Explore the Menu at Our Restaurant: Variety of Options for Breakfast & More!

[redsoxgirl]

I'm just curious about what kind of grub they serve us?
Do we have a choice of things or is it the same for everyone?

Is breakfast more like a buffet (bagels, eggs, etc) or more sit down and be served?

There's really no real reason for this question - I'm honestly just curious!

 

[wadesgirl]

Breakfast is a buffet. The one lunch they provide is sandwhich, apple, dessert and something else provided in a box. Career lunch is supposed to be better but I'll have to find out next year. The food wasn't too bad either.

 

[chefann]

Breakfasts are buffet: fruit, cold cereal, sometimes oatmeal, pastries. Sometimes they'll have a protein (egg sandwiches or a meat). They'll also have juice, milk, coffee, tea.
Lunch (day 2) is box lunch, basically: sandwich, salad or fruit, dessert, iced tea, water. Career Club lunch (day 2) is sit-down, with a hot meal.
Banquet (day 2) is sit-down, nice. The exec in charge of the banquet can veto the protein choice (which is why one year, when everyone else got filet mignon, the banquet I was at had rubber chicken). The caterers are getting better with the non-standard choices (vegetarian, gluten-free, kosher). I got kosher meals one year on the theory that because they'd be prepared in smaller quantities, they'd be better. Big mistake. But they've improved since then.

 

[flemings99]

Attended last year, most of the meals were ok. There was one---think it was the boxed that we didn't care for. Bring a little extra just incase you need a snack in between meals.

 

[dannyzmom]

I always pack some protein-bars, some MnMs and a can of almonds to keep me energized throughout the week. The meals are so-so. Definitely not the type of foods like what they serve us on the incentive trips - LOL

 

[Shawnna]

Be prepared to carry a snack...except for the executive banquet the food is minimal. I am a small person who doesn't eat much, but I am always starving at conference. Maybe its because we are on the go so much and you just need more food than normal. And, if you are like me, and not a breakfast person, eat it anyway because you will be hungry later...it wouldn't hurt to grab an extra apple or yogurt and stick it in your bag for a mid morning snack.

 

[redsoxgirl]

Be prepared to carry a snack...except for the executive banquet the food is minimal. I am a small person who doesn't eat much, but I am always starving at conference. Maybe its because we are on the go so much and you just need more food than normal. And, if you are like me, and not a breakfast person, eat it anyway because you will be hungry later...it wouldn't hurt to grab an extra apple or yogurt and stick it in your bag for a mid morning snack.

I was thinking about grabbing some extra stuff if we're able to. Since becoming pregnant, I'm hungry every few hours and eat much less at each meal than I used to. I feel like I'm constantly eating now!

 

[Kattyschack]

my favorite snack is the peanut butter bars from WW. They are only 1 point and sooooo yummmy!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Get some Lara Bars! Those are the best - and they are made of just fruits and nuts and other all natural ingredients - so if you have issues with staying regular while traveling, they should help!

I just had one yesterday that was a coconut chocolate one - it was soooo good, I had to look at the ingredient list 4 times to believe that it was actually a healthy food!

 

[JAE]

Get some Lara Bars! Those are the best - and they are made of just fruits and nuts and other all natural ingredients - so if you have issues with staying regular while traveling, they should help!

I just had one yesterday that was a coconut chocolate one - it was soooo good, I had to look at the ingredient list 4 times to believe that it was actually a healthy food!

Tried some of those Lara Bars. Didn't care for the cherry or the chocolate one. The cashew one was mild so it was okay. The apple one was better than the cherry and chocolate. Those were the only four flavors at Meijer for $1 a piece.

 

[smspamperedchef]

Be prepared to carry a snack...except for the executive banquet the food is minimal. I am a small person who doesn't eat much, but I am always starving at conference. Maybe its because we are on the go so much and you just need more food than normal. And, if you are like me, and not a breakfast person, eat it anyway because you will be hungry later...it wouldn't hurt to grab an extra apple or yogurt and stick it in your bag for a mid morning snack.

