Have you heard the joke “How do you know when someone owns an iPhone – Because they constantly tell you!” Yes, there is many a true word said in jest. Anyway, having rummaged through the deep barrel of iPhone foodie apps I have selected my top 5 for 2010. They are of course mostly free, as I loathe ‘paying’, and all rate high on the handy app scale…
- Foodspotting (free)
Yes all restaurants report to serve wonderful food and until you get there you are shrouded by this sometimes illusion. This fab app allows you to upload piccies of dishes from individual restaurants and give them a ‘nom’ rating. What a splendid idea! There will be of course, many restaurants that do not like this app, I say – tough! Pull your socks up.
- Yelp (free)
So it’s two o’clock in the morning and you are yearning for Peking Duck, some hot Sake, and perhaps a packet of Polo’s and some Rennies. Yelp jumps in to the rescue! This handy app lists places to eat, shop and drink, with contact details and opening times. Handy reviews from the ‘community’ provide feedback (not always from the business owner either!)
- Jamie’s 20 Minute Meals (£4.99 – lorks!)
Jamie Oliver, the patron saint of Essex has brought to us his app for tasty meals that can be prepared in a 20 minute flash. Yes, we are all so busy etc., etc., that time to cook has become a rare luxury (even though many people dwindle away hours watching xfactor and soap operas, ahem.) So here you can find a host of quick recipes that will feed your family without the fuss. If you cannot cut up onions or garlic, it will take you at least 30 mins though…
- OpenTable (free)
OK, so we live in a society where nobody wants to actually ‘talk’. Why talk, when you can press buttons and forego all that embarrassing politeness and god forbid – questions. Open Table takes the hassle out of reserving a table at your favourite eatery, by allowing you to view where tables are available, how long you will need to wait and book without even a whiff of scary human interaction.
- Global Eater Food Dictionary ($0.99)
So you don’t know your velouté from your vichyssoise this great little app will educate! Food stuffs and dishes from popular world cuisines are simply defined so that you knows what they is… I heard that A.A.Gill ‘relies’ on this app – no, really!
- Added Handy Bonus App! – Flashlight (free)
OK, so you are in a restaurant and you want to take a photo of your fine dish du jour (to upload to Foodspotting), although it is dark and the haughty restaurant expressly states ‘no photographs’. Ahh, but wait Flashlight shines a light on this dilemma. Just pretend you are showing this fabulous app to your friend “Oh look, bright light – haw haw” and then whisk out your camera, turn off the flash – surreptitious snap, snap & done.
Enjoy!!
Eating Out In Essex