.. _food: Ordering Food for the Lab ========================= Choose from the catering locations listed below. **Note that you'll need to get prior approval from Melissa** for anywhere besides Domino's. If you'd like to order from somewhere that isn't listed here, you'll also need to keep the order <$200, in addition to requesting prior approval from Melissa. Afterwards, please also update this page with instructions for ordering from that location, so that others can order from there again in the future. Domino's Pizza ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. A day before the event (and preferably during working hours), send out a poll (in the #food channel on Slack) to see what kinds of toppings people want. In the past, I've offered vegetarian, chicken, pepperoni, and regular cheese options in my polls. Sending out polls helps you get a headcount for the number of pizzas. It also gets you a list of names, which you'll need for requesting reimbursement later (see :ref:`below `). Note that Melissa (and Kelly if you're ordering for CAST) do not usually reply to the poll but should always be included in the headcount. 2. It can be hard to judge the number of pizzas you'll need. Domino's has information about how many pizzas to order `here `__, but I'm of the opinion that the estimates they give are always too little. a. **How many pizzas should I buy?** Over time, I've developed my own formula: divide the number of attendees by 3, round up, and then add one. That way, we always have at least a little pizza left over. Note that this isn't a hard and fast rule. For example, if there are more than 15 attendees, I recommend dividing by 4 instead of 3. Or if the number of attendees is just a little smaller than the nearest factor of 3, you might consider making the extra pizza a medium pizza instead of a large. Also, remember to account for attendees who may have voted more than once when you count the attendees! b. **What size pizza should I buy?** In general, it's usually best to buy large pizzas - not extra large. Admittedly, you'll get more "bang for your buck" if you buy extra large pizzas than large pizzas. But if you buy extra large pizzas, be aware of the fact that people will often eat more than if you bought large pizzas -- just because the slices are larger. Also, the extra large pizzas are usually "Brooklyn style" only, which means that the dough is really thin and the toppings usually slide off the pizza when you try to take a bite. For these reasons, I almost always stick to the large pizzas for most occassions and only order extra larges for larger events. 3. Start making your order online at least 2.5 hrs ahead of the event time. (Everyone orders pizza during lunch time, so the sooner you make the order, the more likely they will be to deliver it on time.) For a really large party (of 40, for example), I would submit the order 3 or 4 hrs ahead of time. You might even want to call them to confirm they received it and can handle it, especially for such a large group. 4. When specifying the delivery options, you should use Dominos' detailed dropdown menu for the UCSD campus. It has nearly every building on campus! For delivery to Franlin Antonio Hall, I usually pick "Bldg 603 - W C - Atkinson Hall" from the dropdown menu and in the delivery instructions I say to meet at the corner of Equality Ln and Voigt Dr. .. figure:: https://github.com/gymrek-lab/gymreklab.github.io/assets/23412689/6b1b7f24-4fc6-48a4-ba00-6c0d0607c8a2 :alt: FAH Delivery Instructions :align: center :width: 400px 5. Select your pizzas and add them to the cart. For the vegetarian option, I usually get "Pacific Veggie" under *Specialty Pizzas*. Otherwise, you can find a lot of commonly ordered pizzas (like pepperoni) under the *Featured Items* menu. 6. You can select the delivery time in the menu on the right-hand side. It's best to have them deliver 30 (preferably, 45) minutes before the event. You never know when something will go wrong, and you'll want to leave some time to call them and reorder the pizza if they somehow lost the order. 7. Domino's always has a coupon code for 20% on their website under *"Coupons"* in the top menu bar. Make sure to apply it to your order! 8. You're now ready to checkout! At this stage, you should enter your contact info and the delivery instructions (for FAH: "Meet at the corner of Equality Ln and Voigt Dr. Call 3 mins before"). You should also add a tip. The drivers apparently don't get reimbursed for the price of gas, so inflation has been hard on them. But the nearest Domino's store is close, so I usually give them just $4-7 (or around 6-7% of the order total). 9. Do not pay for the order with your credit card! Ask Melissa for the lab credit card info, instead. 10. After ordering, call Domino's to ask them to include plates and knapkins in their delivery. They might not have plates -- in which case, you can use some of the lab's backup paper plates. (Currently, these are stored in the top shelf of the drawer under Arya's desk.) You can ask Dorit to buy new paper plates (every couple months). 