Question about food at the Marriott

[xenite99.livejournal.com]

Hi all,
This will be my 2nd D*C...last year I stayed at the Sheraton and they had a snack bar that I frequented in the AM for breakfast...and I know the Hilton has one as well. I am sure they have the same at the Marriott (where I will be staying this year), but I wanted to make sure. I am hoping they have this as opposed to running over to the food court in the morning or across the street to the Hilton.

Thanks for you help!! Is is Sept. yet?

Comments

[ubiquitous-a.livejournal.com]

If memory serves, there are a couple of restaurants, a Starbuck's, and a sandwhich place.

[noelleleithe.livejournal.com]

The Marriott has a Starbucks in the lobby that has the usual drinks and pastries (no hot food). Lines are long there most of the time, unsurprisingly, but they work quickly. Right next door is the M Store (hotel gift shop), which has packaged sandwiches, salads, desserts, fruit salads, etc., plus a bunch of different kinds of bottled drinks. We ate several meals from the M Store last year. :)

[toliver.livejournal.com]

If you get to the Starbucks before 8 am there are no lines, or really short ones. I think they have oatmeal. We bought milk at the store next door to it and brought our own cereal/bowls to circumvent that problem/expense. They have fruit and food as mentioned above that is easy and quick.

[xenite99.livejournal.com]

yay!!...thx guys...it sounds like i will be able to manage with that...i am not a coffee drinker so i don't have to worry too much about lines for that...lol...i appreciate your help!!!

[fluffydragon.livejournal.com]

I'm gonna do a slight hijack here and mention that my husband is wheat intolerant. Do the Marriott rooms come with a fridge? Besides the fruit, is there edible wheat free food?

[toliver.livejournal.com]

Starbucks has a new and quite delicious, according to a friend, gluten free cake, BTW.

In answer to your question, yes. I went last year with two people who are gluten intolerant and both found plenty to eat. At the dinner buffet at the Hyatt, as a matter of fact, if you mention you need gluten free choices, there are ones on the buffet line and they will bring you hagen daz strawberry ice cream for dessert. You just have to ask.

[fluffydragon.livejournal.com]

Thanks, we'll look for both of those :)

[lilithschilde.livejournal.com]

Marriott rooms do not come with a fridge unless requested, and they go VERY quickly.

[ubiquitous-a.livejournal.com]

You could bring a cooler with snacks and drinks to keep in the room. I think that's what we're doing this year.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I have to say, as a celiac who was at Dragon*Con last year -- I found finding wheat and gluten-free food really hard. The Starbuck's cake is new (and very good!), but I'd definitely recommend bringing stuff or doing a grocery shop. The food court was extremely unideal.

[fluffydragon.livejournal.com]

You mind if I pick your brain for ideas?

We're currently planning on carting a cooler down with us with various fruits, homemade rice crispie treats, capri-suns and gatorade - but we're a little lost for something substantial. Maybe some homemade beef jerky? (he's reactive to msg too).

[rm.livejournal.com]

If you have a Whole Foods in your area, they make a wheat, gluten and MSG-free beef jerky. I bring that when I'm on shoots a lot.

Honestly, I don't really have a plan yet, just the sense that I need one, because last year was really, really hard.

[fluffydragon.livejournal.com]

Nice, thank you :) yeah, we do have a whole foods, nearby. Maybe we can get a couple of loaves of gluten-free bread for samwhiches too.

[veracity]

I'm not sure how close it is but there's a Whole Foods at Ponce De Leon. According to MapQuest, it's less than two miles. If you get to the con early, you might be able to stock up ahead of times.

[xenite99.livejournal.com]

i was just gonna say that...it makes sense to go there if you need to have special foods and the like...

[veracity]

And it's not too far from the Con, relatively speaking, for Atlanta.

[glasscannon.livejournal.com]

Does anyone here have experience shopping at this Whole Foods for DragonCon? This is my first D*C, and I have similar diet restrictions and live off Whole Foods here at home, so I'd love to hear any experiences people have had with this one.

[veracity]

The last time I was at Whole Foods was 10 years ago at the Briarcliff location. But I'm assuming it would be fairly easy to get what you need. People shop at Publix quite a bit during each con.

[kittenbiscuits.livejournal.com]

Atlantan here.

The Whole Foods on Ponce is really nice. Not within easy walking distance though. But if you have dietary restrictions it is worth a trip there to get food for the weekend because dining choices are slim. We had a friend with celiacs visiting with us last year, but he somehow managed to find stuff on menus at the restaurants downtown. He also got some pretty good gluten-free beer at the liquor store down there. Of course it was 6 bucks a bottle.

[alexdelarge78.livejournal.com]

If you have the means a good idea is to bring a cooler with food. You can get ice from the ice maker (one per floor) which then acts as a fridge. It is a pain to pull around when traveling but you do save money- just so you can do as I did and spend 60 dollars on a signature.

[xenite99.livejournal.com]

well i do not have a means to bring a hard case cooler..but a soft one might work...mmmm...thx for the idea..i forget there is ice at the hotel....and a plastic bag for the ice will work too!!

thx to all for your help..

[myras-girls.livejournal.com]

I fly in so I can't bring a cooler. Instead I walk over to the Publix and buy a cheap styrofoam cooler if we can't get a fridge in the room (and I haven't managed to snag one yet). At the store I also pick up breakfast foods like instant oatmeal, yogurt, etc.

[xenite99.livejournal.com]

yay i think i will have my friend bring me to publix after she picks me up from the airport...my planning continues!!

[kittenbiscuits.livejournal.com]

Can do, can do. ;)

[xenite99.livejournal.com]

woot..you beat me to even ask you...lol..thx dear!!!

[muntahz.livejournal.com]

There is a Trader Joe's not that far from The Marriott if you have a car.
We did a run last year and it was very fast.

[sffilk.livejournal.com]

The food court at Peachtree Center has a wonderfully filling on inexpensive breakfast at Willy's Mexican Cantina. When I worked at Peachtree Center, I'd go one day a week and get myself a breakfast burrito for $4.27 (along with LOTS of salsa). Freshly made, good taste.

[beavis-bob.livejournal.com]

The Hilton has a few newer options. A gyro place has opened next to the package store across from the Sheraton, which is actually pretty good. Of course, there is Peachtree Center. A number of places will deliver. A short drive away is a Publix (on Piedmont), a Whole Foods (on Ponce) and numerous other spots to stock up and keep food in a room. Most of the hotels do not provide refrigerators, except as needed for medical reasons. Even in suites.