Task 30 – Via Italian Table (Worcester, MA)

(30) Eat in 10 New Restaurants (37/20)

Restaurant: Via Italian Table

Website: www.viaitaliantable.com

Rating:       2-stars

Last night my friend Chris and I went to Via for dinner to celebrate my birthday. There is just something about this place that I bother’s me. Maybe it’s the corner of the restaurant that I always get put in, the poor service or the mediocre food. Either way this was just another so-so visit that will prevent me from returning anytime soon.

We arrived a little before 8:30 for dinner and nearly got taken out by one of the valet’s. Once we safely made it inside we were seated quickly in that small corner of the dining room on the opposite side of the bar. The sound just echo’s here and it doesn’t help that the staff seem to use the corner as a gossip spot to complain to each other.

Our waitress came over to take our order. I am particular about the way I like my drink and always order it the same way and made sure that they got it. Without fail Via regularly fails on the details and screws it up every time. During this table visit she dropped off some bread and oil as is customary but didn’t return with the parmesan cheese for 10 minutes and by then the bread was gone.

We both ordered the Scaloppine of Veal described as a sirloin of veal sliced thin sautéed with Marsala wine, wild mushrooms and prosciutto served with grilled zucchini and parmesan risotto. The veal I thought was a tad too thick and a very chewy but the grilled zucchini and the parmesan risotto was fantastic. At 21.99 though I would have preferred that the protein part of the entrée should have been better.

My other complaints are related to service. It just seemed that to me whenever I needed something the server was nowhere in sight and gone for what seemed like forever. For example when the entrée arrived she walked away before I realized I didn’t have a knife. Needing one for the meal meant I had to wait until she re-appeared to get one and it was a solid 10 minutes my meal sat while I waited. Similarly my drink sat empty for an extended period of time again with here nowhere to be found to request another.

Finally it was a different waitress that I flagged down that took care of my drink. When we finished the meals our plates sat piled on the table while we chatted and it was again a different waitress that took them away for us. When our waitress finally reappeared she seemed shocked our table had been cleared. We asked for the check deciding to pass on desert. Like everything else paying the bill took entirely too long. Its nights like this I wish I had correct change instead of waiting for a larger bill to be broken. It was 10 by the time we left.

For some reason I always forget what a disappointment my last visit was and return Hopefully I will eventually learn my lesson and forgo Via Italian Table.

Task 30 – Francesca’s Pizzeria (Newton, MA)

(30) Eat in 10 New Restaurants (36/20)

Restaurant: Francesca’s Pizzeria
Location:     203 Adams St
                     Newton, MA 02458                     (617) 244-8314

Website:      http://www.francescapizzeria.com

Rating:         4-stars

Every time I am near Francesca Pizzeria on Adam’s Street in the summer you can smell the fantastic food in the air. I finally decided to check it out since my friends who live in the area are moving and there isn’t really anything in Nonantum worth a trip for.

When we entered it was clear that this is a family owned and operated establishment. My experience has told me that family restaurants can be amazing or a complete train wreck. There were very few poeple there and I’ll admit I was a bit cautious.  Francesca’s didn’t disappoint however. We decided to try their pesto pizza made with olive oil, pine nuts, mozzarella, basil, parmesan and Romano cheeses. Just the smell when it arrived at the table made my mouth water. The crust was perfectly crispy, light and flavorful and the pesto was as good as anything homemade.

Our waitress was friendly and accommodating and checked on us just enough to keep us happy without being a pest. She offered many suggestions on what to try and made us feel like part of the family. The interior is dated and could use some improvement but it was clean and neat. The tables were a little close together and when it filled up it was a bit difficult to navigate our way to the door but with food this good you expect to have a crowd.

I can’t wait to try something different next time and will be back soon.

MOVIE Review – Hunger Games

Movie: Hunger Games

Rating: 4-Stars

"The Hunger Games" takes place in a postapocalyptic America. All that remains of the United States is Panem, a 12-district federation headed by cautious President Snow (Donald Sutherland). Its capitol, Panem, is home to a wealthy, decadent elite, whose comforts and high-tech toys are supported by the labor of an impoverished majority.