I'm ALWAYS hungry too! I have to have several small meals a day as I'm little (short) too. I usually grab some fresh fruit or yogurt or something from breakfast because sad thing is: they dump it all when we're done eating! :cry:That really bothers me and my husband! They could at least take a food to a shelter or something! Perfectly good food!

 

[wadesgirl]

I brought granola bars, small snack pack type things and other quick eats last year. Great to snack on if you get the munchies during a session or while on the bus or waiting around.

 

[chefann]

they dump it all when we're done eating! :cry:That really bothers me and my husband! They could at least take a food to a shelter or something! Perfectly good food!

Semi-hijack!
Companies don't donate "used" food to shelters because of the restrictions and regulations. There are some agencies that collect such donations, but they have to work through a lot of red tape in order to get things going efficiently.

 

[redsoxgirl]

Semi-hijack!
Companies don't donate "used" food to shelters because of the restrictions and regulations. There are some agencies that collect such donations, but they have to work through a lot of red tape in order to get things going efficiently.

There's got to be a farm or something around that could use all that food. Pigs love that stuff!!

 

[Chef Kearns]

I usually grab us some of the dry cereal to snack on during sessions. I may have get a stash before I leave for conference.

 

[KellyTheChef]

Lindsay~

I agree with the other posters...grab something extra off the buffet when you can and eat it in between classes...plus, keep some granola bars and crackers or something like that so you can have a snack every few hours.

The food is not "gourmet" by any means...but I never complained and thought that for a buffet for soooooooooo many people that they did a great job!

But I will be excited at my next conference when I WILL be at the Career Club Lunch!!

 

[Chef Kearns]

I always thought the food was pretty good, too UNTIL they went to boxed lunches. I thought that was a horrible change. Thank goodness I will be at the Career Club lunch though!!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I always thought the food was pretty good, too UNTIL they went to boxed lunches. I thought that was a horrible change. Thank goodness I will be at the Career Club lunch though!!

The Career Club lunch was so good last year, it was almost like having 2 banquets in one day!

 

[KellyTheChef]

The Career Club lunch was so good last year, it was almost like having 2 banquets in one day!

:love::love::love::love:

I was drooling over you guys telling us what you ate!

I don't remember it all...but wasn't there some devine chocolate brownie or cake of some sort?

 

[JAE]

On the bright side...I lost two pounds last year because I'm a picky eater. All the walking helped, too.

 

[lacychef]

:love::love::love::love:

I was drooling over you guys telling us what you ate!

I don't remember it all...but wasn't there some devine chocolate brownie or cake of some sort?

Oooh, the desserts are always the best! I think the career club had chocolate-something last year, & yummy cheesecake at the exec banquet.

 

[raebates]

:love::love::love::love:

I was drooling over you guys telling us what you ate!

I don't remember it all...but wasn't there some devine chocolate brownie or cake of some sort?

Chicken Wellington, green beans, and rice pilaf, if I remember correctly. We also had a dark chocolate mini-Bundt cake with raspberry sauce for dessert and sparkling apple juice with which to toast ourselves.

Kelly, you might want to wipe that drool off your keyboard now. :love:

 

[chefann]

And there was a yummy mixed field greens salad, too. mmm...

 

[momoftwins]

what is the special recognition HWC breakfast like?? I haven't earned it since they changed it to the general breakfast.

 

[chefann]

I didn't earn it last year, but it looked like the same food as the general breakfast, just with a specific seating area with it's own buffet table.

 

[Chef Kearns]

what is the special recognition HWC breakfast like?? I haven't earned it since they changed it to the general breakfast.

