The first 1999 edition, which she created while working as a graphic designer with her then-boss Tracy Roberts, was remarkable in that it didn’t emphasize reviews. Rather, the book showcased menu items, photos and plenty of delectable, supplementary info. Grouped by neighborhood, it also included interesting regional intros and factoids about the restaurants and their chefs.

Epstein says that from the start, the book was less of a listings source, and more of an effort to “revitalize imagination and spark motivation for readers to experience Boston with new eyes, ears and mouths.” Her innovative business plan was for chefs or owners buy a page and individualize it as they chose with photos, seasonal menus, reflections on their offerings, even recipes. A few reviews from Zagat or local media were thrown in.

The book, 225 pages at present, has a circulation of 110,000, retails for $7.95 and is distributed at about 700 locations that include Barnes & Noble, Borders, Amazon.com and 400 retail outlets such as Stop & Shop, Shaw's and Whole Foods Market. Many area companies have also personalized the book, imprinting copies for their clients.

The new edition includes a “Where to Drink” section, which, Epstein explains, “features the top 50 cocktailing destinations in Boston, as well as 50 cocktail recipes from Boston's top mixologists.” A “Destinations” chapter highlights restaurants located within a three-hour radius of Boston for people looking to make a trip of it.

She also puts out a Cape Cod and Islands Where to Eat, and recently began a restaurant recommendation and reservation service. Chris Haynes of CBH Communications, whose clients include No. 9 Park, Mistral, Aquitaine, Pho Republique, The Vault Bistro & Wine Bar and restaurateur Marc Kadish, handles publicity.

Epstein, who is 32, is married with a baby daughter and lives in the South End. Her father ran a paint-supply business in Worcester, where she was bat mizvahed at Beth Israel synagogue in 1985. She grew up in a Kosher home and doesn’t eat red meat or pork, though health consciousness is another contributing reason. A ballet dancer and mountain climber, she holds a bachelor's degree in fine arts from Boston University, worked as a hostess at Lydia Shire's Pignoli, at Louis Boston, and also interned at Boston Magazine.

She has managed public relations for the annual Ben Gurion University Kosher Dining Extravaganza at the Four Seasons Hotel and has worked with many worthy efforts that include the Anthony Spinazzola Foundation, Share Our Strength, Make-a-Wish Foundation and Dana-Farber’s Cooking For a Cure. Where to Eat continues to grow.

“We will be doing some special prix fixe dinners at a couple hot spots in the next few months,” she told the Advocate. “We’ll be partnering up with Tiger Beer for those.” A West Coast edition is in the works, as well as a new online magazine that she says will include “monthly updates on industry happenings, restaurant openings, cocktail recipes, entertaining tips and more!”

For information, please visit www.wheretoeatboston.com, call 617-423-2462 or email info@wheretoeatboston.com, or chaynes@cbhcommunications.com.