Having crushed a rebellion 74 years ago, the government reasserts its authority over the population by staging an annual fight to the death competition called the Hunger Games. Every year on Reaping Day, a boy and a girl (ages 12 to 18) from each district are chosen by lottery to fight to the death in a televised gladiator event devised by head Games-maker Seneca Crane (Wes Bentley).

The chances of being selected are increased by the amount of government assistance you accept. In this 74th annual Hunger Games a 12 yo girl from District 12, the poorest region of all and a coal-mining area that looks like 1930’s Appalachia, named Prim Everdeen (Willow Shields) is selected. Her sister the ever tough and resourceful Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) volunteers to keep her sister safe. Her male friend and romantic interest Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth) is also fearful of being selected with his 42 entries in the lottery. However the odds were forever in his favor and Her fellow District 12 male entrant is Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) from whom she immediately recognized as someone who once gave her bread.

After a short and tearful good bye to her family she boards the luxurious train to Panem with Peeta along with and their PR Guru and entrant selector Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks) and Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) their mentor and former victor in the games. Effie whose bewigged and powdered face and maliciously sincere personality and Abernathy’s in his perpetual drunkard state are tasked with preparing and molding both Katniss and Peeta into players who have a chance. The train is filled with food and wine and it gives the impression of it being their last meal.

Upon arrival they are prepared by their coach Abernathy, Effie their PR guru and the broadcast stylist Cinna (Lenny Kravitz) and paraded in front of the people of Panem and introduced as tributes by Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci) whose brilliant blend of mirth and malice makes him a flamboyant caricature you can’t help but find entertaining.

It is during these introductions that things get complicated for Katniss. She learns that Peeta has pined for her since the day they first met. They get the moniker the star-crossed lovers as a result of the misfortune that they may have to kill each other to survive or die at the hands of another.

With the introduction of all the entrants it is clear that most don’t have a fighting chance against District 1 and 2 entrants who have been trained since childhood to win and who volunteered. The main villain in the games isn’t those running the game but District 2 male tribute Cato. He is seen as the most dangerous threat to all the tributes not just Katniss and Peeta. It is more likely that aside from dehydration or starvation it is Cato that might send them to meet their maker. He is obscene, vulgar, and relentless, and uses his brute strength for almost everything and fights hard to win. He is a Career Tribute and for all of his life, has trained for the Hunger Games and has come to win.

Just before the start of the games Cinna who has built trust with Katniss gives her two things. First the nightingale pin she gave to her sister for protection and the advice to avoid the cornucopia at the beginning of the competition by calling it a bloodbath.

As the tributes ascend to the playing field they discover the cornucopia center stage filled with food and weapons for the game. As expected it is a brutal event where almost ½ of the players are killed. Heeding Cinna’s advice at first she doesn’t approach the cornucopia but then decides to make a go for it. She nearly escapes and begins hiding in the woods. She witnesses some of the less experienced players foolishly lighting fires at night and drawing the attention of the others who kill to win. Determined not to participate or meet the same fate she spends time hiding in the trees while the some of the others are now grouped together hunting for her. Included in that group is Peeta. She begins to reach the end of the playing field and the games-maker Seneca attempts to drive her back into play by fire balling her. 

This act results in her being chased and eventually trapped in a tree while the others below wait for her to descend so they can finish her. Injured by the fire she receives a gift from a sponsor. This medicine helps heal her wound. While in the tree she discovers that Rue from District 11 is there to help and suggests she drop a nearby nest of deadly bees on those sleeping below. As she cuts the nest from the tree she is stung several times by the bees whose venom causes hallucinations and in extreme cases death. According to plan the bees cause the attackers to scatter and the one with the bow is stung to death. Delirious from her stings she collapses after escaping only to wake and find that Rue had helped protect and hide her from the others.

The two devise a plan to destroy the stock pile of food the group has amassed near the cornucopia and level the playing field. Rue will light fires to lure the others away while she destroys their stash. To signal each other they are ok they use the Mocking gales who repeat what they hear. Successful in her plan Katniss returns and doesn’t find Rue at the rendezvous point but instead hears her screams for help. Rue who was caught in a net is dangling in an open area. While Katniss works to free her they are attacked and Rue is killed. Heartbroken at her death she signals the viewers that she lost a friend while preparing a bed of flowers for her fallen fellow tribute.

