Savvy Tips For San Francisco Travelers

Traveling well is usually tied tightly to eating well. And eating well in a new place means depending on the advice of diners past. So Marcia Gagliardi, of the popular Bay Area dining column Tablehopper, took it upon herself to gather all these tips and insider experiences into an easy-to-navigate online community called Deep Dishing. The site is more than just restaurant recommendations or ratings — Deep Dishing lets insiders voice their opinions on exactly what they ate, whether or not they liked it, what they got on the side, and which dishes keep them coming back for more.

"San Franciscans obsess about certain dishes, like the foie gras torchon at Prospect or the carnitas taco dorado at La Taqueria," says Gagliardi. "I want to give locals who are passionate about food a place to share their obsessions. And help both locals and tourists figure out what to order when going to a restaurant, especially for the first time. Deep Dishing is really an attempt to answer the age-old question, 'What should I get?'"

Of course, Deep Dishing isn't just limited to restaurants. Gagliardi includes everything from San Francisco's best butcher shop to the best French bakery, as well as a regular feature that will answer the question, "What's the best thing you ate this week?"

Deep Dishing is like a more focused, culinary-minded, city-specific version of Yelp!, meaning users aren't going to drown in information and potentially fake reviews to get to that one useful tip. (Photo courtesy of Deep Dishing)