LISA Mealtime Planning

The biggest hassle at LISA is the lunchtime lines. No matter what they do, they never seem to have lines that don't like wrap around the entire room twice. There's simply not enough serving stations for all the people that attend.

But, I have the secret. How to avoid the lines and get a better meal to boot.

Pre-order the Kosher meal.

Yep. You don't need to be Jewish to demand Kosher food. This is an especially important tidbit if, like me, you're a finicky eater and/or don't like Mexican food (since it seems to be a very pervasive theme at San Diego LISA events). The Kosher meal that caterers usually provide is almost always roast or baked chicken, or roast beef. Those are like the "Kosher staples" for food-service. Sure, they'll occasionally throw something odd your way, but if you're in a 5-to-6-day event with lunches each day, I guarantee at least half of your meals will be chicken or roast beef.

And now, here's the best part: At most conferences, there's no line at the Kosher table where the meals are stacked. At LISA, where's it's buffet-style, the Kosher meal is something that one of the staff has to go and fetch for you from the kitchen where it's cooked-on-demand, so you don't even have to stand on line. Just ask them to fetch your Kosher meal, go grab yourself a can of your favorite beverage, and wait for them to bring you lunch. Sure, sometimes "cooked-on-demand" actually means "heated up quick like a microwave meal" sort of thing, but come on, this was conference food you're subbing it in for, not filet mignon. It's still going to be on a par with what's currently sitting in an aluminum tin on top of a can of Sterno.

That's my important advice for you, dear conference attendees. "Videe well, little brother...."