While walking along the river she finds Peeta hidden in the rock hiding after having been stabbed in the leg by Cato. In terrible shape Katniss and Peeta find shelter in a hidden cave where their budding romance flourishes. With his situation worsening she is forced to leave him to retrieve much needed medicine at the cornucopia. Here she is attached and wounded by Cato’s District 2 companion where she is saved by the Angry District 11 partner of Rue. She returns to the cave and after sharing the medicine the Game-Maker modifies the rules to allow 2 winners if they are from the same District. The two leave the safety of their cave to gather berries and make weapons. Peeta unknowingly collects poisonous berries and when the tell tale bang of a tributes death is heard Katniss races to see if Peeta is alive. It is then she discovers another sneaky player was following Peeta and had eaten the berries he collected.

Wanting to move the game along the Game-maker unleashes a pack of generated animals to hunt the tributes. The other District 11 tribute is mauled to death and they next come for Katniss and Peeta. They race to the safety of the cornucopia only to discover that they are not alone and a battle to the death with Cato ensues. Katniss eventually gains the upper hand and has Cato and Peeta pinned. Cato tells her to shoot him and then both he and Peeta will die and she will win. Unwilling to let her fellow District 12 Tribute die she instead shoots Cato in the hand and in a moment of distraction Peeta pushes him off the Cornucopia where he is mauled by the animals. It is then that you see again how human Katniss is when she puts Cato out of his misery.

Instead of the game ending the games-maker again modifies the game to a single winner and Peeta offers himself to Katniss so she can win. Instead she tells Peeta that they should together eat the berries and die as true star crossed lovers like Romeo and Juliet. He wit and intelligence and the need for a winner allows her plan to fakeout the game-maker prevail and they are crowned co-winners.

Angered by the game-maker’s failure President Snow leaves a bowl of the berries for the game-maker to kill himself. In the end Katniss and Peeta return to District 12 hero’s. In a final twist I’m sure leads to a sequel President Snow witnesses the obvious love Katniss has for Gale and that he was right that the game-maker was deceived with her false love of Peeta designed to allow them both to return.

Task 03 - Go on Vacation with Friends (San Francisco, CA)

I have finally booked the trip to San Francisco with the boys. I am very excited and I will update you as we travel with details about of all the cool places and things we want to do and then report back on the ones we did :) Some of the things I know we want to see include: Alcatraz, Muir Woods, Sausalito, Golden Gate Bridge, Napa Valley/Sonoma, Lombard Street, Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39, Ghirardelli Square, China Town, The Cable Car's, and the Painted Ladies.

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Alcatraz Island is located in the San Francisco Bay, 1.5 miles offshore from San Francisco, California. Often referred to as "The Rock", the small island was developed with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison, and a Federal Prison beginning in October 12, 1933 Alcatraz was designed to hold prisoners who continuously caused trouble at other federal prisons. During the 29 years it was in use, the jail held such notable criminals as Al Capone, Robert Franklin Stroud (the Birdman of Alcatraz), George "Machine Gun" Kelly, Bumpy Johnson, Rafael Cancel Miranda (a member of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party who attacked the United States Capitol building in 1954), Mickey Cohen, Arthur R. "Doc" Barker, James "Whitey" Bulger, and Alvin "Creepy" Karpis (who served more time at Alcatraz than any other inmate). It also provided housing for the Bureau of Prisons staff and their families.During its 29 years of operation, the penitentiary claimed no prisoner had successfully escaped. A total of 36 prisoners made 14 escape attempts, two men trying twice; 23 were caught, six were shot and killed during their escape, and three escaped and were never found. Because of costs being three times what other prison's cost to operate Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy ordered the penitentiary closed on March 21, 1963 Beginning in November 1969, the island was occupied for more than 19 months by a group of American Indians from San Francisco who were part of a wave of Indian activism across the nation with public protests through the 1970s. In 1972 Alcatraz became a national recreation area. The entire Alcatraz Island was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and received designation as a National Historic Landmark in 1986. Today, the island's facilities are operated by the National Park Service as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area; it is open to tours. Visitors can reach the island by ferry ride from Pier 33, near Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. In 2008 the nation's first hybrid propulsion ferry started serving the island.