It wasn't as spectacular as it had been. They had us cardoned off like we were lepers in the general breakfast room. I didn't even sit there. There was nothing special about it. It used to be really nice though. There were speakers and someone from the American Cancer Society came and said a few words. Julie Christopher was there.


we had a real breakfast with sausage and eggs. That was really nice. I've got to have protein for breakfast or I"m no good!

 

[jrny2001]

Where/what do you do for meals that aren't included? Is there food available at the conference center?

 

[DebbieJ]

I always pack some protein-bars, some MnMs and a can of almonds to keep me energized throughout the week. The meals are so-so. Definitely not the type of foods like what they serve us on the incentive trips - LOL

Just picked up some M&Ms and trail mix yesterday....

And bring a refillable water bottle if you like to keep hydrated like I do. They have ice water dispensers outside the workshops.

 

[DebbieJ]

And there was a yummy mixed field greens salad, too. mmm...

oh yeah, that salad was GOOD!

 

[chefann]

Where/what do you do for meals that aren't included? Is there food available at the conference center?

The meals that aren't included aren't in the middle of events, so most people get something near the hotels. A lot of clusters do dinner as groups on Day 1.

 

[DebbieJ]

Where/what do you do for meals that aren't included? Is there food available at the conference center?

there is a food court at McCormick Place for lunch on day 1.

You should be able to pick up breakfast in or nearby your hotel. in fact I just got an email today noting the breakfast options at the different hotels.

for dinner on day 1, you can roam the city to your heart's content. A lot of clusters do a cluster dinner--My director treats us to pizza. Ask what your group is doing.

 

[lacychef]

It wasn't as spectacular as it had been. They had us cardoned off like we were lepers in the general breakfast room. I didn't even sit there. There was nothing special about it. It used to be really nice though. There were speakers and someone from the American Cancer Society came and said a few words. Julie Christopher was there.


we had a real breakfast with sausage and eggs. That was really nice. I've got to have protein for breakfast or I"m no good!

I know! The breakfast 2 years ago was wonderful; & I enjoyed hearing the talk from the ACS rep. Oh well!

 

[KellyTheChef]

there is a food court at McCormick Place for lunch on day 1.

You should be able to pick up breakfast in or nearby your hotel. in fact I just got an email today noting the breakfast options at the different hotels.

for dinner on day 1, you can roam the city to your heart's content. A lot of clusters do a cluster dinner--My director treats us to pizza. Ask what your group is doing.

If you go to dinner, you MUST have pizza here! It's our cluster's (and many others, I might add...we see everyone there!) tradition to have our first night's meal here! Giordano's, Chicagos World Famous Stuffed Pizza

 

[Teresa Lynn]

I was just getting on to type Giordanos

 

[redsoxgirl]

Oh good - they have thin pizza! LOL

 

[pampered1224]

Lot's of other choices too if you are not into pizza. You have the Hard Rock Cafe, the Cheesecake Factory - one entre or salad there feeds 2 people so it is fun to share, and the cheesecakes - OMG! Awsome. There are also a lot of other resturants too. Does anyone here know of Rick Bayless - Public TV's of "Mexico One Plate at a Time"? His resturant Fronteria is downtown as well. And if you do like pizza there are two Pizzaria Uno's as well. One is right on Ohio - near Giadorrno's or however it is spelled - and one right around around the corner - same place but Pizzaria Duo. We've been to a place called Luxor or something like that too and it reminds me of the Cheesecake Factory - (rumor has it it is the same owners) It is a second floor resturant. And for true Italian Cuisine there is a resturant right down the steet from the Palmer House that is like 4 resturants in one - It think it is called Italian Villa - BIG red sign out front - Very good as well.

 

[chefann]

My cluster ate at Weber Grill last year. Yum! And fun to see all the big grills in their open kitchen. Two years ago we had dinner at The Firehouse, which is an old fire station converted into a restaurant. It was a little pricey, but my AD had coupons from restaurants.com that we shared. (Although that was the year I got food poisoning at conference, and I think it was from the salad I had at the Firehouse.)

