Went Twice, Closed Both Times - Stop Wasting My Time!

Duca’s Neapolitan Pizza

12229 Voyager Pkwy

Colorado Springs, CO 80921

Phone: (719) 487-3200

Website: ducaspizza.com

Prices: $$$$

My son and I tried to eat here twice during my recent visit to Colorado, but on the night I got into town (Wednesday), they were closed when we arrived shortly after 8pm. We returned the following Sunday at around 5pm hungry for a Neapolitan pizza, but they were again closed so we gave up on Duca's.

How is the pizza? No idea and I guess I will never know because they will not be open long if paying customers arrive to find the doors locked. 

I checked their prices online and they are not unfair, but I cannot tell you if this is a good value because I COULD NOT TASTE THE PIZZA. For example, a Margherita pizza in Naples (hence their name, Neapolitan: "someone or something from Naples, Italy") runs around €5 to €6 which equates to around $5.50 to $6.50 (today), so $6.95 is not unreasonable. 

American "Neapolitan" pizzas tend to average 12" in diameter, but if you order a pizza in Naples, you will never get a 12" pizza unless it was a mistake. True Neapolitan pizzas are at least 13" to 14" in diameter and you would never find chicken on a pizza in Naples, particularly the "BBQ" or "Buffalo" or variety as is the case at Duca's.

A pizza place that closes at 8pm? Give me a break and stop wasting my time!

CombatCritic Gives Duca's Neapolitan Pizza 1 Bomb Out Of 10 ... You Know The Rest

One Bomb Equates To:

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Title: Colorado Springs: Went Twice, Closed Both Times - Stop Wasting My Time!

Key Words: Duca's Neapolitan Pizza, Duca's, Duca, Neapolitan, pizza, Naples, Colorado Springs, Colorado, springs, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Zomato

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

Monument: Oh Brothers, $19 For A $10 Pizza Special?

Borriello Brothers

15910 Jackson Creek Pkwy

Monument, CO 80132

Phone: (719) 884-2020

Website: borriellobrothers.com

Prices: $$$$

Beware when ordering "specials" and adding extra ingredients. Our $10 18" one-topping pizza specials skyrocketed to $19 because the $1 extra toppings we were quoted turned out to be $3 each on an 18" pizza.

The pizza is average and the Genoa salami I paid extra for as a "specialty topping" was used very sparingly. I may as well have ordered a cheese pizza because there was hardly any of the up-charged salami anywhere to be found.

My son is vegan and ordered his pizza without cheese, but having added red pepper, roasted tomato and fresh basil, the "$10 special" ballooned to $19. I can buy an entire basil plant for a little more than $3, so charging that much for a few measly leaves is unconscionable. His pizza was also burnt on the bottom, so we had to wait an additional 20 minutes to get an edible pizza while mine grew cold to the touch.

It is difficult to find good pizza anywhere but on the right and left coasts and I was left unimpressed after this experience. My son also told me that the last time he went there he asked if he could substitute an additional topping seeing that he cannot eat cheese and asked that the mozzarella be excluded, but he was told, "no you cannot" ... UNSAT. 

CombatCritic Gives Borriello Brothers 4 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Four Bombs Equates To:

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Title: Oh Brothers, $19 For A $10 Pizza Special?

Key Words: Borriello Brothers, Borriello, brothers, brother, pizza, pasta, Colorado Springs, Colorado, springs, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Zomato

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

Monument: Sushi Or Not Sushi, That Is The Question

I-Fish

562 West Hwy 105

Monument, CO 80132

Phone: (719) 488-9898

Website: ifishmonument.com

Prices: $$$$

I am not a big sushi or sashimi fan. I have eaten both on several occasions and I personally just don't get it or see what all the fuss is about. A bunch of rice with seaweed wrapped around it and some vegetables or fish inside. Paying top dollar for something with so little taste just ain't my style. I ate freshly caught Mahi Mahi sashimi while on a 50 foot sailing yacht during a SCUBA diving trip to Yap and it was "OK", nothing to write home to Guam about.

Anywho, my sons and a friend of theirs wanted to come here for the $14.95 all-you-can-eat lunch deal, so I was cajoled into joining in. Two of them had the all-you-can-eat deal and what they received looked quite appealing and filling for the price. 