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Muir Woods National Monument is a part of the National Park Service on the Pacific coast of southwestern Marin County, California, 12 miles north of San Francisco and part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It protects 554 acres of which 240 acres are old growth Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) forests, one of a few such stands remaining in the San Francisco Bay Area. Due to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, the forest is regularly shrouded in a coastal marine layer fog, contributing to a wet environment that encourages vigorous plant growth. The fog is also vital for the growth of the redwoods as they use moisture from the fog during the dry summer.

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Sausalito is a San Francisco Bay Area city and is 8 miles south-southeast of San Rafael, at an elevation of 13 feet. The population was 7,061 as of the 2010 census. The community is situated near the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge, and prior to the building of that bridge served as a terminus for rail, car and ferry traffic. Developed rapidly as a shipbuilding center in World War II, the city's industrial character gave way in postwar years to a reputation as a wealthy and artistic enclave, a picturesque residential community (incorporating large numbers of houseboats), and a tourist destination. It is adjacent to, and largely bounded by, the protected spaces of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

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The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. As part of both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1, the structure links the city of San Francisco, on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, to Marin County. It is one of the most internationally recognized symbols of San Francisco, California, and of the United States. It has been declared one of the modern Wonders of the World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. The Frommers travel guide considers the Golden Gate Bridge "possibly the most beautiful, certainly the most photographed, bridge in the world". When completed in 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge had the longest suspension bridge main span in the world, at 4,200 feet. Since 1964, its main span length has been surpassed by eight other bridges. However, it still has the second longest main span in the United States, after the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York City. The total length of the Golden Gate Bridge, including approaches from abutment to abutment, is 8,981 feet. At 692 feet the Golden Gate Bridge also had the world's tallest suspension towers when built. It held that status until 1998, with the completion of bridges in Denmark and Japan.

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Napa Valley/Sonoma. Sonoma is the southwestern county of California's Wine Country region, which also includes Napa, Mendocino, and Lake counties. It has 13 approved American Viticultural Areas and over 250 wineries. In 2002, Sonoma County ranked as the 32nd county in the United States in agricultural production. Napa County, once the producer of many different crops, is known today for its wine industry, rising in the 1960s to the first rank of wine regions with France, Italy, and Spain

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Lombard Street is an east–west street in San Francisco, California. It is famous for having a steep, one-block section that consists of eight tight hairpin turns on Russian Hill between Hyde and Leavenworth Streets. Those eight sharp turns  that have earned the street the distinction of being the crookedest street in the world. The switchback's design, first suggested by property owner Carl Henry and instituted in 1922,was born out of necessity in order to reduce the hill's natural 27% grade,which was too steep for most vehicles. It is also a serious hazard to pedestrians, who are accustomed to a more reasonable sixteen-degree incline[clarification needed. The crooked section of the street, which is about 1⁄4 mile long, is reserved for one-way traffic traveling east (downhill) and is paved with red bricks. The speed limit in this section is 5 mph

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Fisherman's Wharf is a neighborhood and popular tourist attraction in San Francisco, California. It roughly encompasses the northern waterfront area of San Francisco from Ghirardelli Square or Van Ness Avenue east to Pier 35 or Kearny Street. The F Market streetcar runs through the area, the Powell-Hyde cable car lines runs to Aquatic Park, at the edge of Fisherman's Wharf, and the Powell-Mason cable car line runs a few blocks away. Fisherman's Wharf gets its name and neighborhood characteristics from the city's early days during the Gold Rush where Italian emigre fishermen settled in the area and fished for the Dungeness Crab. From then until present day it remained the home base of San Francisco's fishing fleet. Despite its redevelopment into a tourist attraction during the 1970s and 1980s, the area is still home to many active fishermen and their fleets One of the busiest and well known tourist attractions in the western United States, Fisherman's Wharf is best known for being the location of Pier 39, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, the Cannery Shopping Center, Ghirardelli Square, a Ripley's Believe it or Not museum, the Musée Mécanique, the Wax Museum at Fisherman's Wharf, Forbes Island and restaurants and stands that serve fresh seafood, most notably Dungeness crab and clam chowder served in a sourdough bread bowl. Some of the restaurants, like Pompei's Grotto and Alioto's #8, go back for three generations of the same family ownership. Nearby Pier 45 has a chapel in memory of the "Lost Fishermen" of San Francisco and Northern California.

