Stocking up on food in your room?

[Touya no Miko]

They also have them at the Nijiya Market in SJ, but they're always sold out during the con. ):

[Enkai]

If you want some other delicious, thematic options, I recommend checking out Clover in San Jose.  It's a little bit of a drive from the convention center (rough directions: get on 280 north, travel for 5 miles or so, take the South Saratoga exit, and you'll see the shopping center with Mitsuwa Marketplace. It will be kinda in the back of the shopping center).

They're a Japanese bakery - they have a lot of individually wrapped rolls and things in lots of different varieties. Chow mein roll, spicy tuna roll, beef curry roll, etc.  They also have sweet rolls. Paris Baguette is in the same shopping center for a similar selection, although they have far more sweet things than savory things.  There's a milk tea place next door that also is delicious, but that's not going to be something for the room).  Clover also has a good selection of rice balls.  We like to get the beef and ginger ones.  Clover's pretty cheap as well; $2.50 or so for a roll, and 2 rolls is a decent meal.  Not as cheap as the Cup Noodles route, but it's an option.

Mitsuwa Marketplace is a grocery store you could check out if the Japantown Nijiya is sold out of things.  They're a quite a bit bigger than Nijiya as well, and they have some little mini stores inside you could also get snacks from.

I recommend getting there earlier (9:30-10:00) for a couple reasons.  They do sell out of things, and the later you wait in the day, the crazier the center is.  It can be really difficult to find parking later in the day.

As far as how long they keep: eating them sooner is better, but we've been able to stick rice balls in the fridge and eat them later without any issue.

[SpiritOfKairi]

If you want some other delicious, thematic options, I recommend checking out Clover in San Jose.  It's a little bit of a drive from the convention center (rough directions: get on 280 north, travel for 5 miles or so, take the South Saratoga exit, and you'll see the shopping center with Mitsuwa Marketplace. It will be kinda in the back of the shopping center).

They're a Japanese bakery - they have a lot of individually wrapped rolls and things in lots of different varieties. Chow mein roll, spicy tuna roll, beef curry roll, etc.  They also have sweet rolls. Paris Baguette is in the same shopping center for a similar selection, although they have far more sweet things than savory things.  There's a milk tea place next door that also is delicious, but that's not going to be something for the room).  Clover also has a good selection of rice balls.  We like to get the beef and ginger ones.  Clover's pretty cheap as well; $2.50 or so for a roll, and 2 rolls is a decent meal.  Not as cheap as the Cup Noodles route, but it's an option.

Mitsuwa Marketplace is a grocery store you could check out if the Japantown Nijiya is sold out of things.  They're a quite a bit bigger than Nijiya as well, and they have some little mini stores inside you could also get snacks from.

I recommend getting there earlier (9:30-10:00) for a couple reasons.  They do sell out of things, and the later you wait in the day, the crazier the center is.  It can be really difficult to find parking later in the day.

As far as how long they keep: eating them sooner is better, but we've been able to stick rice balls in the fridge and eat them later without any issue.

Thanks for the awesome information =).  One question, though.  You mentioned that parking can get really difficult later on in the day.  Would you not recommend going there at around 2-3 pm, then?  If my roommate and I go, it will likely be before we check in to the room, and that's roughly when we get to the CC on Friday.  Heh after we get to the room they don't like to leave and give up the parking space.

[aetherltd]

When all else fails, there's Calorie Mate Balanced Food Block.

It's humanoid chow from Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Tokyo. Popular with Japanese salarymen. Appears in Metal Gear Solid 3. Nijiya Market stocks these in several flavors, along with Pocky and canned beverages from Japan.

[Enkai]

Thanks for the awesome information =).  One question, though.  You mentioned that parking can get really difficult later on in the day.  Would you not recommend going there at around 2-3 pm, then?  If my roommate and I go, it will likely be before we check in to the room, and that's roughly when we get to the CC on Friday.  Heh after we get to the room they don't like to leave and give up the parking space.

I think Friday is probably okay, but since I'm typically working at that time, I haven't been around there to check.  Saturday and Sunday though will definitely be crowded.  We do go out there sometimes that time, but we often end up parking on one of the residential streets nearby

[InsaneDavid]

Thanks for the awesome information =).  One question, though.  You mentioned that parking can get really difficult later on in the day.  Would you not recommend going there at around 2-3 pm, then?  If my roommate and I go, it will likely be before we check in to the room, and that's roughly when we get to the CC on Friday.  Heh after we get to the room they don't like to leave and give up the parking space.