 

[KellyTheChef]

Oh good - they have thin pizza! LOL

NO! You can't go there and order thin pizza...you can get that anywhere! Go get their deep dish! It is NOTHING like deep dish anywhere else that I have had! It almost looks like a deep dish PIE in a pan with straight up deep edges...the cheese and toppings are there, then another layer of dough, with cheese and sauce on the very top. Sounds backwards, but it is THE BEST pizza I have ever had in my life!

 

[KellyTheChef]

Lot's of other choices too if you are not into pizza. You have the Hard Rock Cafe, the Cheesecake Factory - one entre or salad there feeds 2 people so it is fun to share, and the cheesecakes - OMG! Awsome. There are also a lot of other resturants too. Does anyone here know of Rick Bayless - Public TV's of "Mexico One Plate at a Time"? His resturant Fronteria is downtown as well. And if you do like pizza there are two Pizzaria Uno's as well. One is right on Ohio - near Giadorrno's or however it is spelled - and one right around around the corner - same place but Pizzaria Duo. We've been to a place called Luxor or something like that too and it reminds me of the Cheesecake Factory - (rumor has it it is the same owners) It is a second floor resturant. And for true Italian Cuisine there is a resturant right down the steet from the Palmer House that is like 4 resturants in one - It think it is called Italian Villa - BIG red sign out front - Very good as well.

Searching for the slobber smiley face....

We ate there last year too! MMMmmmmmmm! The food was devine, and the cheesecake was EVEN BETTER!

 

[DebbieJ]

Lot's of other choices too if you are not into pizza. You have the Hard Rock Cafe, the Cheesecake Factory - one entre or salad there feeds 2 people so it is fun to share, and the cheesecakes - OMG! Awsome. There are also a lot of other resturants too. Does anyone here know of Rick Bayless - Public TV's of "Mexico One Plate at a Time"? His resturant Fronteria is downtown as well.

It's called Frontera Grill. And it's always packed.

And if you do like pizza there are two Pizzaria Uno's as well. One is right on Ohio - near Giadorrno's or however it is spelled - and one right around around the corner - same place but Pizzaria Duo.

Pizzeria Uno and Pizzaria Due are good. Giordano's and Edwardo's are even better. Gino's East is gross.

We've been to a place called Luxor or something like that too and it reminds me of the Cheesecake Factory - (rumor has it it is the same owners) It is a second floor resturant.

It's called Grand Luxe Cafe.

And for true Italian Cuisine there is a resturant right down the steet from the Palmer House that is like 4 resturants in one - It think it is called Italian Villa - BIG red sign out front - Very good as well.

yes, Italian Village is very good. Walked right by there yesterday. May I just suggest.....since you are away from your hometown, EAT SOMEWHERE THAT HAS FOOD YOU CAN'T GET IN YOUR HOMETOWN!! Don't eat at a chain restaurant, it's a waste of your time when it's somewhere you can eat at home (usually). JMHO, but Chicago has so much good food to offer! Go out on a limb and try something new!

 

[pampered1224]

Thanks Deb. I knew what I was talking about but had no idea what the heck any of those palces really were. We had a Gino's East in Bayshore Mall here in Milwaukee. EEE GADS Yo're right - absolutley the worst! It was the greasiest pizza I ever ate. Needless to say, it only last about a year. It actually would have closed sooner but they refused to give up the least. UGH!
And Deb is so right! Why not go some place new and exciting rather than go eat fast food or at a place you have in your home town area. Try some thing new and exciting. Pat and I were in Chicago last year May. It was to use my Level one Hotel Voucher from 2005. We stayed at a Mariott hotel a block east opf Michigan. Right across the street was a cool Italian Resturant. Everyone was going in and out in jeans, t-shirts, shorts and what not. So we figured why not? While in Rome - ya know. We had some very impressive food. Salad and everything was extra. We spent $90 for the two of us including tip. You know what, I would never do that again at that place. But I would do it some where else in Chicago just to say I did. I had a raviolli stuffed with cheese, spinach and sage in a sage butter sauce. Pat had a veal spendnni stuffed with bread crumbs, parmesan and herbs. Out of this world! Now, we are both big guys. We took bags back to the room. (We made a make shift frige by dumping lots of ice in the sink! then placing our doggy boxes on top. It worked!) We had dinner around 4 p.m. so by 9 we were hungry again. We called Roomservice and asked if we could take our Boxes down to be reheated. They did without a hitch. Too cool!
Do you notice the detail at which I remember this! It was because we went someplace we would normally, even here at home, would never dream of going. It just makes it so much more fun.

