I'm awfully curious about this, because I was working at a pizza restaurant, Extreme Pizza, back in 2011. Man, there was no busier weekend than FanimeCon, but I sure enjoyed making pizza!
For the most part, my Fanime diet this year was composed of coconut juice, Hello Panda, and a pastry from the café downstairs. As for restaurants, two days of Togo's.
My roommate and I generally hit up Hoagie Steak Out for most of our meals, with a couple trips to La Victoria's thrown in the mix. Both are only a couple blocks away, and you get a great meal for less than $10. Heh we don't tend to drive out to meals since he doesn't like giving up his parking space unless it's absolutely necessary.
However, have to say I did enjoy the addition of the food court this year, even though there wasn't much available. Asian Food Grocer was always good for a quick snack or Ramune, and the milk tea vendor's drinks were delicious and hydrating =). (I tend to get dehydrated easily, and very few things besides water really do the trick.)
Other than the stuff in my hotel room, I'll head to Pizza My Heart, Sonoma Chicken Coop, McDonald's (only because I had a card) Peggy Sue's, or Johnny Rockets. And maybe somewhere else I forgot to mention.
I've been trying out other places in downtown SJ lately, so I'll likely return to them next Fanime :)
I usually drive up to Mitsuwa to stock up on Day 1 when I can find parking easily when I come back to my hotel. Other than that, it's usually Pizza My Heart or Extreme Pizza (delivery), Hydration, and where ever I hang out with my friends. Or go to Tanq for some chill time with alcohol.
I stock up- then when i feel like eating out- i go to OJ's or get some pizza...
I ate a lot of Subway and McDonalds. My friend took my to Hydration, a few blocks away, the wait there was crazy though. Also ate once from one of the food vendors inside the convention center since I was in a rush to get to Masquerade practice that night.
I stock up on food and eat in hotel. When I do eat out though, I go to Subway.
Behind the Fairmont is a lot of good food. I recomend Chinese Gourmet Express (think mall food court style) Johnny Rockets (1950's themed burgers and atmosphere) Pitapit (awesome pita's well priced recomend the gyro) and House of Thai (sit down family run/style Thai food)
I went to the Hoagie place twice this year, first time ever and I loved it. My roommates and I split a dozen donuts from Psycho Donuts this year, super good but I wouldn't buy them alone....to expensive for me. Also did our yearly tradition of trekking down to San Carlos Pizza(have to walk straight thru the college campus), its a little further but its been a tradition every year since we stumbled on it during a late night our first fanime.
pizza, subway, byo food, fast food, pocky, etc.
I go to a few restruants, but it is always guaranteed that I will get something from Carls Jr.
Along with that, I recommend grabbing some coupons for fast food places. Alot of times an extra buck can make a big difference.
$$$ - If you have money to burn, go to Arcadia, on the ground floor of the marriott, next to tanq, haha. Their rib-eye is pretty amazing.
$$ -If you have not as much money to burn, but still a legit amount, go to happy hour at Grill By The Alley, over at the Fairmont. They've got this delicious American Kobe Burger for 12 bucks, plus decent brews on tap.
$$ - If you want awesome pub food, head to Original Gravity Pub, or OG Pub. They've got the best selection of beer on tap in DT SJ, and a wide selection of gourmet bratwursts and sausages. That and their Duck Fat fries with truffle salt are AMAZEBALLS.
HOWEVER,
If you're just trying to survive and scrape by, there are numerous fast food options.
If you want something not from an multinational fast-food chain, it'll be marginally pricier, like LaVic's, Hoagie's, Pizza My Heart, and that Boba place. There's a Johnny Rockets nearby too.
All of these are walkable.
I live within driving distance. I had sandwiches for lunch and muffins for dinner, with bananas and granola bars to supplement. Otherwise I hit up McDonald's a couple times for the $1 menu. More money for other things.
I ate at least three meals at Arcadia, once at Il Fornaio, once at Tandoori Oven, once at Myth (Greek) and once at Teske's Germania. Would anyone care to join me? I treat.
