ottawa foodies

On the 10th anniversary of Ottawa Foodies (2016-Sep-19) I mentioned that I had started work on an app for iPhone. It's about time I gave you an update on this. :-)

The first version is pretty much done. Just a little more testing and then I'll submit it for review by Apple. The review process could take on the order of a couple weeks or more if it doesn't get approved. Of course I'll post here as soon as I know anything.

Here's a preliminary app description to give you an idea of its capabilities!

Welcome to the Ottawa Foodies mobile app - the quickest way to discover Ottawa's best restaurants!

How is Ottawa Foodies different from other review sites? Our curiously high quality comments come directly from Ottawa's most dedicated food enthusiasts. And unlike other review sources our primary objective is not financial gain but the simple sharing of delicious information.

Here are some of the things you can do with this app:

* Search for vendors near you and see them on a map
* Search for vendors wherever you pan to on the map
* Search for vendors by name
* View recent comments for a given vendor
* Quickly access a vendor's Ottawa Foodies page, its own website, and get directions (requires iOS 10)
* View recent vendor comments on Ottawa Foodies
* View recent discussion forum posts on Ottawa Foodies
* View the dynamic "Top 100" most popular vendors list

Thanks for the hard work!

This is great news! Thanks and congratulations on the hard work indeed!

I know the answer is probably no for multiple reasons, but any chance of an android ap for those of us on that platform?

James C., I wish I could support an Android app right away but as you know this isn't a business so it's really up to whatever I can whip up in my spare time.

I certainly wouldn't rule out an Android version in the future... the Ottawa Foodies app has proven to be a great way to get my feet wet with iPhone programming, so if I decide to try my hand at Android development, an Ottawa Foodies app would be an obvious way to start!

For now, Android users are stuck with the admittedly less than wonderful mobile website experience. I plan to continue to improve that where I can, including adding location awareness (e.g. "find vendors near me"). For now, even iPhone users still have to resort to using the website if they want to post anything -- the app doesn't yet have the ability to sign into a user's account.

Thanks for your patience and understanding! :-)

Well the approvals went through a little faster than I expected... and here it is!

itunes.apple.com

Hope you find it as useful as I have. Cheers! :-)

Sadly, I have a Samsung.

Sadly? I also have a Samsung. I am not sad.

Rizak, I don't think felinefan was demanding that everyone with a Samsung should be filled with sorrow. Her statement was just a nice way of saying "Sucks that you don't support Android!" :-)

Warby, that is correct. Obviously, I should have elaborated. Look forward to the android version if and when it comes out.

Thanks for making the app Warby!

I got quite excited when I opened the map view and a couple of unexpected vendors nearby. Unfortunately it turns out they are in the wrong place, as I apparently have vendors in Stittsville and Orleans within walking distance.

I figured it might be an apple maps problem (because it still thinks Manotick is in Old Ottawa South) but when I checked the vendors on the web version they are also incorrect on the google map. I guess the consolidated map view on the app makes them stand out much more.

Is the best way to report this is via the individual vendor pages and click "report an error" - or to list them in this thread?

In this case it was Nat's Bread Co (shows up on the grounds of St Paul's uni) and Easter City (shows up on the bike path in Alta Vista).

Cheers,
Ratty.

Ratty, thanks for checking out the app! As you confirmed, the locations in the app are exactly the same as the locations on the website.

There are definitely some errors in the location information and I've been sorting hundreds of them out in the past few weeks. Nat's Bread Company is one I already fixed and if you visit www.natsbreadcompany.com you'll see that St Paul's is probably the best option for location as the Stittsville address is (I believe) a home.

I've also corrected Eastern City , which appears to be long gone. Thanks for reporting it!

Ah ha, I hadn't scrolled down far enough on their website to see they use the kitchen at St Paul's. Very cool.

Shame it doesn't say you can buy it there - maybe I'll have to try sneaking in ;)

So, that's something I wouldn't have known if it weren't for the app.