Book a night on the 'Net'
By Jeff Rusnak

A computer monitor has replaced the reservations book at 108 South Florida restaurants linked to OpenTable.com.

The San Francisco-based company is a nationally automated reservations system available in more than 5,000 restaurants in 45 states. Diners go to OpenTable.com, choose a restaurant and fill in date, time and party size. If the requested time is taken, the site informs users of what's available that night.

Diners can also request a specific waiter or table, and alert the maitre d' of an anniversary or birthday being celebrated. Paid for by the restaurant, the service is free to customers.

Casa D'Angelo in Fort Lauderdale signed up with OpenTable.com this year. Office manager Dee Petinakis says online reservations have increased and notes the service is faster and more manageable than the traditional black book. "It's very easy to use," she says. "We can also track our customer's likes and dislikes and keep notes on a guest card as far as their preferences for what type of food or wine they like."

OpenTable.com announced last week it has seated more than 25 million diners since 1997. Visit OpenTable.com to see the list of South Florida restaurants.