JUST a reference for people who might want to know where to eat for this year's con here's some options i added
Aha, the benefit of fanimecon is that it is in Downtown San Jose so there's so many options for food!! I get food there all the time :)
Asian food:
Hydration has good udon and bento boxes, but for boba tea, I would go to either quicklys or thirstea
Fuji Sushi has pretty good sushi (its a little farther down)
Pho 69, great pho (although their hours are kinda weird, they aren't always open the whole day)
Siam Fine Thai Cuisine: Really close to the con! really good curry
Mexican:
La Victoria's is good, its got great stuffed quesadillas
Also,Iguana's ,which is more famous for their burritos (both these places are pretty good value)
American:
Pizza My Heart (yay)
Johnny Rocket's, basically (also mcdonalds of course), and Peggy Sue's
Whispers, its has your basic american food and also crepes
Caribbean:
Back A Yard, its awesome!!! get the jerk chicken. but some of their stuff is spicy so make sure you get mild if you can't handle the heat :)
Tea:
Boba at thirstea and quicklys
Also theres a starbucks
REALLY CUTE tea place called Satori Tea Company, great for a lolita tea party! its kinda hard to find, its near peggy sue's like the entrance is in the parking lot yeah
Dessert!!!:
Cream! awesome new ice cream sandwich place would recommend (they also have great vegan and gluten free options)
Ben and Jerrys :)
Psycho Donuts
Yogurtland (great value)
theres also a really cute fancy french pastry shop really close to the con
ALSO, there a Safeway pretty close, good for getting cheap snacks and stuff for your hotel room
More expensive, Fancyish places/italian?:
Il Fornaio (i would recommend to not go in there in full cosplay haha)
Original Joe's, Blackbird Tavern, Mezcal
ALSO, there a cool place called San Pedro's Square Market they have a bunch of different foods and theres a bar too, cool atmosphere, sometimes there is live music. it is a little bit farther from the actual con (still downtown, not that far idk depends where you are) Its on N San Pedro St
I'm just gonna second a few on this list!!
Quote from: halfyoumu on April 02, 2014, 10:18:13 AM
Pizza My Heart (yay)
Back A Yard, its awesome!!! get the jerk chicken. but some of their stuff is spicy so make sure you get mild if you can't handle the heat :)
Cream! awesome new ice cream sandwich place would recommend (they also have great vegan and gluten free options)
theres also a really cute fancy french pastry shop really close to the con
ALSO, there a cool place called San Pedro's Square Market they have a bunch of different foods and theres a bar too, cool atmosphere, sometimes there is live music. it is a little bit farther from the actual con (still downtown, not that far idk depends where you are) Its on N San Pedro St
Pizza My Heart is cheap, convenient, and filling! It may be hectic during Fanime so I'm not sure if they'll give out punch cards, but if you go to a location prior to the con you can ask for a punch card which gets you a free drink/salad/pizza slice after you purchase a number of slices!
BACK A YARD IS SO GOOD - it's a bit far (kind of near San Pedro Square) and the service takes a bit of time so keep that in mind but it really is delicious
I've only been to the Cream location in Palo Alto, but it's SO GOOD and surprisingly inexpensive! It seems upscale but the ice cream sandwiches (which are BIG and HIGH QUALITY) are only $2.50 if you pay with cash!
i'm assuming you're talking about the pastry place across from/attached to the fairmont! they also have great sandwiches and they're very nice
Additionally, the sushi place that was housed in the convention food court (I think it was Tengu sushi?) had REALLY GOOD spam musubi - I think I had 5 of them over the course of the con
Also last year there were street vendors selling bacon wrapped hot dogs and they were hella reasonable and good
Also a number of food trucks tend to gather in the area, especially around St. James Park from my experience.
Here's the tv guide to the food places in downtown San Jose
Naglee Park Garage. They have one of the best burgers ever. Everything is made from scratch there and most of their veggies are grown in their backyard. As seen on Diners Drive-Ins and Dives. I highly recommend the Brussels sprouts and bacon.
Hi Life. Seen on Man v. Food. They have the most tender bbq ribs ever and the best homemade bbq sauce.
Iguanas. The usual suspects for their burritos and Burrito-zilla, but they are still good. I'm more of the ground beef type. Seen on Man v. Food and a favorite of Joey Chestnut.
