Chris.Derecola

Today marks the last day in my month-long pledge to abstain from alcohol. The month (5 weeks, actually) went by relatively quick, but it wasn’t completely devoid of trials. Passing up on partying and not being able to “tie one on” with friends wasn’t the problem, it was the random onsies and twosies scattered throughout life that were most tempting.

Thinking back on the last month, two examples of this stick out in my mind. One was having dinner with friends at a place that had a nice beer list and the other was coming home after a really crappy day/week at work looking to blow off a bit of steam. I don’t consider alcohol a crutch in either of these situations and it certainly wasn’t a necessity, but there’s definitely something mentally relaxing in “having a drink.” That said, I’m also willing to admit I believe some things are better with booze.

Perhaps the more interesting revelation is in just how much alcohol is part of our society. Not everyone drinks all the time but I definitely noticed that even when people aren’t drinking, there is still a decent amount of conversation about it. I know my social circle tends to be more privy to such things, but even the normal folk (read: squares) spent more time talking about beer, wine and drinking in general than I would have expected. I admit I was probably more sensitive to these conversations because I was purposefully not drinking; it still happened quite a bit.

Part of this experiment was to see how not drinking impacted my weight. The bad news is I’m still having a pretty big back problem. With physical therapy and general hurtage, I’ve only managed the gym about twice a week and half that time is spent stretching and working on core strength to address my back issue. The good news is it looks like despite this lower level of physical activity, I’m down about 5 pounds (1 lb/week).

It would be interesting to see what a full month of no alcohol and 5 day/week hardcore exercise would get me, but I’m not sure that’s going to happen any time soon. The more concerning thing to me is getting back to a point where I can ride bicycles and motorcycles… which seems pretty far away at this point. This actually makes me fairly sad because this Spring was the season I wanted to be obsessed with riding and lose another 20 pounds. Then there’s Emma… lonely, lonely Emma. Oh well, at least I can drown my sorrows tomorrow!

Cheers!

I’ve decided to give up alcohol for the month of March. Why? A few reasons…

• Lose weight – It’s no secret I’m stuck on a weight loss plateau. I’ve increased my exercise to 4-5 times/week and I do a decent job at watching what I eat, but I can’t break loose. I’m hoping I’ll see a difference when I ramp up my riding in the spring, but adopting a “wait and see” attitude isn’t good enough. If my exercise isn’t going to increase beyond where it’s at now, I have to decrease my caloric intake. What are my primary contributors? Well, I like to go out to eat a couple times a month, I’m addicted to carbs (read: pasta) and I love drinking. All these factors contribute significant levels of calories but I’m not in a place where I’m comfortable changing all three. Curious about just how much my drinking habits impact my health, I’m gonna start there. Any bets on if I’ll lose weight and if so, how much?
• Triglycerides – I had a physical last week and this was the only item of concern. I eat a lot of fiber, I try to keep fat minimized, I don’t eat red meat (generally) or a lot of dairy and yet it’s still high. There are some genetics that go into it, but I can’t use that as an excuse. Since the sugars in alcohol can be converted to triglycerides, reducing intake can only be good for me.
• Tolerance – Mine is problematic in that it’s fairly high. Ever since grad school, my tolerance has been at a level where it’s either difficult to achieve a buzz or I’m able to drink far more than your average person and still be functional. Were I in college, I’d be proud of this… but now it just means I spend more money and consume more calories. Taking a break from drinking should help bring it down to more normal levels.
• Commitment – I want to see how hard it is. Yes, I’m well aware that pregnant women and people with liver disease have it much tougher than I do. I have little doubt I can go a measly month without drinking – that’s not the point. The point is I want to see how hard it is for me to go a month because it’s an indication of how much of a part of my life it is. I’m fully open to the idea that it’s too large a part, so I’d like to understand it better. Besides, I only ever drink on weekends so we’re talking a mere 8 days here… right? For what it’s worth, I thought about doing this two months ago and didn’t because of parties I was attending/having in January and February. No more excuses.

I’m not a fan of absolutions and I tend to think most vices are fine in moderation, so this will be interesting. See you on the other side.

