Yesterday morning, I paid a visit to the set of Great Day Houston to talk with host Debra Duncan about the best iPhone apps for foodies. (Yes, Duncan is as nice and pretty in person as you'd expect -- maybe even more.)
In the video above, we demonstrated five of my current favorite applications -- including apps to track your craft beer consumption and find local farmers' markets. In today's post, we look at those apps as well as five more.
10. Locavore
Of the few "local produce" apps that are out there, Locavore is the strongest (although it still needs a lot of tweaking and some Houston-specific updating). Not only does it allow you to find farmers' markets in your area, it also functions as a guide to what fruits and vegetables you can expect to be in season. It even links to Wikipedia articles and Epicurious recipes for produce with which you may be unfamiliar.
9. Epicurious
If you've ever been at the grocery store and decided to make something on a whim, this app's for you. With more than 25,000 tested recipes in its database, Epicurious acts as both a cookbook and a shopping guide in one. Just tell it what you want to make and it'll give you a quick and easy shopping list. Also handy for last-minute dinner or party ideas, and I especially like the recipe categories such as "I Can Barely Cook."
That fish you're eating may likely be endangered. Many of the most popular species are. This highly specific albeit useful app from the Monterey Bay Aquarium allows you to find out ahead of time with a simple system that groups fish into three categories: Best Choice, Good Alternative and Avoid. For those fish in the "Avoid" category, Seafood Watch even gives you alternate options and explanations of why those particular fish are in peril.
7. OpenTable
Excellent for business travelers or anyone who dines out on the run, OpenTable is a quick and effective means of making reservations without even having to pick up the phone. It's as easy as a few swipes on your screen.
6. Untappd
If you're a craft beer fan, this app is a must-have. I often try a great beer and forget to write it down for later recollection. With Untappd, you can not only log the beers you try, but rank them and share tasting notes with your friends. I particularly love the feature that allows you to see which brews are trending locally (Saint Arnold, Karbach, etc.) as well as the accumulated ratings for each beer, which are quickly becoming as reliable as those on Beer Advocate.
