Save For Later: Never Forget a Good Recommendation Again

Update: One of our awesome eagle-eyed users points out that when you're searching for nearby spots — restaurants, bars, etc. — using Google Maps and Google Maps for mobile, the map automatically populates with your saved places, designated by little yellow stars. Thanks, Jeff!

It's something that happens to us every day: Your friend recommends a really great place, and you tell yourself, "Must remember to check it out." But how often do you actually remember to?

Recently, I was hanging out at Alice's Restaurant, a popular bar and grill in Woodside, California. It's a place where everyone goes to see and be seen on a sunny Saturday afternoon — bikers, dog owners, folks with fast cars. Sharing one of the giant picnic tables with me were Dan and Laurie, lovely folks I had just met who have lived in the area for years. As a new transplant to Cali, one of the first things I asked was, "So what places do I need to check out around here?"

A few of their recommendations:

• Los Altos Grill — great place to grab a burger with friends
• The Mountain House — rumor has it Neil Young stops by this spot tucked among redwoods
• Ridge Vineyards — a well-known vineyard with a fantastic view of the South Bay
• Thomas Fogarty Winery — the more wineries to visit, the merrier!

Rather than write them down — come on, who doesn’t misplace those little bits of paper? — I pulled out my Google Places app for iPhone and quickly saved each place so I could refer to them later. I just searched for the places and marked the yellow star with each listing:

So now, when I click on the “Saved” icon on my home screen, I can see a list of all the places I saved and pull them up at any time:

Don’t worry Android users, you’ve got access to this feature too. Same deal: Using the Places icon for Google Maps for mobile, click the yellow star with each place listing you want to remember. Then when you want to see your list of saved spots, go to the Places homepage > Menu > Starred Places.

You can use this feature online too at google.com/hotpot. Just click “Save for later” at the top of the Place card, and use the Saved places tab along the left to see your list:

Whether you save your spots on mobile or desktop, it all syncs up nicely so you have the complete list whenever you need it. In fact, this past weekend, when my friends and I were trying to figure out what to do, I just pulled up the Saved list on my phone and — bingo! — winery tour, anyone?

Posted by Vanessa Schneider, Hotpot Team