Open Table

“Where do you want to go to dinner?” bounces around the room like a never-ending game of Pong—and because you bickered so long, your final choice doesn’t have any available tables before 11 p.m. Next time, use OpenTable.com. The international site hosts an online reservation system for over 40 Sacramento restaurants, each with breakdown of price, dress code, parking and other valuable information. Easy to use, the site allows you to search for an eatery by neighborhood, cuisine or reservation time. With the ability to accumulate points which can be turned into gift certificates, and to notify other party members of a reservation via e-mail, OpenTable.com kicks the phone book to the curb. The only thing the site lacks is reader reviews, so you’re only being guaranteed a seat, not a great meal.