Posted by: Mizu

Poll Question:
You are in a city that you have not travelled to before. How do you decide on where to go for dinner?

Choices:
I read official restaurant guides (e. g. Michelin, Zagat, etc.)
I look at a recent copy of a city magazine (e. g. SF Weekly, Time Out)
I ask my concierge or a local on the street
I search the web (e. g. flyersplaces.com)
I take a walk and choose from the places that cross my way

posted April 07, 2001 01:08

Replied by: chowpub
There is actually no clear cut strategy.
Among the many, I begin by checking out website
http://www.chowhound.com discussion forums.

I also sometime depend on the local cabbie/bellhop/support-staff-of-the-local-corp-i'm-visiting

If it's a one night trip, and a town I do not care much about - I use the room service :-)

posted April 07, 2001 01:41

Replied by: hreamer
The purpose of my visit generally dictates the level of research I will perform.

If I am traveling on business , I don't review my dining options, as I am anticipating work, not food. In these cases I usually rely on word of mouth from co-workers and clients.

If the visit is for pleasure, I go a little overboard. I buy guide books, search the web, and then bounce my ideas off other visitors I meet at the location. (I find concierge recommendations to be unreliable)

posted April 10, 2001 14:43

Replied by: boilermaker
FOOD!
When on an extended business trip, I will purchase guides, as there will be some downtime to explore and unwind.

posted April 26, 2001 03:32

Replied by: Oliver
As I voted for "looking into a mag" I want to add two cool publications:

BCN: It's freebee called "b-guided" and should be available in your hotel room. We tested more than 5 recommendations and were very satisfied. But be warned, the restaurants and bars pay for beeing listed.

MUC: It's a mag called "delikat essen" and you can pick it up at every local news-stand. It's avail in german only, but if you need some translation services, just let me know. The publication is independent so you can expect an unbiased view.

ZRH: This is not for food, but
http://www.partyonkels.ch is a good place to check out some "rudi's-products-consumption-events" ...

posted July 01, 2001 16:06

Replied by: NoahVail
I've used www.citysearch.com for Chicago and San Francisco and found the 'best of' to be quite reliable. The rest of the site is excellent for current activities and the like.

Cheers.

posted July 02, 2001 17:23

I use the iDINE list of restaurants for cities or areas, that I am unfamiliar with.

Generally, I have found very GOOD and reasonable places. Only once did I call up iDINE and tell them, that the place was not up to a minimum standard of quality!

But overall, I am pleased with the suggestions, and the discount or miles are bonus. I have to say, that picking from their list, saves me eating a bad meal from taking a pig in a poke.

I do the same as roadrunner, but factor in the type of food and the restaurants' proximity to where I am. I keep MS Streets & Trips on my laptop so I type in the hotel address and the restaurants' addresses to see how far away they are. Usually I'll go to the nearest one since I don't really want to drive far in a strange place after working all day. If none within a reasonable distance, then the hotel restaurant or room service.

Since most if my trips are business, I ask several folks at the client site and come up with a great list of recommendations. AND, because they are ultimately paying, I am guilt-free when sent to the really good places!

The first night in town, however, I'm on my own and I just drive or walk around until something strikes my fancy. Usually it works, sometimes I'm disappointed, but I consider it part of the adventure of travel.

RAD

[This message has been edited by RAD (edited 07-08-2001).]

I use Idine (actually through the United Website) to get a listing of what's near by, then usually rely on Vindago (for those who don't know, it's a free application that loads restaurant reviews for dozens of cities on your palm) if I'm in one of their cities to get the reviews for places I can get miles at. It's usually a combination of the two that finds me a restaurant, haven't been let down yet.

http://www.zagats.com

All the info you find in the paper guides.

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Who is John Galt?
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I depend both on Zagat and a matrix of answers I receive from friends, concierges, business associates, etc.

I usually do several ways:
Ask colleagues, customers, hotel front desk in little towns
Use the Entertainement book in the city I spend most of my time in US, and just keep in mind , or write somewher, the (few) good ones.

For France, The Guide Michelin is really THE only book you need to look at.

I keep a file of clippings from magazines and the NYTimes on restaurants, hotels, sites, etc. for places I may someday visit. Besides that, I use Zagat's, citysearch and sometimes the local newspaper/magazine, all online.

i don't eat that much... so i really want to...i usually ask my clients.

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Al