There are plenty of apps that offer a specific publication’s hot spots in a given city, but Best Of . . . might have them all beat. Instead of telling you the Thrillist picks for best bar in town or GQ’s top restaurant spot, Best Of . . . offers a collection of the best of everything as decided by numerous sources, including the Houston Press, LA Weekly, Village Voice and “scores” of other city guides and magazines, according to the iTunes description.
That’s a pretty strong selling point, and looking at my home city of Chicago shows they’re not far off the mark when deciding things like the best burger (Kuma’s) or best music venue (the Empty Bottle).
But Best Of . . . gets much more specific than that. Offering the best beach, best gym, best antique shopping, even best auto repair. If you can get there, there’s a chance there’s a best-of list for it here.
The interface of Best Of . . . is easy to use and there’s even a very slight nod to social media, as users can sign in with their Facebook accounts and post comments on any of the places that have been mentioned. It’s a cool feature that’s risky, too. After all, for as many people as there are that might agree with the app’s pick for best burger, there will be plenty who disagree.
About the only odd part of Best Of . . . is that it takes its social media responsibilities a little too far. There is a “Feed” tab on the app that’s basically a newsfeed that shows what people using the app are commenting on. While I can understand how it might be relevant to see if a particular restaurant was just commented on, it seems much less important to know that “Stephanie M wants to go to the best bookstore (the Book Table).”
If you live in a major city, but don’t feel like you’re getting the most out of it, Best Of . . . should certainly change that. It’s got nearly every angle covered, from food to the arts to nightlife. Fair warning, however, users in smaller towns that aren’t located near big cities won’t find as much to enjoy here, as their areas are generally left out.
Download the free Appolicious iPhone app
