"map" news and stories

This week, the Times is a little less pretentious and a little more...well, all-American.

Check out the interactive map of baseball stadiums across the country, and click on those featured for what to order and what to avoid at each.

The map is fun, as are the color photos of dishes at each stadium. But the quality of stadium food is highly debatable, especially if the food carries with it an air of nostalgia and tradition (ie: cheesesteaks in Philly or pizza in Chicago) or, y'know, if you've imbibed a bit too much (because let's be honest: after four beers, you won't care if the nachos are a little stale).

Although, I'll give it to the Times: the Philly cheesesteak shown in the photo was not a home run. Although I'll bet that somewhere out there, there's a diehard Phillies cheesesteak fan.

Anyone who lives in, or around, Chicago might want to take a peek at this great map put together by Dr. Vino. According to him, the city has over 400 restaurants that allow customers to bring their own drinks to dinner, but even with so many places, it is hard to figure out quickly what restaurants permit this. The Chicago BYOB map is a start at cataloging all of these places so that diners know where they can - and can't - BYO. As of now, the map only lists about 45 or so places, but you can always write in and submit your favorite spots if they're not already listed.

And diners who are interested in BYO dining might want to check out the companion map of Chicago wine shops to pick up a bottle or two o the way to dinner.

Source

Unthirsty.com is a national listing of bars with happy hours. What's more, it's paired with Google Maps, so you know how far you'll need to drive to a bar and/or stumble home. You can even filter your searches for bars with wifi, food or outdoor seating. There's also a search filter to help you find bars offering happy hours at the time of your search. If you don't feel like searching, Unthirsty also has an alphabetical, state-by-state directory. Portland and Seattle have the most listings by far, but there looks to be some decent coverage throughout the country. Visitors can also add bars to the list, so the site should continue to grow.