HARRISBURG, Pa., Feb. 1, 2012 - The Pennsylvania Tourism Office is partnering with the award-winning website Foodspotting.com to promote Pennsylvania's unique cuisine, restaurants, wineries, breweries and markets. The social media site allows residents and visitors to find and share tips on the state's best places to eat and drink, as well as their favorite new or traditional dishes and beverages.

"Pennsylvania is the first and only state to be an official publisher on Foodspotting, leading to the attraction of thousands of followers to the state's tourism website, visitPA.com," said Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary C. Alan Walker. "Partnering with Foodspotting gives us the ability to highlight the best restaurants and even the best dishes and drinks statewide; creating a very useful resource for hungry visitors and residents alike."

Foodspotting.com, recognized as one of TIME Magazine's "Best Websites of 2010," allows users to recommend dishes, drinks, and restaurants via its website and mobile apps. Foodspotting features different followers, "Food Seekers" and "Food Spotters." "Food Seekers" find the latest and best foods, giving followers the ability to find any dish they are craving. A "food spotter" can share where to find their favorite foods by uploading a photo or "spotting" it.

By spotting new or classic dishes, users can complete guides, scavenger hunts and challenges to earn badges and recognition on the site. Foodspotting gives users the chance to find the best places to eat, and ensures that the state's best dishes and restaurants are easily discovered by a wider audience.

Foodspotting offers guides, which are location-based lists of recommendations that are mapped and accessible via mobile technology. The Pennsylvania Tourism Office has launched four guides, Harvest Bounty, Time to un-WINE-d, Cure What Ales You, and Sweets for the Sweet -- with more guides planned in the next year.

Foodspotting.com is the brainchild of two Pennsylvania natives. Co-founders Alexa Andrzejewski and Ted Grubb are from Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, respectively.

"Pennsylvania boasts a wealth of great food," said Grubb, who is Foodspotting's chief technical officer. "It's a personal honor that we're working so closely with visitPA to help spotlight the rich food scene."

The Pennsylvania Tourism Office is partnering with the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation and Visit Bucks County to promote the new Foodspotting agreement.

The Pennsylvania Tourism Office, under the state Department of Community and Economic Development, is dedicated to inspiring travel to the State of Independence. For more information, go to visitPA.com or our mobile site m-visitPA.com, become a fan at facebook.com/visitPA, follow us at twitter.com/visitPA, share photos at flickr.com/visitPA, friend us at Foursquare.com/visitPA, watch us on youtube.com/visitPA, or follow us at foodspotting.com/visitPA.