Writing reviews for places you went to six months ago is an interesting exercise in recall. Once upon a time, I would devote a post to each and every establishment we visited in Chicago. Those days are not long gone, but since I’ve written this post over the span of several months it’s gonna be a bit fragmented. I’ll try and touch on the things that stick out in my mind and what my overall impression of the places were. I have a feeling I’ll get into it and make this post way longer than it should be, but I don’t want to break any hearts if I don’t. Anyway…

Hot Doug’s -This is one of the places I was really looking forward to visiting. Unfortunately, they closed for a three week vacation the day we arrived so I didn’t get to sample the seemingly wonderful duck fat fries. Sad.

Tierra Caliente – Tacos Al Pastor is like the Mexican version of gyros. I’ve never been a HUGE Mexican food fan, but that’s because there is so much bad Tex Mex in this world. Who knew real tacos could be so delicious with so little toppings?

Guanajuato – Carne Asada done right. I’m a big spicy food fan and this was pretty spicy even for me. The star of the meal, however, was the horchata. The giant white container of creamy white liquid is a bit intimidating, but the drink was delicious. It sounds gross, but it’s like drinking ice cold, watered down rice pudding. I loved it.

Map Room -We met Mike late on a Sunday night, after we had a fairly ridiculous dinner at L2O. The bouncer asked us where we came from, since were so dressed up, but that’s all that was made of our unusual visit. The place was pretty empty, but it reminded me of a great corner bar to meet up with friends and drink the night away. Their beer selection was fairly awesome and despite clearly not belonging, we somehow fit in. I’m glad I don’t have a place like this in walking distance.

Hopleaf Bar – Their beer menu is absolutely ridiculous, especially if you’re into trying every Belgian beer in existence. For what was essentially a neighborhood bar that has tables and a two page menu, the food was impressive. It’s really hard to go wrong with a sausage platter, which was the best dish of the night. The mains weren’t nearly as memorable, but that might be due to the numerous high ABV beers I’d had. All the patrons seemed local and considering it was after dark on a Monday night, I’m surprised at how packed the place was. I have no idea if Hopleaf is a typical Chicago neighborhood eatery, but I think it speaks well for the city.

The Publican – I love pork and therefore I love The Publican. This was another dinner with Mike, who I believe described the restaurant as one of his all-time favorites. Their menu reads like a foodie’s wet dream, which makes it tough to narrow down your selections. The three most memorable things about the night were the crispy pig ears, the head cheese and Mike not realizing the hot waitress was hitting on him. We didn’t drink nearly as much beer as I thought we were going to, but I blame all the pig we ate. The choices were certainly there were we willing. The community tables is an interesting idea, but I’m not sure it’s for me. Thankfully we had one of the penned in booths; an improvement that still had me feeling a bit claustrophobic. I could see how people wouldn’t like the atmosphere, with the hustle and bustle, but the food makes it all worthwhile.

L2O – I’m not really sure one can write a review of the Tatami Room dining adventure because it’s one of those things you have to do for yourself. Nineteen courses of some of the most elegantly prepared and delicious food I have ever experienced is not something easily described in text. Countless plates of cooked and raw fish, wagyu beef,  smoked salmon, scallops, lobster, jalapeno sorbet… all great… and the list goes on. The private bamboo lined room was romantic and our kimono-clad waitress was extremely pleasant and knowledgeable. I can’t say the cost of the meal was something I’m proud of, but life is about experiences and our dinner there was definitely one you talk about for a long time. I don’t think I would have ever recommended a five hour dinner to anyone, but I’m recommending this one.

[Included below is a scan of our menu. You can also find pictures of all dishes but one in the Derecola Archives.]

Part of the reason we went to Chicago was for the food scene. I’m happy to say it did not disappoint, although I think knowing a local gastrophile helped us out tremendously. The fare is really a lot more down-home than I expected, although considering the roots of the city, isn’t surprising. Somehow, the city manages to make eating both comfortable and experimental at the same time… if that’s possible. It really is one of the better food cities I’ve visited and I’d recommend it to everyone.