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Ed Levine's Serious Diet, Week 28: Chicago Is a Rough Place to Diet

Posted by Ed Levine, August 8, 2008 at 8:30 AM

I just came back from an overnight business trip to Chicago, a city I'm crazy about. How do I love the Windy City? Let me count the ways. It's a city of distinct and diverse neighborhoods; it's full of cool, architecturally interesting buildings; listening to Chicago blues helped get me through college; and yes, Chicago is a great food town.

So what's a serious eater to do when he knows he's headed to Chicago on business? Normally, I would just obsessively research the eating options and plot my days bite by bite. But knowing I had to post this morning and get on the scale to do so, I realized that was a recipe for disaster (pun intended).

So I tried to have my cake and eat it, too, diet-wise. That means my strategy was explore, eat in moderation, and exercise.

The eating was amazing. I had phenomenal cemitas, a Mexican sandwich on a sesame seed bun; excellent huaraches made on freshly fried masa boats; fine tacos; the best cannoli I've ever eaten; and a fine meal of small plates at a restaurant called Avec (if you go be sure to have the pork shoulder, the foccacia, and the bacon-wrapped dates).

I tried to pace myself, and I think I succeeded. I also exercised for almost an hour on Tuesday at a health club in the Loop. I have also played squash three times this week, which means I have worked out four times in a seven day period. But the key word in this paragraph is "think." We are about to find out if in fact I did succeed with my explore and exercise strategy.

I'm down a pound. Maybe I should move to Chicago.

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