Outside food is not allowed at our location (while attendees may bring outside food, we cannot bring in food for everyone from a local restaurant, for example). This means we'll have to buy food from the University.

Breakfast is good for getting people there early. Lunch is good for keeping the people/energy in the space. Budget will determine how much of that we can provide.

Breakfast

For all three days, we will purchase coffee and tea service, plus juice [$40/gallon!] and bagels. Saturday includes fresh fruit. Granola bars provided in the afternoon. Individuals may also bring in their own food and drink.

Lunch

For Friday and Saturday, we will cater lunch. However, because the hotel menu is too costly for our budget and we cannot bring in outside food for a group, lunch will be offsite at the Portland State University (PSU) Computer Science Dept, 2 blocks away, see map. Available at 12:30pm.

• Friday: Sparky's New York Pizza (meat pizzas & veggie pizzas), jumbo bread sticks, organic salad, clementines, organic apples, cookies, soda, water.
• Saturday: Costco rolled flatbread sandwiches (turkey rolls & veggie rolls), Sweet Lemon Vegetarian Bistro veggie roll sandwiches, organic salad, veggie platters, hummus, clementines, organic apples, carrot cake, soda, water.

Lunch site directions: Go to the PSU Engineering and Computer Science Bldg at 1900 SW 4th. Enter through the glass doors straight toward the security desk. BTW: the security guard will be looking for your RCC name tag. Turn left at the security desk and take the elevator down one level. Exit the elevator and turn left twice (180 degrees), walk to south end of hall. Room is last one on the left, 86-01.

Other nearby individual options: The hotel offers a Friday lunch buffet for $8.50. Across from the PSU Computer Science bldg there are a few ethnic food carts offering Mediterranean, Thai, Indian, and Mexican dishes for about $5. Espresso Cafe and Deli, and Taco Del Mar, are also located near the PSU Computer Science Bldg on SW 4th St/SW College. Candlelight Cafe & Bar offers alcoholic beverages at SW Lincoln/SW 5th.

Dinner

Friday: on your own

Saturday: wikiHow Party at AboutUs office (107 SE Washington, Suite 520, Portland, OR 97214), 6pm

AboutUs travel directions: The AboutUs office is in the mustard colored, 7 story Olympic Mills Building across the Willamette River. It sits between SE Stark and SE Washington. Enter on SE Stark, take the elevator to the 5th floor, Suite 520.

• By bus: map Board bus 12 from SW 4th/SW Hall, right in front of the PSU Computer Science Bldg (our lunch site). The bus will travel east over the Willamette River. Exit at E. Burnside, then walk south (5 blocks) to SE Stark, turn right (west) to SE 2nd/SE Stark. Bus cost: $2.00, includes return transfer ticket good for approx 2 hrs.

• By car: map Start: University Place-Portland,310 SW Lincoln St, Portland, OR 97201 (503) 221-01401. (1) Head east on SW Lincoln St toward SW 1st Ave  0.1 mi. (2) Turn left at SW 1st Ave  0.1 mi. (3) Turn right at SW Harrison St  322 ft. (4) Turn left at SW Naito Pkwy/OR-99W  0.3 mi. (5) Exit onto Hawthorne Bridge  325 ft. (6) Continue straight to stay on Hawthorne Bridge  0.3 mi. (7) Slight left at SE Hawthorne Blvd  486 ft. (8) Turn left at SE Water Ave  0.4 mi. (9) Turn right at SE Washington St Destination will be on the left  381 ft. End: AboutUs, 107 SE Washington St # 520,Portland, OR 97214, (503) 963-3735

• By foot: Ted Ernst is walking from RCC to AboutUs (approx 1.5 mi, 30 min).  Join him!

Catered priorities

Based on budget, we'll buy from the top of this list until the money runs out. Healthy/tasty would be nice. (This is a wiki, please amend & re-order to suit your opinion on what we should do. If necessary, discuss below the list.)

What/where is there a menu of options from University catering? See Menu Rafati_s_catering_costs

• Coffee/tea 1st thing each morning. F $125.00, S $125.00, Su $125.00
• Juice is $40 per gallon - how many gallons shall we get?
• Bagels are $25 dozen, how many shall we get?
• Fruit - need to check
• Coffee/juice/water mid-afternoon break F__, S___ Unknown. Needs quote--this can be "sponsored" by one or more people.
• Coffee/juice/water mid-morning break F__, S___ Unknown. Needs quote--this can be "sponsored" by one or more people.
• Fruit or other snack mid-afternoon break F__, S___ Unknown. Needs quote--this can be "sponsored" by one or more people.
• Fruit or other snack mid-morning break F__, S___ Unknown. Needs quote--this can be "sponsored" by one or more people.
• Buffet dinner Saturday___ Unknown. Needs revised quote--a few people are looking into possible sponsorship.
(there will be so much energy from the first two days that providing dinner could catalyze more work long into the night)
• Buffet dinner Friday ___ Unknown. Needs revised quote--a few people are looking into possible sponsorship.

Feedback for next time

Food is a staple in our lives and we don't like to complain when someone else is providing our sustenance. That said, there are some things I noticed that might help for next time, especially budget and value/quality considerations.

 * The quality for off site lunches was good. I don't think we got that from the hotel.

 * My observation Friday afternoon was that there were at least a half basket-full of bagels that did not get eaten so we over estimated in our ordering.  However, we could not see them because they were cleared away and other food brought.

 * I appreciated having the toaster there for cooking.

 * The cream cheese spread was weird. Had it been frozen? Was it a powdered mix at one time?