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In 1893, Domingo Ghirardelli purchased the entire city block in order to make it into the headquarters of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company. In the early 1960s, the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company was bought by the Golden Grain Macaroni Company which moved the headquarters off-site to San Leandro and put the square up for sale. Today Ghirardelli Square is a landmark with shops and restaurants in the Fisherman's Wharf area of San Francisco, California, USA. A portion of the area is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Pioneer Woolen Mills and D. Ghirardelli Company. Ghirardelli Square once featured over 40 specialty shops and restaurants. Some of the original shops and restaurants still occupy the square.

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San Francisco's Chinatown is the oldest Chinatown in North America and the largest Chinese community outside Asia. Since its establishment in 1848, it has been highly important and influential in the history and culture of ethnic Chinese immigrants to the United States and North America. Chinatown is an active enclave that continues to retain its own customs, languages, places of worship, social clubs, and identity. Popularly known as a "city-within-a-city", it has developed its own government, traditions, over 300 restaurants, and as many shops. There are two hospitals, numerous parks and squares, a post office, and other infrastructure. Visitors can easily become immersed in a microcosmic Asian world, filled with herbal shops, temples, pagoda roofs and dragon parades. In addition to it being a starting point and home for thousands of Chinese immigrants, it is also a major tourist attraction drawing more visitors annually to the neighborhood than the Golden Gate Bridge.

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The San Francisco cable car system is the world's last manually operated cable car system. An icon of San Francisco, California, the cable car system forms part of the intermodal urban transport network operated by the San Francisco Municipal Railway, or "Muni" as it is better known. Of the twenty-three lines established between 1873 and 1890, three remain (one of which combines parts of two earlier lines): two routes from downtown near Union Square to Fisherman's Wharf, and a third route along California Street. While the cable cars are used to a certain extent by commuters, their small service area and premium fares for single rides make them more of a tourist attraction. They are among the most significant tourist sites in the city, along with Alcatraz Island and Fisherman's Wharf. The cable cars are the only mobile National Monument in the world, and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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Painted ladies" is a term used for Victorian and Edwardian houses and buildings painted in three or more colors that embellish or enhance their architectural details. The term was first used for San Francisco Victorian houses by writers Elizabeth Pomada and Michael Larsen in their 1978 book Painted Ladies - San Francisco's Resplendent Victorians. Since then the term has also been used to describe groups of colorful Victorian houses. One of the best-known groups of "Painted Ladies" is the row of Victorian houses at 710–720 Steiner Street, across from Alamo Square park, in San Francisco. It is sometimes known as "Postcard Row." The houses were built between 1892 and 1896 by developer Matthew Kavanaugh, who lived next door in the 1892 mansion at 722 Steiner Street. This block appears very frequently in media and mass-market photographs of the city and its tourist attractions and have appeared in an estimated 70 movies, TV programs, and ads, including in the opening credits of the television series Full House.

Task 30 - Shangri-La (Worcester, MA)

Restaurant: Shangri-La
Address:     60 Madison St
                   Worcester, MA 01608
                   (508) 798-0888
                   www.shangri-lama.com

Stars:          3 StarsI picked up a Groupon for Shangri-La after reading the reviews. I was excited to see what had been done to improve what used to be Ping’s Garden. The interior is much improved. It is clean and neat and they obviously spent time and money making improvements. I loved the Koi pond at the door although at present the koi look like gold fish. I hope they get time to grow. One area they failed to do anything was the bathrooms. Nothing worse than going in to wash your hands and being unsure you are any cleaner then when you arrived.

The menu was extensive and I saw many of the usual Chinese restaurant favorites and some other more unusual options. We decided to start with a soup particularly the Chicken Corn Soup. This wasn’t very good. It was basically a gelatinous egg drop with some chicken and corn added.