SmokeEaters. Known by many names like Cluck U, University Chicken, etc. They are known for the 911/hellfire/whatever-it's-called challenge. All of their sauces for their chicken are spicy in a way. I tried the top level spiciness (not the challenge) in boneless. I didn't look too good afterwards, but the taste was worth the pain.
Everyone should try the Burrito-Zilla once in their life. I've had them three times now, and I love them. 5 1/4 pounds of pure burrito goodness.
Quote from: keitoghostie on April 02, 2014, 07:13:30 PM
I'm just gonna second a few on this list!!
Also last year there were street vendors selling bacon wrapped hot dogs and they were hella reasonable and good
Also a number of food trucks tend to gather in the area, especially around St. James Park from my experience.
I heard from someone that the food trucks may be there to go with a festival on Saturday. The festival and trucks have been in the park the past two years.
The San Jose Taco Festival is on Fanime Saturday again this year, too.
sjtaco.com
Normally I just walk around and see what calls out to me. I love trying different things at local restaurants, and I also love grubbing down at fast food places.
Otakuya, there is a taco festival? I am legitimately excited! ;D
Quote from: Otakuya on April 05, 2014, 12:49:02 AM
The San Jose Taco Festival is on Fanime Saturday again this year, too.
sjtaco.com
Can you buy your ticket on site? Or do you have to pre-register for the event?
I've heard there's a place called Quicklys a few blocks down from the center that does inexpensive bento and boba teas. Does anyone have experience going there? How was it? I looked it up on Yelp, and the reviews looked mixed at best, but I want to double check before writing it off.
In years past I've gone to the Subway a block or two away from the Fairmont to get something relatively healthy during the weekend. If you're in the mood for a sweet treat, though, there's a bakery on the bottom of the the hotel that is supposed to be amazing =). I'm keen on giving it a try this year.
Quote from: SpiritOfKairi on April 07, 2014, 08:39:55 AM
I've heard there's a place called Quicklys a few blocks down from the center that does inexpensive bento and boba teas. Does anyone have experience going there? How was it? I looked it up on Yelp, and the reviews looked mixed at best, but I want to double check before writing it off.
Quicklys across from SJSU is an asian fast food place.
If you want something well-prepared and healthy, I'd say go somewhere else.
If you want a quick but filling snack then this'll do.
I just go for the drinks.
They have happy hour in the evenings with buy one get one free milk teas so it gets pretty crowded later in the day.
As for service, it's what you would expect from any FroYo/TapEx-like extablishment.
I remember surviving off of Pita Pit and Subway last year. I usually make it a point to go to Psycho Doughnuts and Philz some mornings. Also Pizza My Heart. <3
But if I want a nicer dinner I usually go to Gordon Biersch or Original Joe's.
Quote from: Xanreo on April 07, 2014, 03:02:07 PM
Quote from: SpiritOfKairi on April 07, 2014, 08:39:55 AM
I've heard there's a place called Quicklys a few blocks down from the center that does inexpensive bento and boba teas. Does anyone have experience going there? How was it? I looked it up on Yelp, and the reviews looked mixed at best, but I want to double check before writing it off.
Quicklys across from SJSU is an asian fast food place.
If you want something well-prepared and healthy, I'd say go somewhere else.
If you want a quick but filling snack then this'll do.
I just go for the drinks.
They have happy hour in the evenings with buy one get one free milk teas so it gets pretty crowded later in the day.
As for service, it's what you would expect from any FroYo/TapEx-like extablishment.
Thanks! I might make a trip over there or Hydration, then, since milk tea is awesome, and their fairly close to the CC =). Do you happen to know when specifically Quicklys happy hour is? Unfortunately their website doesn't say, and nether do the Yelp comments.
And don't forget about taking the deals off of websites like Groupon! I already have 3 meals paid for that weekend around the convention center ^^ Great way to A) Try new places that you've maybe never been before, B) Pay for food before you even get there!, and C) Get them at discounts anyways!
I've already got the Asian fusion place behind the Fairmont, the crazy hot dog place, and an Irish restaurant under my belt! (Just a word of warning, If Psycho Donuts puts out a coupon they will not honor it on Fanime weekend. This happened last year but since we were from out of town they hooked us up!)
