Anyone use Google SMS to find an Ethiopian restaurant yet?

I don't use the data/internet features of my cell phone much (as it costs extra on my monthly plan), but I did notice an interesting Chicago shout-out in a recent Google Blog post. Following a link from my Gmail account, I noticed this update about Google's evolving mobile project. Here's the relevant quote:

"My favorite part of the site is probably the Google SMS demo. I think this SMS search is one of the coolest out there.... In fact I'm playing around with it now -- did you know that you can use Google SMS to get the address of an Ethiopian restaurant in Chicago, the exchange rate for dollars to baht, a weather forecast for Wamego, Kansas, or the score of the latest MLB playoff game?"

So... anyone know what Chicago Ethiopian restaurants pop up at the top of Google's SMS search results? Just wonderin'.

--Dan

First result: Ethiopian Restaurant, 3462 N Clark
Second result: Ethiopian Diamond Restaurant, 6120 N Broadway
Third result: Rash Dashen Ethiopian Restaurant, 5844 N Broadway



Google's SMS features are really nice, for exactly this purpose. You can also have it look up words in its dictionary, which is fun for settling exciting dinner table debates.

I can't say that I've done that; I have, however, used Google on my cell phone to find a restaurant, then Google Maps to map a route to that restaurant, much to the amazement of my mother and brother who were visiting last weekend. Unfortunately the restaurant in question was nothing more spectacular than an IHOP, which happens to be a favorite of my brother's wife.

Click here to try for yourself.

gastro gnome wrote:Click here to try for yourself.

Awesome link, gastro gnome! Searching for "Chicago Ethiopian restaurants" gave the very three spots provided by gleam above. If mobile phones can handle LTHForum searches and mapping sites as well as suggested, I've got a lot more reason to subscribe to a data plan for my cell phone (or LTH-style "OnStar" service -- that is, calling a knowledgeable fellow chowhound) sometime.

Search is fun,
Dan

fastfoodsnob wrote:(or LTH-style "OnStar" service -- that is, calling a knowledgeable fellow chowhound) sometime.

Are there any knowledgable Chowhounds left?

stevez wrote:

fastfoodsnob wrote:(or LTH-style "OnStar" service -- that is, calling a knowledgeable fellow chowhound) sometime.

Are there any knowledgable Chowhounds left?

Don't know if we're talkin' big-C or little-c here, but a friend in data-services need is a friend indeed... or something like that.

It seems that there are a few quirks that have to be worked out. Searching for Italian in Naperville yields Panera Bread and TGI Friday's

Flip

Flip wrote:It seems that there are a few quirks that have to be worked out. Searching for Italian in Naperville yields Panera Bread and TGI Friday's

Well, Google's automated search algorithms don't account for chains and things like culinary authenticity apparently. Panera does serve a few Italian-style items, however, such as focaccia and ciabatta breads, as well as six different kinds of "Crispani" pizza. (Check the official web site for more.) T.G.I. Fridays, of course, does the typical pastas and appetizers, so I guess that can count for some sort of Italian as well. Google doesn't discriminate.

--Dan