This free site is like Google Maps for local food discovery
Today, I want to introduce you to an especially cool tool I encountered for exploring eating options around you—'cause really, what's more important than finding fantastic froyo and magnificent meatballs?
Prepare your appetite, my friend. It's time for a tasty new treat.
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A food-finding supertool
If you're anything like me, when you want to find a place to grab some grub, you probably turn to Google Maps—or maybe something like Yelp, or even Reddit.
Those are all fine places to find places, but when it comes to cuisine, a site called TasteAtlas is a next-level resource for surfacing spectacular stuff.
➜ TasteAtlas calls itself a 'world food atlas,' and that's a pretty accurate description for what the site aims to do:
It highlights exceptional local food in a variety of places around the world, with an emphasis on unique dishes specific to different regions.
It lets you browse by the type of cuisine you're contemplating—or, more useful yet, by the exact area you're exploring.
And it provides you with all sorts of powerful options for narrowing things down and finding exactly what tickles your fancy.
⌚ TasteAtlas is completely web-based, and it'll take you all of two minutes to start using. If you just want to browse around, the site's home page has lots of interesting lists and ideas for getting going.
But the most useful parts of the site are its location-specific sections, where you'll find endless advice about restaurants and other nearby food establishments in your exact area.
And you've got a few fun ways to dig into those details . . .
1️⃣ First, you can use the TasteAtlas Map to see and dive deeper into local dishes from different parts of the world.
2️⃣ Second, you can use the 'Destinations' tab at the top of the site to hop right to different areas.
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3️⃣ And third, you can use the 'Near Me' option beneath the search box on the home page to grant the site access to your location and allow it to serve up specific human-curated recommendations for wherever you are. You can also type a location into the search box, if you'd rather.
However you get there, once you're viewing info for a specific area, you'll be facing the finest part of TasteAtlas—and that's the site's sprawling suggestions for both local places and local products worth your while to try.
TasteAtlas doesn't dive deep into every single city in the world, as you'd imagine, but it has an impressive array of places and possibilities to ponder. So even if it isn't in your specific corner of the globe, you'll hopefully still find something intriguing to chew over—whether that's a worthwhile option close by or something to order online, or maybe even try the next time you travel.
Now, who's hungry?! TasteAtlas is completely web-based and available in any browser, on any device. There are some apps under the same name in the iOS App Store and Google Play Store, but they don't appear to be officially associated with the site, and I wouldn't suggest using 'em.
The site is completely free, with some minimal and not at all obtrusive ads sprinkled in throughout the experience.
You don't have to provide any personal info to use the service, and the company behind the site says it doesn't sell, share, or do anything shady with the limited amount of info it does see.
Hungry for more tasty tech goodness? Check out my free Cool Tools newsletter for an instant introduction to an incredible audio app—and a new off-the-beaten-path gem every Wednesday!
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