Where do you turn for specialized restaurant reccomendations?
Oct 13, 2022, 12:35 pm
#1
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Where do you turn for specialized restaurant reccomendations?
When you need a last minute restaurant recommendation, something more specific than just a generalized google search, where do you turn? Chowhound used to be my go to, but they disappeared a while ago. TripAdvisor forums never turn out to be helpful and people seem more clueless there than those asking the questions. Are there any good food forums left?
Oct 13, 2022, 9:54 pm
#5
Join Date: Jun 2004
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But a majority places will not be in their focus - so often I Google something like “best” or “unique” restaurants in “PLACE” + either “forum” or “Reddit” or “blog”. Often no matter where you are there is some local blog, or a forum discussion on some site, or even a Reddit discussion that can clue you into some great places beyond what you will find on Yelp or TripAdvisor.
Oct 13, 2022, 10:00 pm
#7
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or any local (likely in advance) about country/region/area specific review boards - e.g. for Japan many locals use https://tabelog.com/ instead of Yelp+friends.
Oct 14, 2022, 7:17 am
#9
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In any case, those are good for reviews, but you can't ask specific questions. That was what I liked most about Chowhound - if you were looking for something very specific which was hard to find, you could. For instance - finding a place that makes their own pasta.If it is someplace popular, I have used City-data, even if I am not a big fan of the community over there. But that doesn't always work for every location.
I am assuming there are places to ask on Reddit, but for the life of me I can't figure that site out.
Oct 14, 2022, 10:04 am
#10
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Where was it? I thought that was where I put it.
In any case, those are good for reviews, but you can't ask specific questions. That was what I liked most about Chowhound - if you were looking for something very specific which was hard to find, you could. For instance - finding a place that makes their own pasta.If it is someplace popular, I have used City-data, even if I am not a big fan of the community over there. But that doesn't always work for every location.
I am assuming there are places to ask on Reddit, but for the life of me I can't figure that site out.
In any case, those are good for reviews, but you can't ask specific questions. That was what I liked most about Chowhound - if you were looking for something very specific which was hard to find, you could. For instance - finding a place that makes their own pasta.If it is someplace popular, I have used City-data, even if I am not a big fan of the community over there. But that doesn't always work for every location.
I am assuming there are places to ask on Reddit, but for the life of me I can't figure that site out.
Oct 14, 2022, 11:54 am
#11
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: SoCal
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Yelp in the US, Trip Advisor in other countries.
But you have to pay attention to the reviews. Some people will down rate a restaurant for trivial reasons, sometimes without even eating there: “Showed up with a party of 12 at prime time without reservations and we’re told we would have to wait an hour so we left - 1 star”. I also pay more attention to recent reviews than older ones.
But you have to pay attention to the reviews. Some people will down rate a restaurant for trivial reasons, sometimes without even eating there: “Showed up with a party of 12 at prime time without reservations and we’re told we would have to wait an hour so we left - 1 star”. I also pay more attention to recent reviews than older ones.
Oct 14, 2022, 12:04 pm
#12
Join Date: Apr 2003
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Hungry Onion is a successor to Chowhound (and IMO a lot more pleasant place to be). I’m usually answering questions there, not asking them, though. Honestly, for restaurants in places that I am just visiting, I’m finding very good results from Google Maps (combined with their reviews). We just did a monthlong trip to Italy in which the bulk of our dining choices were sourced through Google Maps, very successfully. We are careful to look hard at the reviews and who’s writing them—all foreigners/tourists, or more locals?
OP, what do you mean by “specialized”?
OP, what do you mean by “specialized”?
Oct 14, 2022, 1:55 pm
#13
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Ymmv - for San Francisco I combo opentable, Yelp, and resy to see what’s available and then I’ll add Google to confirm it’s what I want. I might not use resy in places that aren’t resy-worthy.
Oct 14, 2022, 3:16 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Central Mass
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Hungry Onion is a successor to Chowhound (and IMO a lot more pleasant place to be). I’m usually answering questions there, not asking them, though. Honestly, for restaurants in places that I am just visiting, I’m finding very good results from Google Maps (combined with their reviews). We just did a monthlong trip to Italy in which the bulk of our dining choices were sourced through Google Maps, very successfully. We are careful to look hard at the reviews and who’s writing them—all foreigners/tourists, or more locals?
OP, what do you mean by “specialized”?
OP, what do you mean by “specialized”?
Oct 14, 2022, 11:35 pm
#15
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Northern California
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I think that is going to be really hard to find online without spending a lot of time separating the wheat from the chaff. Too specific.