11. During the delivery time, watch your phone for calls from them. They usually call 2-3 minutes before the delivery to confirm the delivery location. If you don't answer your phone and/or they can't find you at the designated location, they will simply cancel the delivery. They are on a tight schedule and will have limited patience for you. Be aware that they might deliver early or late. At most, I've seen them deliver 20 minutes early or 40 minutes late. 12. After the event, make sure to :ref:`clean up the meeting room ` and :ref:`submit your receipt ` for reimbursement. Refer to the directions below. Taco Villa ~~~~~~~~~~ 1. A day before the event (and preferably during working hours), send out a poll (in the #food channel on Slack) to see what kinds of burritos people want. In the past, I've provided `the following options `_ since they seem to cover all of the meats: Bean & Cheese, Pollo Asado, Veggie Avocado, Fish, Al Pastor, Carne Asada, and Shrimp. Make sure to specify that everyone should vote only for one option! Note that Melissa (and Kelly if you're ordering for CAST) do not usually reply to the poll but should always be included in the headcount (for "Bean and Cheese" and "Carne Asada," respectively). You should also order one extra Veggie Avocado because there is always at least one person who forgets to respond to the poll. 2. To order the burritos, I usually order by phone 2.5-3 hrs before the event and ask them to have it ready ~40 minutes before the event. (**It's important that you order by phone instead of online.** They may not be able to fulfill your entire order if you submit it online.) They might want you to provide credit card info over the phone, but you may want to pay for everything in-person in case anyone else adds their name to the order in the last minute. You may also email them at esperanza AT tacovillasd.com instead of calling over the phone. 3. Recruit someone to help you carry the food back. It can be heavy. There are also black wagons in :ref:`the FAH loading dock ` that you can use. 4. Once at Taco Villa, try to grab some salsa, lemons, and other condiments, as well. Before you leave, count the burritos to ensure there aren't any missing. 5. After the event, make sure to :ref:`clean up the meeting room ` and :ref:`submit your receipt ` for reimbursement. Refer to the directions below. Rubio's ~~~~~~~ 1. I usually order the "Family Taco Kits" under their "Family Meals" menu. A day before the event (and preferably during working hours), send out a poll (in the #food channel on Slack) to see what kinds of meat people want. In the past, I've provided the following options: Chicken, Steak, Fish, Shrimp, and Vegetarian. For 15-16 people, I usually order 3 taco kits (one chicken, one steak, and one shrimp). Note that Melissa (and Kelly if you're ordering for CAST) do not usually reply to the poll but should always be included in the headcount. 2. Rubio's offers a vast array of ordering options for the taco kits. I usually try to get a mix of everything: corn/flour tortillas, different kinds of rice, different beans, different sauces, limes, cheese, etc. See `here `_ for a screenshot of my typical order. Make sure that you order catering utensils attached with every taco kit. 3. I usually order online 2-2.5 hrs before the event and ask them to have it ready ~30 minutes before the event. You will need to provide credit card info online. 4. Recruit someone to help you carry the food back. It can be heavy. There are also black wagons in :ref:`the FAH loading dock ` that you can use. Note that you might need to show them the email confirmation before they will give you the food. 5. Before the event, it can help to lay out all of the food in a decently organized fashion. Do not throw out any of the bags until after the event in case you need them for carrying stuff afterward! 6. After the event, try to consolidate leftovers into a single taco kit container. Throw out the remaining containers in the FAH loading dock according to the instructions below. Put the leftover sauces, chips, and taco kit in the fridge. 7. After the event, make sure to :ref:`clean up the meeting room ` and :ref:`submit your receipt ` for reimbursement. Refer to the directions below. Ike's Sandwiches ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. The catering options provide half sandwiches per person but are generally too expensive and too much food. Instead, order half sandwiches per person by doing the following: (1) provide a few sandwich choices for people to choose from (e.g. a veggie option, a chicken option, and a beef option), (2) have people vote for their choices and (3) if n people vote for a particular sandwich type, order ceil(n/2) of that sandwich. In the past, we've provided the following options: .. code-block:: md - :chicken: MENAGE A TROIS: Chicken (Halal), Honey Mustard, BBQ Sauce, Real Honey, Pepper Jack, Swiss, Cheddar - :cut_of_meat: MADISON BUMGARNER: Steak, Yellow BBQ Sauce, (Light) Habanero, Pepper Jack, American - :cow: Hollywould’s SF Cheesesteak: Steak, Mushrooms, Provolone - :pig: DA VINCI: Turkey, Ham, Salami, Italian Dressing, Provolone - :leafy_green: SOMETIMES I'M A VEGETARIAN: Marinated Artichoke Hearts, Mushrooms, Pesto, Provolone 2. If you have the bandwidth, you can additionally offer people the choice of picking an arbitrary sandwich as long as they find someone in the lab with whom to split that sandwich. Providing this option is certainly not required and entirely up to you. 3. Note that Melissa does not usually reply to the poll but should always be included in the headcount. She usually prefers a beef option like *Hollywould’s SF Cheesesteak*. 