Online Dining Sources: Chicago Cab Fare And Food Genius

We like to think we provide ample fodder to keep your browser packed and your belly filled.

Still, we're happy to share the web with two new local resources for staying full:

Chicago Cab Fare collects dining recommendations from a profoundly multiethnic demographic: taxi drivers. Each time he takes a cab, founder David Heiser asks the driver where he or she is from and that person's favorite source for food from his or her native country. The result is a collection with inspiration for even the most diligent anthropologically minded diner. Recent additions to the blog include a North Side Jordanian restaurant, Salam, and a Lakeview Moroccan restaurant, Andalous, that an Algerian driver deemed the city's closest to authentic Algerian cuisine.

Food Genius uses an algorithm similar to Amazon's recommendation feature to suggest dishes based on what you like, dislike and want to try. The food-fanatical team behind the just-launched smartphone app and website has loaded dishes from over 4,000 local restaurants and food trucks into its database and is updating them daily. Search for restaurants on the website and rate dishes, or use the geography component of the Android app to pull up nearby restaurants on the go. Keep an eye on Food Genius' blog and Twitter feed for "secret dishes"–limited-edition off-menu items created specifically for Food Genius users.