Quote from: SpiritOfKairi on April 08, 2014, 08:06:35 AM
Thanks! I might make a trip over there or Hydration, then, since milk tea is awesome, and their fairly close to the CC =). Do you happen to know when specifically Quicklys happy hour is? Unfortunately their website doesn't say, and nether do the Yelp comments.
Happy Hour is after 5PM.
As for personal taste: I highly prefer Quickly's milk tea over Hydration's.
Quote from: Xanreo on April 09, 2014, 12:41:55 AM
Quote from: SpiritOfKairi on April 08, 2014, 08:06:35 AM
Thanks! I might make a trip over there or Hydration, then, since milk tea is awesome, and their fairly close to the CC =). Do you happen to know when specifically Quicklys happy hour is? Unfortunately their website doesn't say, and nether do the Yelp comments.
Happy Hour is after 5PM.
As for personal taste: I highly prefer Quickly's milk tea over Hydration's.
Awesome, thanks! And actually, I just looked on Yelp again for kicks, and a new comment said that along with happy hour after 5 on weekdays, on weekends they have it all day. If that's true, it's great for the convention =). I'll have to make sure to have some cash on me, though, since apparently they don't take cards. (Shame too, since I get 2% cash-back at restaurants with mine. I know it's pennies, but still lol.)
My first year of Fanime I was very poor and I got a hotel five miles away from the con for $150 for the whole weekend, I found free parking every day that was less than half a mile from the con, and I ate McDonald's for every meal all weekend and skipped breakfast. My spending money for the whole weekend was $35. I bought food and a small arpakasso plush. I highly regretted only eating McDonald's but I did what I had to do.
My second year, I shared a room with someone who paid for the room completely at the St. Claire, so I had more money to spend. I had room service for breakfast for one day only because it was so expensive and the rest of the days I had no breakfast. I ate from some food carts nearby on some days, like the hot dog carts and such, Subway, and I brought some food to put in the hotel fridge like sodas and stuff to make our own food. I lived off of Cheez Its half the time.
This year I am much, much better off financially and have $1200 saved for the whole weekend so I plan to mix up my meals by eating and the various establishments surrounding the con such as Pho69, Original Joe's, Morton's, Arcadia, etc.
Quote from: Avairrianna on April 08, 2014, 04:40:30 PM
And don't forget about taking the deals off of websites like Groupon! I already have 3 meals paid for that weekend around the convention center ^^ Great way to A) Try new places that you've maybe never been before, B) Pay for food before you even get there!, and C) Get them at discounts anyways!
I've already got the Asian fusion place behind the Fairmont, the crazy hot dog place, and an Irish restaurant under my belt! (Just a word of warning, If Psycho Donuts puts out a coupon they will not honor it on Fanime weekend. This happened last year but since we were from out of town they hooked us up!)
WOW that'sa really good idea, I completely neglected Groupon! THANKS FOR REMINDING ME! :D
Quote from: melancholyfox on April 11, 2014, 09:52:06 AM
Quote from: Avairrianna on April 08, 2014, 04:40:30 PM
And don't forget about taking the deals off of websites like Groupon! I already have 3 meals paid for that weekend around the convention center ^^ Great way to A) Try new places that you've maybe never been before, B) Pay for food before you even get there!, and C) Get them at discounts anyways!
I've already got the Asian fusion place behind the Fairmont, the crazy hot dog place, and an Irish restaurant under my belt! (Just a word of warning, If Psycho Donuts puts out a coupon they will not honor it on Fanime weekend. This happened last year but since we were from out of town they hooked us up!)
WOW that'sa really good idea, I completely neglected Groupon! THANKS FOR REMINDING ME! :D
^_^
I'm going to be that guy that brings steak and tri-tip for my electric grill and cook it there in my room. but personally, I got last year the 7 treasures from 7 treasures, and made it last for a good chunk of it.
Quote from: tjimmy2 on April 15, 2014, 01:35:07 AM
I'm going to be that guy that brings steak and tri-tip for my electric grill and cook it there in my room. but personally, I got last year the 7 treasures from 7 treasures, and made it last for a good chunk of it.
