But First, We Eat

Wednesday, December 10, 2014 | Stamp in My Passport| , , , |

Wednesday, December 10, 2014


I am a firm believer in the foodcation (as proven here and here). Before going on vacation, some ask friends, family, and Twitter what are the best places to stay, or see, or experience. I am more concerned about where the best places to eat are. Good weather and a full stomach are almost always going to ensure that your vacation is remembered as a good one. You can explore a city or a region through their local eateries. You see how people really live, work and play instead of being surrounded by other vacationers or passers-through.

We've all been there. Sitting in a car in a semi-deserted parking lot trying to decide where to eat. There's a group and some of you are on the verge of hanger. You must make a decision ASAP or you might not all be friends by the end of the night. At this point you are tempted to google the nearest Panera or Chipotle and call it a night, despite the fact that you vowed not to eat at places you have back home.

And this is where my new favorite foodcation planning tool comes into play. The Besty helps people all over the world find the best restaurants and food. You can create a profile and share your favorite restaurants, both local and from your travels, and also search based on location or food type depending on what you're in the mood for. The interface and feel of the website is much more streamlined than Yelp and Urbanspoon. The recommendation feature is also helpful. Have a foodie friend who never steers you wrong at dinner? Follow them on The Besty (or encourage them to join) so you can stay up-to-date with where they've been eating lately.

Want to keep up with my foodcations? Follow along here :) 

When you are traveling or looking to try a new restaurant in town, what is your go-to source of reviews and recommendations? 

6 comments:

Claire Voss said...

Oh my goodness! The food lover's dream! Thanks so much for sharing, Jess! I can't wait to try it out on our next adventure!

Erika said...

This sounds awesome!! Definitely going to sign up right now, thanks for sharing this!!

Joyce Pak said...

I agree! I always try to play the food part well so I don't get to a situation where I'm in a new place and just go to the nearest "okay"-looking thing (and sometimes a chain store) due to hangriness. It doesn't always play out the way I would like but having a few places in mind really help. Thanks for sharing!


www.charactersandcarryons.com

Jess said...

I know exactly what you mean. Plus knowing of a few places that are going to be in the same area you are helps too. It's nice too to get out of a rut of eating at the same places at home as well.

Jess said...

You're welcome! Enjoy :)

Jess said...

You're so welcome! Yelp and Urbanspoon tend to get all of the negative reviewers and it's hard to tell if a place is legitimately bad or if the most vocal people are the ones who didn't think it was what they expected.