Millions of dog-eared Zagat Survey guides – auburn, elongated, pocket-sized – inhabit bookshelves, coffee tables and drawers within the US and, to some extent, without. Most commonly, the little red book, known simply as "the Zagat," is grabbed up and hostilely thumbed in a stomach-growling attempt to learn what your fellow city-dwellers recommend for eats. Luckily, for rapacious gluttons/cyber-nerds everywhere, Zagat.com is now online, and best of all, it’s free.

Just cluttered enough for one to be aware of the dizzying amount of information available, the homepage appears user-friendly and not the least bit intimidating. Zagat also keeps the animation to a much-appreciated minimum, wisely choosing not to bludgeon the eyes as other Flash-heavy sites do.

An easily-navigated array of tools gives users instant search access to Zagat data on over 40 cities, searchable by neighborhood, cuisine type, popularity and alphabet or by more advanced criteria. Of these 40 cities, most are located in the US, though information is available for London, Tokyo, Toronto and Vancouver. Such a dearth of international fare is a bit unfortunate, as an online format seems the perfect vehicle – and Zagat the perfect messenger – for a fully integrated and truly international guide to the good, and not-so good, places to stuff one’s intercontinental maw. One can only hope that as Zagat increases its offline presence worldwide, online will follow suit, making the guide as recognizable a brand in Boston as in Botswana.

Besides its rate-and-contact restaurant database, Zagat’s site features other treats such as customizable Zagat Survey books – with special gold-seal covers for corporate marketing – and a limited-edition leather-bound version to complement one’s Prada uniform. The site’s Unfit for Print section is well worth a visit purely for the surveyor comments deemed too outrageous to include in the guide due to "legal prohibitions." Some of the more amusing comments include: "They put the salmon in salmonella," "Feminist man-haters that make animal-friendly food," "Not the same since Vinnie the piano player died," and, my favorite, "Why?"

Conventional Zagat Survey books and Zagat CD-ROMs can also be ordered online. One can also stay ahead of the epicurean "curve" for US$ 15 a year by subscribing to Zagat Wire, which includes such unappetizing highlights as an e-mail newsletter, 15% off at the on-line store and first dibs on new reviews (EUR 17).

Zagat.com’s most obvious drawback – that it cannot be conveniently stashed in the glove compartment – is somewhat remedied, at a cost of US$ 29 and change (EUR 34), by the option to download the entire Zagat Survey to an electronic handheld organizer such as the Palm. This download option thoughtfully includes free upgrades of future Zagat updates.