Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Finding Cheap and/or Good Food Anywhere

I've got a family of four. When we travel, (even on a day trip) I usually have a picnic basket of food with me. This keeps everyone from getting cranky because they are hungry and keeps me from blowing our budget on overpriced, undernutritional fast food.

However.... sometimes the trips are longer than anticipated, sometimes the planning didn't include making food, sometimes we just plain don't want another peanut butter sandwich!

The problem is, when I am out of my own neighborhood, the only "restaurants" that are within my budget, that I can easily find, are fast food chains. I dislike "chain restaurants" for a multitude of reasons, that can be the subject of a rant another day.

Today, I will tell you about a website that that can change all that: Ueatcheap.com

This delightfully helpful website will show you restaurants in the area of your choosing where you can get a meal for under $10. You put in the zip code or name of the city where you are looking for a restaurant and a map with "pins" will appear. Click on the "pin" and you can access info on the restaurant. Results can be sorted according to type of restaurant (i.e., Japanese, Mexican, Thai, etc).

The site will expand as more and more people join and tell the world about their favorite little "hole-in-the-wall" restaurant. These restaurants are the wonderful surprises that only the locals know about.

For instance, when I visit my brother in Baltimore, Maryland, he takes me to the most wonderful restaurant in the world. The Morning Edition (153 N Patterson Park Ave, Baltimore, MD 21231 410-732-5133) - best breakfast restaurant ever - slowest service EVER. If you are a local, you know both things about this restaurant and come prepared for the adventure.

Now I have given you two presents today - a wonderful new website and a great restaurant. Tell them that Jim's sister sent you.

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