Google "Orlando restaurants" and you get 23.3 million hits. The Internet makes it easier to find great local grub while traveling — but it can also overwhelm. How do you know what's good advice? How do you know what advice is worth paying for? ShopSmart magazine, from the makers of Consumer Reports, wades through the wealth of websites and apps out there in its July edition. Here are the sites you can rely on when you're on the road.

Good Free Advice

Yelp.com • This site makes it easy to browse by food type (Ukrainian, anyone?), price range, or categories such as "Good For Kids." For sheer breadth of coverage, it's hard to beat. But watch out for paid 'sponsored results" from advertisers, which often appear on top of listings in a colored box.

Other opinion megasites • Check out TripAdvisor, IgoUgo, MyTravelGuide and Epinions.com. When scanning these sites' reams of options, remember to skip reviews that seem too personal or extreme, contain language that sounds too much like advertising, or were posted too long ago — they may no longer be relevant. Don't put too much stock in any one review either; look for trends.

Foodie sites • If you're serious about getting a great meal, you might find the postings on Chowhound.com or the site of nonprofit eGullet.org more satisfying than those on bigger user-review sites. Use the search engines at those sites to listen in on foodies dishing about local restaurants.

Hometown press • Just about every major city has a lifestyle magazine loaded with reviews. (New York Magazine's website nymag.com is a standout.) Local newspaper sites also post reviews by local critics.

Coupon sites • One great source for coupon deals on the web is Entertainment 2010 series of books that covers 149 locations in the U.S. and Canada. Each one sells for $15 including shipping, and has hundreds of coupons in a variety of categories — family dining, fast food, takeout, etc. Once you register online using the code found in your book, you'll get additional coupons, including some for 50 percent off and two-for-one deals.

Advice For A Fee

Zagat • Feeling overwhelmed by too many opinions? Let someone else sift through it. The Zagat Survey empire was built on user reviews that are aggregated into a numerical rating system. The drawbacks are that the Guides cost $5.95 to $15.95 and Zagat doesn't cover the entire map. But it does have restaurant guides for 31 domestic cities and regions, and 10 international locations.

Other veteran guides • AAA Diamond TourBooks, which are free to paying members, and Forbes Travel Guides (until recently Mobil Travel Guides), $13.95, are well-respected. But you should know that restaurants apply to be graded by AAA. And like reviews in the 100-year-old Michelin Guides, which go for $16.99 to $28 a city, AAA's and Forbes' summaries are produced by professional reviewers, not users.

Advice From Smart Phone Apps

LocalEats (99 cents to $2.99) • Offers info on "the best 100 restaurants" in 50 cities and is compatible with the Apple iPhone, Blackberry Storm and Google Android.

GrubHub (free) and CityMint (free) • Both are available for the iPhone and allow you to order takeout and delivery (but in a limited number of cities).

Zagat to go ($3.99 a month or $19.99 a year) • Has a cool "find nearby" feature using GPS and is available for Windows Mobile Pocket PC.

Deal of the week

Walmart is holding a contest for 100 St. Louis students to win a $100 shopping spree toward school supplies and clothes at Walmart. Along with the gift to the 100 students, Walmart will be making a matching donation to KidSmart. The entry deadline is July 30. Visit http://walmartbacktoschoolcontest.com/site10/ and fill out the entry form.

To find a great deal every day of the week, visit our Steals & Deals blog, stltoday.com/steals.

SPLURGE-WORTHY

Buxom Lips is a pout-perfecting lip polish. It's formulated to naturally create the look of fuller, more voluptuous lips. This mineral-infused polish offers a luminous shine with no sticky or tacky feeling. The polish contains vitamins A and E to help keep lips soft, smooth and protected, while the tingly and cooling sensation reminds you that your lips are getting an immediate increase in fullness. A friend tested the product and said, "My lips tingle when I apply the polish. I usually apply it two to three times a day and the shimmering shine lasts all day."

To buy • $18 at Sephora, West County Center High-Low

High • Silk safari shirtdress ($130) at Banana Republic

Low • Merona short sleeve shirtdress ($24.99) at Target

SHOPSITE (Measy.com)

Looking for the latest electronic gadget but don't know where to start?

Try going to Measy.com.

This online shopping site allows consumers to take a quiz about their electronic product preferences to narrow down options, and the results reveal the best product for you.

Based out of New York City, Measy collects product information from third-party dealers to match customers with the top few best products and online vendors who sell the product. The site provides price comparisons.

The quiz contains about a dozen questions from asking about ideal size, price and the importance of brand. Customers can choose from six product categories, each with a different quiz; digital cameras, DSLRs, e-readers, HD televisions, netbooks and smart phones.

The quiz allows you to skip things that are not important to you. And if you don't want to take the quiz at all, you can explore the products available by selecting that option.

Each product has ratings from the experts, such as PC Magazine and CNET, on certain characteristics of the item, which benefits potential buyers.

The downside about the website is it only covers those six electronic products.

McClatchy-Tribune Information Services