4. When ordering the sandwiches, request each half of the sandwich to be wrapped indivudally in the special instructions section. This will make it easier to split the sandwiches. For customizing the sandwiches, I kept it simple: Dutch crunch bread and just lettuce+tomato+onions as toppings. You can also opt to skip the lollipops to reduce waste (although they are sometimes still included). 5. Order online 2-2.5 hours before the event and request delivery to FAH (3180 Voigt Dr, La Jolla CA 92093) for 0.5-1 hour before the meeting. You will need to provide credit info online. 6. Keep your phone with you as the delivery person will contact you if they have any questions about the address. Meet them outside FAH. 7. After the event, make sure to :ref:`clean up the meeting room ` and :ref:`submit your receipt ` for reimbursement. Refer to the directions below. 85 Degrees ~~~~~~~~~~ 1. 85 degrees is a great option for ordering snacks for lab meeting. But, they don't have catering options or discounts. 2. A day before the event (and preferably during working hours), send out a poll (in the #food channel on Slack) to see what kinds of breads people want from 85 degrees. In the past, I've offered pork sung, milk pudding, red bean, and cheese dog bread options in my poll. Sending out polls helps you get a headcount for the number of breads. It also gets you a list of names, which you'll need for requesting reimbursement later (see :ref:`below `). Note that Melissa (and Kelly if you're ordering for CAST) do not usually reply to the poll but should always be included in the headcount. You can choose any 3-4 popular breads that are most likely to be found on most days and provide them as an option on poll to get an estimate for how many breads you should get. It is recommended to get 3-4 extra breads to account for additional people joining, otherwise the lab meeting food plans might go rye. 3. 85 degrees provides 10 piece bread box sets in some very specific locations that can only be ordered through Doordash and it has its limitations as you don't get to choose any breads that come in that box set. I personally don't recommend this option. 4. Easiest way to get breads from 85 degrees is to either order individual breads over Doordash or go pick them up from UTC location. It is recommended to order them same day or pick them up same day morning so that its more fresh. 5. After the event, make sure to :ref:`clean up the meeting room ` and :ref:`submit your receipt ` for reimbursement. Refer to the directions below. General Questions ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ How should I pay? ----------------- Do not use your own credit card! (Reimbursement requires Dorit to `register you on Concur `__.) Ask Dorit for the lab credit card info when you're ready to order. You can find her phone number on her profile in the CAST slack. If you can't get hold of her, contact Arya. **Make sure to submit a reimbursement request (see below) on behalf of the person who paid!** .. _food-loadingdock: How do I access the FAH loading dock? ------------------------------------- The FAH loading dock has black wagons that you can borrow for carrying food. You can access the loading dock via the basement level of FAH (labeled "LL" in the elevator). After exiting the elevator, go through the doors on the opposite wall and through to the end of the hall, and then turn left. .. _food-reimbursement: Reimbursement ------------- Email Dorit with a PDF of your receipt as well as a list of each person who ate pizza and their titles (ex: "Graduate Student", "Professor", "Postdoc", etc). CC Melissa or whoever paid. In the body of your email, mention the total cost and explain who should be reimbursed. `Here is an example email `_ you can use. (Note that you will need to be a part of the Gymrek Lab Shared Google Drive to view the doc. See :ref:`the onboarding doc ` for instructions on joining it or simply request access if you aren't part of the lab.) It's best to remove any personal information from PDF receipts before you submit them for reimbursement. Before printing your email receipt as a PDF, you should feel free to delete any information like your phone number or email address. You can use the `Inspect Element `_ trick to do this. .. _food-cleanup: What should I do after the event? --------------------------------- If there are a lot of crumbs and things lying around, please wipe down the surfaces of the meeting room with the sanitizing wipes provided in the corner. **Don't dispose of large trash items in the trash bins of the meeting room!** FAH facilities has asked that we refrain from overloading the trash bins on the fourth floor with pizza boxes or leftover containers. Instead, you can dump the trash into one of the black wagons in the FAH loading dock. You can return plates and knapkins to wherever you found them: either Arya's desk drawer or the kitchen. You can put any leftover food in the kitchen fridge. Message the #food channel of the `collaboratory Slack `_ to let them know that there's free food!