Voltaire was right, I suppose. Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking, he once pointed out, if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity. It explains why a large portion of the web -- of the part not already devoted to sex, obviously -- is given over to that simple business of gluttony
Voltaire was right, I suppose. "Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking," he once pointed out, "if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity." It explains why a large portion of the web -- of the part not already devoted to sex, obviously -- is given over to that simple business of gluttony.
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| Like the vada pav? Review it on location-based social networking site Foodspotting.com |
This is also why menus are now officially pass ufffd. Why read about what a restaurant can serve up when you can see it and, better still, have others test it for you first?
And so, Foodspotting (.com): for smart phone-enabled gluttons who rhapsodise about food the way teenagers in the '80s did whenever the Carry On series aired on television. Powered by, umm, 'foodspotters', it offers on-the-spot reviews and pictures via location-based social networking service Gowalla. You can share recommendations, earn virtual tips and real rewards, follow other foodspotters and, in effect, use your phone in much the same way truffle hounds use their sensitive noses.
What I liked was the concept of Noms -- sort of like brownie points (or nominations) for foods you have tried and love most. A user is entitled to just five noms, and must earn the right to more. The earning takes place whenever another user compliments, wants or noms a food you have picked. If only movie critics in India could be rated the same way. The site also intends to feature Champions -- hungry folk who have spotted a kind of food at more places than anyone else.
A cursory glance at what foodspotters in India have put up reveals a preference for fast food. Someone once referred to this as the nutritional equivalent of pornography, but it's a start until fine dining is taken
seriously by a larger number of people. I also looked for recommendations in Parel, Mumbai, where my office is located. What I found was a listing (and photograph) for vada pav at a place called Rohit Vada Pav Corner. I just might check it out.
-- Lindsay Pereira is Editor, MiD DAY Online
twitter.com/lindsaypereira