My youngest son, who is not a sushi/sashimi fan like myself, and I decided to go with something more flavorful, so we both went with the Beef Yakisoba ($8.95). It was tasty enough, but not overly abundant. There was a medium size pile of the flavorful, fried noodles and a shredded carrot garnish, but it seemed as though my son got most of the beef when they split it into two dishes. As Wendy would say, "where's the beef?"

I will not let my opinion of sushi and the like sway me, so I base my rating on the quality of the food, the flavor of what I ate, the service, the atmosphere, and most of all the value. The food was good, the service excellent, the atmosphere nice, and the value average.

CombatCritic Gives I-Fish 6 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better

Six Bombs Equates To:

"Good To Go"

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I-Fish

Title: Sushi Or Not Sushi, That Is The Question

Key Words: I-Fish, I, Fish, IFish, sushi, sashimi, Monument, Colorado, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Tabelog, Zomato

Translation for Civilians: G2G = Good To Go

Monument: Muy Bueno ... Very Good, Authentic Food And An Excellent Value!

Rodolfo’s Mexican Grill
15932 Jackson Creek Pkwy
Monument, CO 80921
Phone: (719) 487-9410

Prices: $$$$

Bare bones atmosphere, a few tables and chairs, a walk-up service window, and no servers, but very good food at reasonable prices in the corner location of a strip mall.

My son is a vegan and loved his bean and rice burrito with guacamole ($4.45). It was huge!

I am not vegan, or even a virgin for that matter, so I ordered chips and guacamole ($2.80), carne asada tacos ($2.35 each), and cheese and onion enchiladas ($3.95) ala carte. The chips were a tad too greasy, as if they had just been reheated in the deep frier, but pretty good with a little shredded cheese and a bit more guacamole on top. I needed some more guacamole, so I went back to the counter to get an additional side order for the chips and my tacos., but when I asked to pay I was told "no charge". Wow ... gracias!

The carne asada tacos came on large corn tortillas and were heaped with sliced beef, diced onions, pico de gallo, guacamole, and a little shredded cheese ... just the way I like them ... buenísimo! They also have a small salsa bar with three different salsas (two red and one green), some pico de gallo, fresh cut lime, and pickled jalapeño and sliced carrots. They were all great, but I had to taste each to find out how hot they were, so some signage would be my only suggestion.

The enchiladas were also very good. The red chili sauce was spicy and tasty and there was just the right amount of cheese to sauce ratio. The only drawback being way too many sliced onions on top instead of a few diced onions inside the enchiladas. The taste was pretty much the same, but it was hard to see the enchiladas through the onions and they were a bit overpowering.

In all, the food was fresh, excellent, and very reasonable. Coming from Lawrence, Kansas where they do not seem to know what good, authentic Mexican food is, Rodolfo's was a breath of fresh air in more ways than one. Being a cold Colorado night, the place was a bit chillier than expected, so dress warm and enjoy some good food.

CombatCritic Gives Rodolfo's Mexican Grill 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... Más Bombas Son Mejores!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

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Rodolfo’s Mexican Grill

Menus

Title: Muy Bueno ... Very Good, Authentic Food And An Excellent Value! 

Key Words: Rodolfo's Mexican Grill, Rodolfo's, Rodolfo, Rudolfo, Mexican, grill, Monument, Colorado, springs, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Tabelog, Zomato

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

Colorado Springs: As We Say On Yelp ... "Meh, I've Experienced Better"

Hacienda Colorado

5246 N Nevada Ave

Colorado Springs, CO 80918

Phone: (719) 418-7999

Website: haciendacolorado.com

Prices: $$$$$

Three steak tacos and a few black beans - $13

You would never know you were in a Mexican restaurant by the looks of the place. It looks more like a seafood restaurant or a steak house. Anyway, unlike most of my reviews, this will be short ...

Food ... average

Service ... adequate

Prices ... very high ... $10 for guacamole?

Value ... terrible

CombatCritic Gives Hacienda Colorado 3 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Portobello Burrito - $11.59 ... For A Burrito With No Meat?