 

[KellyTheChef]

Exactly why I said NO to the thin crust pizza....when you are in Chicago you MUST try something that you can't get where you live!

Cheesecake factory is NO WHERE near me...so that's something I can't get. Even though it is REALLY GOOD, if you have one by you...go somewhere else in Chicago!

I use my NC trips to "pamper" myself, as well as my business. I get to go learn tons to apply to my business and get to experience things that I can't here in little Hartville, Ohio!

 

[redsoxgirl]

NO! You can't go there and order thin pizza...you can get that anywhere! Go get their deep dish! It is NOTHING like deep dish anywhere else that I have had! It almost looks like a deep dish PIE in a pan with straight up deep edges...the cheese and toppings are there, then another layer of dough, with cheese and sauce on the very top. Sounds backwards, but it is THE BEST pizza I have ever had in my life!

I HATE deep dish more than I hate green beans (and that's a lot!)!!!! :yuck: :yuck: :yuck:

 

[thebowman]

I really liked Millers Pub and it was right next door to Palmer House, we also go to Bubba Gumps.

 

[KellyTheChef]

I HATE deep dish more than I hate green beans (and that's a lot!)!!!! :yuck: :yuck: :yuck:

OK...only one bite, just like your mama used to say!

You are too funny!

 

[KellyTheChef]

I really liked Millers Pub and it was right next door to Palmer House, we also go to Bubba Gumps.

I have never gotten to go there...it's on my future wish list!

You can't love that movie and NOT want to go to the restaurant!!

 

[momoftwins]

It wasn't as spectacular as it had been. They had us cardoned off like we were lepers in the general breakfast room. I didn't even sit there. There was nothing special about it. It used to be really nice though. There were speakers and someone from the American Cancer Society came and said a few words. Julie Christopher was there.


we had a real breakfast with sausage and eggs. That was really nice. I've got to have protein for breakfast or I"m no good!

Thanks Sandra!! I didn't earn it last year but did this year as well as a clustermate did and the last time she earned it was when it was a big to do!

 

[crystalscookingnow]

Oh good - they have thin pizza! LOL

I'm just catching this now, but I had to comment... lol!

Last year, my dir & I went there & we ordered the thin crust (I HATE thick crust pizza). The waitress looked at us like we were aliens!! She said, 'Um, you do know that we're FAMOUS for our thick crust pizza, right?!?'

 

[lacychef]

OMG, the Grand Lux Cafe is AWESOME! We ate there last year & the food was wonderful, the place is beautiful, and the freshly baked chocolate chip cookies were yum-o!
The Weber Grill is fun too; we did that a couple years ago.
The Corner Bakery by the Palmer is yummy for breakfast & lunch too.

 

[PamperChefCarol]

I'm ALWAYS hungry too! I have to have several small meals a day as I'm little (short) too. I usually grab some fresh fruit or yogurt or something from breakfast because sad thing is: they dump it all when we're done eating! :cry:That really bothers me and my husband! They could at least take a food to a shelter or something! Perfectly good food!

I can't speak for Chicago, but here in Michigan, once it's prepared and "served" it is off limits to donate. That's why buffets are always a big loss for restaurants. Whatever's left has to go in the trash.