and fried, it would have appeared to be a much larger portion, perceived as a better value and a more appropriate presentation. I had Bolognese on the spaghetti once again with the same result as Visit #1. The marinara on the veal was actually pretty good.

When the check arrived on Visit #2, the IPAs were $5 instead of $3.75, so I asked why. "Oh, that's the Grand Opening menu ... You shouldn't have received that menu.", I was told. The bartender (and my server), a relative of the owners, quickly fixed the error and I paid the bill.

I really want to like this place because it would make a great new regular go-to spot for Italian now that we live in Portland. The owners and staff are all extremely nice, the environment a bit cheesy but welcoming, the prices relatively fair, and the food good, but not great. Saucier sauces, thinner veal, and a bit more seasoning would improve the experience, but if they have been using the same recipes (Neapolitan I was told) for 14 years, seeing change any time soon may be a pipedream. I have not found a decent, authentic, home-style, family Italian restaurant in the Portland area yet, having seen mostly foo-foo hangouts with tiny plates and big prices and very few that serve veal, a necessity in any Italian restaurant I am going to frequent.

CombatCritic Gives Little Italy's Trattoria 5 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Five Bombs 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 Little Italy's Trattoria on Yelp

Title: Vancouver, WA: A Little Italy Goes A Long Way In Downtown Vancouver

Key Words: CombatCritic, Italian, Italy, little, little Italy, Little Italy's Trattoria, menu, pasta, pizza, Portland, restaurant, review, trattoria, travel, TravelValue, value, Vancouver, WA, Yelp, Zomato

Translation for Civilians: Charlie-Mike = "Continue Mission"

Portland, OR: Rose City's Italian Denny's Is A "Così" Little Place

Denicolas

3520 SE Powell Blvd
Portland, OR 97202
Creston-Kenilworth, Southeast Portland
Phone number: (503) 239-5220
Website: Denicolas.com
Prices: $$$$

Portland has dozens, if not hundreds, of wonderful restaurants, but trying to find a family-style, mom and pop, down-home Italian restaurant without the foo foo plates, faux gourmet tiny portions, and absurd prices is like trying to find a liberal at a Trump rally. Then I saw Denicolas menu, photos and reviews online, and briefly, very briefly, had some hope.

The smell was right when we walked in, but the place looks more like a Denny's than an Italian restaurant, bright lights, vinyl booth seats, and all. It took our server ten minutes to greet us and we rarely saw her after that. She took our order and brought us our bill, but other staff members did everything else.

Dolcetto di Dogliani (2005 - $6.25)

My wife ordered the Special of the Day, cheese ravioli in a creamy mushroom and Marsala sauce ($14.95) and I, the Veal Parmigiana ($21.50), both adding a side salad and the antipasto at $2.79 a pop.

Side Salad ($2.79/head)

Antipasto (included with salad at $2.79/head)

Bread and Focaccia (included with salad at $2.79/head)

I had a glass of wine, the Dolcetto di Dogliani (2005), an Italian red ($6.25) that was decent for the price. The salads were small and simple, but fresh with romaine, grape tomatoes, and dressing on the side. The antipasto consisted of a few carrot slices, three small cubes of mozzarella, pepperoni and salami, and some peperoncini for two of us to share, accompanied by four slices of Italian bread and four small squares of focaccia topped with herbs and tomatoes. So far, so good.

Ravioli in Mushroom and Marsala Cream Sauce ($14.95)

My wife's ravioli looked mass produced and frozen, but were plentiful and not that bad, and the mushroom Marsala sauce was actually very good. When my wife, who was born and raised in Italy, thinks American-Italian food is good, that is not a bad sign. She liked the sauce, but thought there was too much Marsala, but I had to disagree because there can never be too much Marsala ... Bravo!

Veal Parmigiana ($21.50)

The veal was plentiful, but, like many places, a bit too thick, not pounded as thin as it should be before being breaded and pan fried. The veal was topped with ample sauce and mozzarella, then put under the broiler a tad too long. It was not bad, not the worst, but far from the best ... "così così" ("so-so" in Italian and pronounced like the word "cozy") as my grandfather would have said. The accompanying pasta with "meat sauce" had very little meat (or as the Wendy's lady used to say: "Where's the beef?") and was a bit on the skimpy side with barely enough sauce to coat the pasta. Once I did combine the two, adding a ton of parmesan for flavor, I saw that the pasta had not been drained well and there was water pooling underneath, one of the ten deadly sins of pasta serving (second photo below).

Pasta

Pasta, not drained well, ama mia, che shifo!

The prices were not that bad, the food not that great, and the service only adequate. Denicolas would definitely be the best Italian restaurant in Lawrence, Kansas (not a high bar), one of the worst in Brooklyn, New York, and in Portland "così così" if that tells you anything.

CombatCritic Gives Denicolas 5 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Five Bombs Equates To:

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Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie





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Read Chris S.'s review of Denicolas Restaurant on Yelp



DeNicola's Italian Restaurant

WINE MENU

Title: Portland, OR: Rose City's Italian Denny's Is A "Così" Little Place

Key Words: Denicolas, DeNicolas, de, nicolas, Portland, Oregon, Italian, pasta, veal, 97202, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog, 

Translation for Civilians: Charlie-Mike = "Continue Mission"

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"