Cheese and Onion Enchilada Ala Carte - $3.99 

Read This Review And Many More On Yelp ... CombatCritic Is An Elite '14/'15 Yelp Member

Title: As We Say On Yelp ... "Meh, I've Experienced Better"

Key Words: Hacienda Colorado, hacienda, Colorado, Colorado Springs, Nevada, Mexican, menu, food, restaurant, taco, enchilada, guacamole, chips, salsa, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, Yelp, TripAdvisor

Denver: Le Central Is "Le Bombe"

Le Central

112 E 8th Ave

Denver, CO 80203

Southwest, Capitol Hill

Phone: (303) 863-8094

Web: lecentral.com

Prices: $$$$$

Le Central is one of my favorite restaurants … anywhere … and I have eaten at some of the best restaurants in the 39 countries I have visited so far. I was in India a week ago, but found out that my mom was hospitalized and dying, so I made my way over a 72 hour period to be by her side in Colorado Springs when she died on February 12^th, 2015. Long story short, I was taking my wife to the Denver airport so she could return to work and we decided to stop at Le Central for their Happy Hour menu.

We have been gone for seven years, but the place has not changed except for the being open in the afternoon with a limited, but exceptional menu. They offer a $3 glass of wine, escargots, crepes, their fabulous mussels and French fries (moules frites).

I has a glass of pinot noir ($3), which was excellent, the escargots in brioche ($7), and the moules Portuguese ($12.95).  The pinot noir was dry, a deep red, and robust. The escargots were superb as usual and I mopped-up every last drop with the wonderful French baguette.  The Portuguese mussels were excellent with slices of chorizo and chunks of fresh tomato in the white wine based broth infused with garlic although the broth was not as plentiful as I would have liked as was the case in years past. The frites were excellent, perfectly salted and hot, but by the time I de-shelled all of my mussels, they were not as hot as I would have liked … DRAT!

The prices have gone up a bit since we were there last, but Le Central is still an outstanding value.  The service is always excellent, the food sublime and very reasonable, the wine list extensive, and the ambience country French.  If you have not tried Le Central, you do not know what you are missing!

CombatCritic Gives Le Central the Coveted 10 Out of 10 Bombs … Plus de Bombes Sont Mieux! (More Bombs Are Better)

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Title: Le Central Is "Le Bombe"

Key Words: Le Central, le, central, French, France, restaurant, menu, escargots, wine, moules, frites, fries, Denver, Colorado, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value

Colorado Springs: Carne Asada or Tuna Taco? That Is The Question!

Monica's Taco Shop

30 E Fillmore Street

Colorado Springs, CO 80907

Phone: (719) 473-1996

Prices: $$$$$

After reading the mostly rave reviews on Yelp, I had to try Monica's as it is just a couple blocks from the hospital where my mom is currently admitted.  Let me just say that I was not overly impressed.

Carne Asada Tacos - $2.15 Each

A cheese quesadilla, two carne asada tacos, chips and guacamole, and an horchata came to almost $15, not exactly cheap.  The quesadilla was nothing special, the tacos came on greasy tortillas that tasted like they were fried in dirty (fishy) oil, and the guacamole, and I use that term loosely, looked like the stuff from a tub that you get on nachos at Little League baseball games and was smothered all over the chips (fried in the same fishy grease) and topped with a little cheese. 

Chips and Guacamole? - $4.19

There was no need to deep fry a soft shell corn tortilla for a carne asada taco in the first place as they should have been lightly toasted on the grill prior to serving.  The contents, meat, cheese, and pico di gallo, were actually pretty good and plentiful, but I could barely stomach the greasy, fishy flavor of the fried tortillas. Non me gusto ... YUK!

I would like to think that it was just a bad night, but I honestly cannot say that I will return to find out.

CombatCritic Gives Monica's Taco Shop (Fillmore) 4 Bombs Out of 10 ... MORE BOMBS ARE BUENAS!

Title: Carne Asada or Tuna Taco? That Is The Question!

Key Words: Monica's Taco Shop, Monica's, Monica, taco, shop, Colorado Springs, Fillmore, chips, menu, enchilada, burrito, guacamole, eat, food, restaurant, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value