For our entrées we decided to share an order of white fried rice which was fantastic. It was very fresh and had just the right amount of ingredients. We also had an order or General Gao’s Chicken and an order of Honey Walnuts Chicken. Both of these entrée’s were fantastic. They were all white meat and were packed with flavor and seasoned perfectly.

The staff was very friendly although it was almost a bit too friendly. While were ordering we had three employee’s trying to sell us on the food. It might have been partly because we had no clue what they are saying to us and it felt like we were in a foreign country trying to order.

It still has some room to grow but it is a great start with some good eats.

Task 30 - Tenka Asian Bistro (Westborough, MA)

Restaurant: Tenka Asian Bistro
Address:     153 Boston Tpke Rd
                     Ste 9W
                     Westborough, MA 01581
                     (508) 366-7799
                     www.tenkama.com

Stars:          3 Stars

I had never been and saw that they were on restaurant.com so I picked up a $25.00 certificate for Hibachi. When we arrived there were three hibachi stations with people at them already. We told the host we wanted Hibachi and he responded that it could be a while and did we want to sit at the bar or come back.

I asked why it would be a while since there are 6 stations and he indicated that they had only a single cook working. We decided to sit at the table and wait. The first thing I noticed was that the table was sticky and clearly had not been well cleaned. Before I could say anything the host asked us if we would move to a different table large enough to accommodate us and another group that just arrived and also wanted hibachi.

We watched as the chef cooked the meals of the other two tables and the staff seemed to be running around frantically trying to keep up. It appears that they need to work on their staffing levels.

After what seemed like forever our turn came. I ordered the Filet Mignon and Shrimp. The cook was very skilled at both cooking and entertaining us while he cooked. He did the usual onion volcano and really put on a show with the knives.

The meal its self was great the fried rice was light and tasty and the filet mignon was cooked perfectly. The vegetables were tender and fresh and the noodles were tasty but I could have gone without them. It was a lot of food and I definitely found that I overate. We did discover however that those that ordered the white rice instead of the fried rice never received their rice. Again I attribute this to the poor staffing levels.

When the bill came everything matched up but they charged me for 2 soda’s instead of 1. I thought that was a bit tacky to charge for a refill given the long wait because of their staffing snafu. Would I return? Yes but I wouldn’t rush back.

Task 30 – Val’s Restaurant and Lounge (Holden, MA)

Restaurant: Val’s

Address:     75 Reservoir St
                    Holden, MA 01520
                    (508) 829-0900
                    www.valsrestaurant.com

Stars:          2 – Stars (Food)
                    3 – Stars (Service)

I went to Val’s with a friend because he had been given a gift certificate and almost a year later he just wanted to use it up. Val’s is off the beaten path for anyone who lives in Worcester and Holden isn’t exactly the easiest place to get to.

When we arrived, the first thing I noticed was other than the small sign by the road there was little to indicate that this building was Val’s restaurant. It is a very non-descript building. The second thing I noticed was that the Christmas wreath was still hanging in March. Come on time to take that down.

When we entered It was clean and neat and clearly in the mid to late 90’s it had been given a remodel and nothing since had been touched. I immediately got the this is one of those places that the townies go to vibe and the average age was 50+.

We both ordered the Shrimp and Scallop Pasta. It is described as Gulf Shrimp and sea scallops w/baby spinach and tomato in garlic wine sauce w/ choice of pasta. Our meal also came with a salad but it was nothing special. The dressing was gelatinous and over seasoned and the salad was as basic as a salad could get. Our entrée I can only describe as over seasoned and the garlic wine sauce was thick and heavy. The scallops and shrimp didn’t taste fresh and were a bit chewy. The breadstick was just like the ones they give you at the Olive Garden and like the meal it was over salted.

Neither of us finished our meals and while I had it wrapped to go I knew it would end up in the trash when I got home. My buddy went to the bathroom right before leaving and when he returned all he said was that it was the most disgusting bathroom he had seen in a while. Barely any toilet paper and no papertowels. He described it as clearly not having been cleaned in a few days.

Would I return to Val’s? I think not. It just isn’t worth the ride for subpar / average food in a not so easy town to get to. This one is a pass for me.