2pm - 3pm on a Friday shouldn't be too bad other than the smash of traffic trying to get on 280 at the beginning of the evening commute.  The problem with that shopping center is there are a lot of different stores in a small area with a parking lot that was really only designed to handle the traffic from three anchors - a grocery store (Shopwell), stationery store (McWorthers), and pizza parlor (Round Table) - all of which closed years ago.  You have the massive Mitsuwa with a Kinokuniya inside (as well as a handfull of other stores / restaurants within the Mitsuwa), a Daiso, a couple bakeries, hair salon, I think there are still at least two noodle places there, a local bar that has been there for decades, and at least a dozen more tenants.  Thankfully I live a 10 minute walk away because as Enkai said, parking there can be pretty crazy.

There's also a Marukai Market in Cupertino... *thinks* it feels like I've typed this before... *search* AH! - http://forums.fanime.com/index.php/topic,19419.msg479036.html#msg479036

...anyway, the Marukai is a straight shot down San Carlos / Stevens Creek Blvd. but it is quite a ways down.  As I said in the post I linked to, you can essentially follow San Carlos until it turns into Stevens Creek, take a left at Saratoga Ave. and hit the Mitsuwa and assorted stores.  Then go back to Stevens Creek and head down to Marukai and then take Stevens Creek / San Carlos all the way back to the Convention Center.

When all else fails, there's Calorie Mate Balanced Food Block.

It's humanoid chow from Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Tokyo. Popular with Japanese salarymen. Appears in Metal Gear Solid 3. Nijiya Market stocks these in several flavors, along with Pocky and canned beverages from Japan.

...Big Boss is a liar about that being delicious.

[Mordyan]

You can also pick up perishable food at The Market Safeway, which is an easy walk, at the corner of S Second St and E San Fernando.
I grab all my dry goods before I leave then grab milk, juice, cheese, etc. there.

I am also a big fan of sandwich makings which keep well in the fridge and are easy to slap together for that 3 am fix.

[Firefury Amahira]

The hotel that my group is staying at off-site has a full kitchen, so we're doing crockpot dinners and sandwiches for lunch. Cliff Bars are pretty good granola bar snackage (not a fan of their protein bars, but great for sweets/fiber with the regular ones.) Another thing to consider (again, check with your specific hotel first!) are larger electric tea kettles that can do bigger quantities of water faster than the dinky hotel coffee pots. That can open up a variety of meal edibles from soups to oatmeal to instant mac-and-cheese.

For those driving up from down south, if you're going up I-5, we usually cut over 152 through Gilroy to pick up the 101, and you can stock up on an assortment of fruits and snackage at the various farm stands along the road. ... Probably should avoid the garlic pistachios though unless you're going to nuke your face with mouthwash a couple of times a day at con. :P

[Enkai]

The hotel that my group is staying at off-site has a full kitchen, so we're doing crockpot dinners and sandwiches for lunch. Cliff Bars are pretty good granola bar snackage (not a fan of their protein bars, but great for sweets/fiber with the regular ones.) Another thing to consider (again, check with your specific hotel first!) are larger electric tea kettles that can do bigger quantities of water faster than the dinky hotel coffee pots. That can open up a variety of meal edibles from soups to oatmeal to instant mac-and-cheese.

For those driving up from down south, if you're going up I-5, we usually cut over 152 through Gilroy to pick up the 101, and you can stock up on an assortment of fruits and snackage at the various farm stands along the road. ... Probably should avoid the garlic pistachios though unless you're going to nuke your face with mouthwash a couple of times a day at con. :P

I want garlic pistachios now.

On a related note, also on 152 is Casa de Fruita. It is going to be more expensive than the stands, but is going to have pretty much all the snacks you could want in one place.  Their main market (there are several stores) has bulk bins of loads of dried fruit, candy, and other snacks.

Fridays 10-2 there is a farmers' market at San Pedro Square, which is walking distance from the convention center. Walk up Market past the Fairmont. Cross San Fernando and keep going a block to Santa Clara. Turn left, the next street will be San Pedro, which you will turn right till you get to the San Pedro Square market.  Just another option if you want fresh produce.

[YaoiCat]

Do you happen to remember which flavors they have?

I don't eat fish, so the only two flavors I get are the Ume (pickled plum) and Karaage (fried chicken), but they also have a few different ones with seafood in them :)

[Firefury Amahira]

I want garlic pistachios now.

I also recommend the garlic ice cream, but generally that wouldn't keep very well for the remaining drive time. ;) And your mouth will taste like garlic for the next several hours after consumption.

Thanks for the tip about the farmer's market and stuff! Hafta keep that in mind for my group. :D