Issue #2 - Your First AI Experiment - Let’s Do It Together (Copy)
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Issue #2 · From Gary Russell Your First AI Experiment — Let's Do It Together |
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In Issue #1, I asked you to write down one task that feels repetitive or time-consuming. Today we do it together.
Here's the task I picked. It's one most of us have faced.
The Problem / Need
Quick, efficient search for desirable restaurants that can support both a meat eater and a vegetarian. Not too cheap, but won't be out of sight expensive. Not too far from Irvine and the surrounding areas.
Sound familiar? You've got a dinner to plan, mixed dietary needs in the group, and a budget in mind. The old way: 30 minutes on Yelp, Google Maps, and a handful of restaurant websites. Maybe you still don't feel confident in your choice.
Let's try a different way.
The Prompt
I typed this into ChatGPT — word for word:
"Recommend 10 nice restaurants near Newport Beach / Irvine that have both steak and a vegetarian alternative for dinner. Budget around $80 per person without drinks."
That's it. No search. No scrolling. Just a clear ask.
The Result
In about five seconds, ChatGPT returned a table of 10 restaurants with location, steak option, vegetarian option, and typical cost per person. It also flagged places that would blow the budget — without me asking.
Its top five picks:
- Paul Martin's American Grill (Irvine Spectrum) — Best overall balance of steaks, vegetarian options, and atmosphere. Around $50–70/person.
- North Italia (Irvine) — One person gets steak, another gets outstanding vegetarian pasta. Lively, good value.
- Houston's (Irvine) — Terrific steaks, classic American, more limited vegetarian menu but workable.
- Ironwood (Laguna Hills) — Best date-night option, excellent food, right at the top of the budget.
- Yard House (Irvine Spectrum) — Huge menu, very vegetarian-friendly, easiest on the wallet.
Thirty seconds of reading instead of thirty minutes of searching. But we weren't done yet.
The Refinement
Here's where it gets interesting. I followed up with one more question:
"Which of these restaurants accept online reservations?"
ChatGPT came back with a full table — reservation links included — and then added something I didn't ask for: a ranked list specifically for "two couples in their 60s who want good conversation and moderate noise levels."
It read the context of our conversation and went one step further on its own. Its ranking for that scenario:
- Paul Martin's
- Ironwood
- Andrei's
- Il Fornaio
- North Italia (excellent food, but can be noisy on weekends)
From problem to reservation-ready in under two minutes. No browser tabs. No cross-referencing. That's what reduced friction looks like.
The Lesson
AI isn't just a faster search engine. It's a thinking partner that holds the context of your conversation and keeps getting more useful as you go.
Notice what happened here: the first prompt got us a solid list. The second prompt — without re-explaining anything — layered on exactly the information we needed to act. And it volunteered advice tailored to us.
That's the pattern. State your need clearly, review the result, then refine. Each step takes seconds, not minutes.
✎ This Week's Tip
The refinement is where the magic is. Don't stop at the first answer. Ask a follow-up. "Which of these is quietest?" "Can I book online?" "What's the parking like?" AI remembers everything you've already said — you don't have to repeat yourself.
More next week.
— Gary
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📚 Want to go deeper? Better Prompts, Better Results → — 25 real prompts for everyday life, free to download |
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