11 Fabulous Foodie Iphone Apps for under $3

Verizon had the big announcement today regarding their Iphone launch, and it truly wasn’t such a big announcement at all, as the news has been leaked on the web for weeks.  Financial analysts are predicting a huge number, of 9 to 15 million new Iphone users for 2011 with the expansion. On that note, we thought we’d mention a few must have Iphone apps for chefs, cooks, and  foodies.   Make that cheap frugal chefs cooks and foodies, as each of these apps are less than $3.00. (Hey we need to spend our money on food!)   We’ll get you started with our favorites, with a brief description of why they are loved.

Mario Batali Cooks!, $2.99

Once again the gingerly shorts wearing chef wins our hearts.  This elegant app features over 60 of Mario Batali‘s signature Italian recipes with deliciously clear videos and simple instructions.  The recipes can be searched by Italian region, by course, by season, kid friendliness, by category, or by quickness.   Browsing by region will give you a short food history lesson of the geographical area with gorgeous photos, and each recipe includes a regional wine pairing selection.    Grazie mille Mario!

Fromage, $2.99

This is a recent addition for us and we are finding it well worth the money spent. The app includes over 700 cheeses, which you can find via search, by texture, by region or country, or by milk type. Cheese info includes suggested wine pairings and a photo, which you tap for a detailed description of the origin and history of the cheese as well as a flavor profile. You may also make a favorites list, and add personal notes and ratings to each cheese.

Epicurious, Free for recipes, $1.99 to to synch your recipe box

Of all the recipes sites and apps out there, Epi is our favorite for its uber large database, simple navigation, gorgeous photos and most of all recipe reviews by users.  The beautiful thing about the reviews here is that they are often quite detailed, and users mention recipe tweaks and substitutions that were helpful for them.  A small fee of $1.99 allows you to sign in and access your personal recipe box and shopping list.

Global Eater Food Dictionary, $0.99

Barron’s Food Lovers Companion is huge, has a cringe inducing $11.99 price tag, and poor user reviews which pushed us far away. We’re more than pleased with the Global Eater Food Dictionary. Over 1100 food terms found on restaurant menus are defined, and are found by a country search or world search in seconds. Now when you order Spotted Dick or Sweet Breads you’ll be fully informed of your plate contents.

Yelp, Free

Yes, there are a few grumpy and fake reviewers out there, but in general we find this app to be an essential Iphone resource. We especially love the click to call phone numbers, maps and “restaurants nearby” features.   It’s no Zagat, but hey it’s free.  Zagat to Go‘s app is $9.99, which may well indeed be worth it, however it misses our thrifty “under $3.00” criteria.

FoodSpotting, Free

While not an essential app, it’s a free and fun way to pass time and induce hunger. Foodspotting finds your location, or you can enter another one, and shows you user photos of restaurant food nearby. The photo quality varies widely, but it’s nice to discover whats out there. You can search for foods, places, or people. It has a twitterilike and facebookish feel, as you can “follow” people, “nom” or “want” their photos.  Smaller regions are a bit sparse for photos compared to larger metro city areas, but we think this app will rock the rural areas too as the community continues to grow.  A bonus: In December they released an Android beta app.

Seafood Watch, Free
Monterey Bay Aquarium’s sustainable seafood guide is a great way to keep your finger on the pulse of the best environmentally and nutritionally safe fish. It also includes a sushi guide and a “super green” guide, as well as “Project Fishmap”, a location based store and restaurant sustainable seafood finder.  Because noone wants to eat the last fish in the sea.

The New York Times, Free

Simply hit the “more” button on the bottom right and scroll to the Food and Dining section for updates on deliciously current food news.

NPR News, Food, Free

On the bottom menu, hit “programs”, then “topics”, then “food”.  Voilà, all of the most recent foodie podcasts shows for your listening pleasure, perfect for passing time on the way to work.

Top Chef Foodie Fight, Free

Because sometimes a free silly brainless game is exactly what you need. And whacking Fabio Viviani in the head with a pie is fun!  Ok we have issues, but you know that already. 🙂

Oysterpedia, $1.99

It’s the little oyster app that could.  From the The Mermaid Inn restaurants in NYC, this gem of a resource helps you demystify ordering oysters while eating out.  It allows you to choose from over 200 East coast or West Coast oysters, and features photos, harvesting information, flavor profiles, and an option to add a personal rating for future reference.

Most of these apps should be available for the Ipod Touch or Ipad in addition to the Iphone, however some will require wifi for access.

Did you know?  There are over 300,000 Iphone apps in existence.   Surely we missed a few foodie app must haves??  Let us know your suggestions in the comments!