Haha, nice! I've heard of people bringing electric rice cookers and oatmeal, but nothing quite on that level before. Just curious though, what do you mean by "the 7 treasures from 7 treasures"? I've never heard of that before.
Wow.. no one's mentioned The Blue Chip (http://www.thebluechipsj.com/) yet? Their cheesesteak sandwiches are a little bit pricey (all around $10), but they're so good! Their salads, pastas and nachos can be eaten over two meals easily. It's a couple blocks away, but everyone in my room and some of my fellow staffers make it a tradition to go there at least once during the convention.
That and 4th Street Pizza Co. are my yearly traditions. They're farther away, but oh, so worth it.
Quote from: SpiritOfKairi on April 15, 2014, 03:32:20 PM
Quote from: tjimmy2 on April 15, 2014, 01:35:07 AM
I'm going to be that guy that brings steak and tri-tip for my electric grill and cook it there in my room. but personally, I got last year the 7 treasures from 7 treasures, and made it last for a good chunk of it.
Haha, nice! I've heard of people bringing electric rice cookers and oatmeal, but nothing quite on that level before. Just curious though, what do you mean by "the 7 treasures from 7 treasures"? I've never heard of that before.
its a chinese shop on the same strip as johnny rockets, and its the 1 of everything order they traditionally have on ready there for little over 9 bucks. you get a lot of bang for your buck for good quality food.
Quote from: tjimmy2 on April 15, 2014, 10:58:19 PM
Quote from: SpiritOfKairi on April 15, 2014, 03:32:20 PM
Quote from: tjimmy2 on April 15, 2014, 01:35:07 AM
I'm going to be that guy that brings steak and tri-tip for my electric grill and cook it there in my room. but personally, I got last year the 7 treasures from 7 treasures, and made it last for a good chunk of it.
Haha, nice! I've heard of people bringing electric rice cookers and oatmeal, but nothing quite on that level before. Just curious though, what do you mean by "the 7 treasures from 7 treasures"? I've never heard of that before.
its a chinese shop on the same strip as johnny rockets, and its the 1 of everything order they traditionally have on ready there for little over 9 bucks. you get a lot of bang for your buck for good quality food.
Is the place actually called "7 Treasures"? I couldn't find it on yelp or google.
Quotetri-tip
I'd barricade the door just in case random people show up at your hotel with knives and forks.
also speaking of cheesesteak... a couple years ago i went to the cheesesteak shop (http://www.cheesesteakshop.com/index.htm) (that's its full name) and they gave everyone in our group free soft drinks and i think a 10% discount because we had fanime badges! it was very nice!
Quote from: keitoghostie on April 16, 2014, 07:39:26 PM
also speaking of cheesesteak... a couple years ago i went to the cheesesteak shop (http://www.cheesesteakshop.com/index.htm) (that's its full name) and they gave everyone in our group free soft drinks and i think a 10% discount because we had fanime badges! it was very nice!
That must have been back around 2011. IIRC that year Fanime teamed up with several local restaurants to give attendees discounts by simply presenting your badge. However, I don't think they continued with that. At least, I don't remember those deals being advertised last year or 2012.
Quote from: foester on April 16, 2014, 04:27:38 PM
Quote from: tjimmy2 on April 15, 2014, 10:58:19 PM
Quote from: SpiritOfKairi on April 15, 2014, 03:32:20 PM
Quote from: tjimmy2 on April 15, 2014, 01:35:07 AM
I'm going to be that guy that brings steak and tri-tip for my electric grill and cook it there in my room. but personally, I got last year the 7 treasures from 7 treasures, and made it last for a good chunk of it.
Haha, nice! I've heard of people bringing electric rice cookers and oatmeal, but nothing quite on that level before. Just curious though, what do you mean by "the 7 treasures from 7 treasures"? I've never heard of that before.
its a chinese shop on the same strip as johnny rockets, and its the 1 of everything order they traditionally have on ready there for little over 9 bucks. you get a lot of bang for your buck for good quality food.
Is the place actually called "7 Treasures"? I couldn't find it on yelp or google.
