Quick hits: Baltimore, Chicago, and NaNoWriMo

I am in the middle of a lengthy doc review, so I do not have time to write much, but I went to both Baltimore and Chicago last week, and wanted to share a few things about the food there.

Baltimore 
Java Joes: if you are in the inner harbor/downtown area for lunch, try Java Joes.  I am pretty sure it is a chain location, but my work team went there two days in a row and enjoyed both.  The tuna salad is more seasoned/tasty than most, and the Texas chili was very satisfying on a rainy day.  The others had a variety of sandwiches and soups and no one had any complaints.

Sobo: a delicious place for dinner! This was more out of the way than some other options, but it was such good food.  My friend and I split the grilled grape leaves for an appetizer, which was a nice twist on my favorite Greek appetizer.  Then I had the scallops for my entree.  I love scallops and this did not disappoint.

Embassy Suites Inner Harbor: I stayed here with two of my coworkers.  They were not fans of the hotel, because it was a pretty old building.  I did not care too much, though.  I thought the staff was very friendly, the rooms were big, and there was both a complimentary breakfast and happy hour with drinks and snacks.  The snacks weren't refreshed much, and there was definitely some improvements to be made, but the breakfast's made-to-order omelet bar really sold me on the place.

Chicago
Giordano's: The only meal I really ate outside out of our hotel was a disappointment in my mind.  They advertise a gluten-free pizza, but take absolutely zero steps to prevent cross-contamination.  I went with a gluten-free pasta instead, but I thought it was only good, not great.  I did not expect to get a gluten-free deep dish in the city that is known for it, but I thought I might be able to find some gluten-free pizza.  This was basically not gluten-free so that was a let down.

NaNoWriMo
I am considering participating in National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo).  It's a challenge to write a "lengthy work of fiction" of 50,000 words, in 30 days.  Since my job is lacking in creativity sometimes, I look for ways that I can fit it in outside of work.  This would definitely be a challenge, but it might be worth it.  If I do participate, then I definitely will not have time to write here, so I might be MIA for November.  But first, I need to think of a novel premise....