| One thing that I enjoy very much when going on | | | | some other information such as reservation |
| a vacation or just traveling somewhere special is | | | | requirements and dress code. So using such |
| when we try different restaurants and places to | | | | newspapers restaurant guides we were able to |
| eat. Of course, when we go to a new place, we | | | | know the available restaurants but we didn't know |
| don't know where we can find the best food. | | | | how to choose. |
| Therefore, usually we used restaurant guides to | | | | At one of our trips, we found out that the best |
| help us find restaurants in an unknown town. | | | | restaurant guides were talking to local residents. |
| Soon, we realized that restaurant guides most of | | | | May be I am surprising you with this method but |
| the time provided us with disappointing results. We | | | | asking local residents soon appeared to be a very |
| found out that restaurant guides were not giving | | | | effective way to find good places to eat. We |
| us correct information about the best places to | | | | realize that people would love to support their |
| eat as they were usually printed by restaurant | | | | favorite restaurant by recommending it. |
| owners who were advertising their business. We | | | | We used to go to the nearby bar for a drink. |
| needed a more reliable method than restaurant | | | | There we just asked the people we met about |
| guides were. | | | | their recommendations. Sometimes we simply |
| In the quest for an effective way to find nice | | | | asked the bartender. Actually, it has happened |
| places to eat, we decided to ask desk clerks at | | | | that we had much fun when talking to the locals. |
| the hotel we were staying about their | | | | I remember a situation when we were visiting |
| recommendation of good restaurants. Although | | | | Minneapolis. We were staying at a nice hotel but |
| we were happy to get better results than the | | | | one evening we decided to walk to a nearby pub. |
| results we got using restaurant guides, we soon | | | | It was not Saturday or Sunday, so the pub was |
| realized that talking to the clerks was not the | | | | not crowded. When we entered the pub, we sat |
| best way as well. | | | | at the bar and ordered a drink. Soon my husband |
| Most often the clerks were to busy to answer | | | | decided to ask the bartender whether he could |
| our question, so we got no recommendations. In | | | | recommend us a nice place to eat. |
| case they were not busy, they usually started to | | | | A man who was sitting next to us interrupted us |
| ask questions about what type of food we would | | | | and named a local restaurant before the |
| prefer and how much we could afford to spend | | | | bartender could answer. Another man immediately |
| at the restaurant. According to our answers to | | | | added that this restaurant had been good in the |
| those questions, they would make | | | | past but now it was under new management and |
| recommendations. Fortunately, their | | | | it was no longer so good according to him. Soon |
| recommendations were usually very helpful. | | | | all the people in the bar began to argue. Everyone |
| Actually, if it happened that we were staying at a | | | | was telling various stories his or her experience |
| hotel, which was provided with a dining room, | | | | with local stories. |
| they would simply tell us to visit their own | | | | We realized that we are enjoying very much the |
| restaurant. On the other hand, some clerks were | | | | lively conversation so we asked to bartender to |
| recommending looking for restaurant guides | | | | make is a pizza. Then we spent the whole |
| provided in the room. | | | | evening talking to the locals in the bar. It was |
| We knew that some local newspapers were | | | | really a nice evening! When they served us the |
| publishing restaurant guides. Unfortunately, this | | | | hot pizza, I heard someone saying that we could |
| type of restaurant guides was not offering any | | | | not find such a meal in the restaurant guides. I |
| critics but just a list of the local restaurants and | | | | must admit that this evening was more wonderful |
| some basic information about cuisine, price, and | | | | that any offered by the restaurant guides. |