I cant find it myself on google maps, but I remember its a hop and a skip from johnny rockets and tandoori
Not sure if it's still there, but there was Kabob Shack next to Hoagie Steak Out and it was around the same price. If you don't mind walking, there's also Los Cubanos (cuban food) which I think was either in San Pedro market or the street next to it.
Quote from: SpiritOfKairi on April 18, 2014, 04:48:09 PM
Quote from: keitoghostie on April 16, 2014, 07:39:26 PM
also speaking of cheesesteak... a couple years ago i went to the cheesesteak shop (http://www.cheesesteakshop.com/index.htm) (that's its full name) and they gave everyone in our group free soft drinks and i think a 10% discount because we had fanime badges! it was very nice!
That must have been back around 2011. IIRC that year Fanime teamed up with several local restaurants to give attendees discounts by simply presenting your badge. However, I don't think they continued with that. At least, I don't remember those deals being advertised last year or 2012.
It was 2012! I don't think it was advertised but it happened.
The 10% discount was active last year.
Do try to resist their con prices, mmkay... :P
http://psychodonuts.blogspot.com/2014/05/psycho-and-fanime.html
Hey does anyone know a good bagel and/or crepe place for saturday and sunday mornings???
anything near the Fairmont would help....thanks
Quote from: Avairrianna on April 08, 2014, 04:40:30 PM
And don't forget about taking the deals off of websites like Groupon! I already have 3 meals paid for that weekend around the convention center ^^ Great way to A) Try new places that you've maybe never been before, B) Pay for food before you even get there!, and C) Get them at discounts anyways!
I've already got the Asian fusion place behind the Fairmont, the crazy hot dog place, and an Irish restaurant under my belt! (Just a word of warning, If Psycho Donuts puts out a coupon they will not honor it on Fanime weekend. This happened last year but since we were from out of town they hooked us up!)
What crazy hot dig place are you talking about??? you know name of it where it at????
Quote from: tjimmy2 on April 15, 2014, 01:35:07 AM
I'm going to be that guy that brings steak and tri-tip for my electric grill and cook it there in my room. but personally, I got last year the 7 treasures from 7 treasures, and made it last for a good chunk of it.
That's like the worst idea ever. I can't imagine that doesn't violate fire code. I also can't imagine having to get the smell of cooking out of the room after you leave.
Don't be a dick, don't cook anything in the room. It's so hideously inconsiderate to the overloaded hotel staff.
http://acc50ad50b0a158506f1-71006246e58029c32f0fd6371ca59bf9.r77.cf2.rackcdn.com/DiningmapV0414.pdf Found this on SanJose.org. It's a map of all the food places in downtown San Jose.
Quote from: Pounce! on May 18, 2014, 10:46:21 AM
Do try to resist their con prices, mmkay... :P
http://psychodonuts.blogspot.com/2014/05/psycho-and-fanime.html
That looks amazing =D. IIRC last year when they were in the new food court, unfortunately they only had a few sushi bentos and some of the chocolate takoyaki donut holes during the few times they were stocked...seemed like they were constantly sold out. Granted I'm sure their in-store selection is much better, and I'm hoping to pick up a few treats from there over the weekend =). Lol feels slightly wrong that I've been going to Fanime since 2007 and haven't had a sushi bento yet from them.
Quote from: freewayangel092 on May 20, 2014, 12:40:32 PM
Hey does anyone know a good bagel and/or crepe place for saturday and sunday mornings???
anything near the Fairmont would help....thanks
If you don't mind spending a little extra, there are two crepe places fairly close by - Whispers Cafe and La Luna Sucree. I would have included a screenshot from the Yelp search, but couldn't figure out how to insert it here.
Anyone know of any good Italian restaurants near the convention?
Quote from: Giantsgiants on May 21, 2014, 04:43:50 PM
Anyone know of any good Italian restaurants near the convention?
I've never been there, but I've heard good things about Original Joe's, which is literally a block away from the convention center.
I really like Giorgio's (http://fjlmountainview.com/) but it's definitely a drive or bus ride from the convention center.
^ Il Fornaio at the St Claire is the only Italian I know of around the cc. There's a bunch on San Pedro Square, like Spaghetti Factory.
Anyone know of food trucks being around Fanime?
Grande Pizzeria.
Great service and pretty good Italian food.