This year’s going to be different. You’re going to keep your New Year’s resolutions. And we’re here to help. Check out these places, which can actually help someone stick to a few common goals.
Resolution: Stop drinking
California Clipper bartender Steve Breda sees it every January: “The first couple of months you get a lot of ‘I’m on the wagon.’ ” To help his customers see their way to sobriety without the embarrassment of drinking a Shirley Temple, he prepares a variation of the classic Tom Collins called the Mom Collins ($2). Made with equal parts orange and lemon juice, grenadine, a splash of 7-Up and lots of ice and a cherry, it’s a sophisticated alternative for teetotalling types. 1002 N. California Ave. 773-384-2547.
Resolution: Get Zen-tered
Keep meaning to meditate your way to more mellowness? Here’s your chance. You don’t have to be Buddhist to enroll in introductory weekly meditation classes beginning Tuesday at the Zen Buddhist Temple, 1710 W. Cornelia Ave. The benefit: You’ll learn to unclutter your mind and muster more “in-the-moment” calmness and balance. Want faster results? Sign up for the introductory “boot-camp-style” overnight course (Jan. 23-24). You’ll get the same instruction from Zen teachers, but also awaken to temple chanting. Cost of the five-week Tuesday sessions: $120. Cost of the overnight course (includes lunch and breakfast): $160. Call 773-528-8685.
Resolution: Be a more adventurous eater
Ever tried Afghani food? Neither have we. That’s why it’s on our list of cuisines to try in 2004. A friend who is a major fan of the relatively hard-to-find cuisine describes it roughly as a combination of Indian and Greek food. She recommends the mantu (a ground beef and scallion dumpling served with minty yogurt sauce) and qabili palau (lamb mixed with rice, carrots and raisins) at Kabul House. Here’s to broadening your horizons. 1629 N. Halsted St. 312-751-1029.
Resolution: Stop smoking
Nothing’s harder than kicking the nicotine habit when you’re visiting a live music venue and temptation literally fills the air. That’s why we recommend that music lovers who want to kick butts visit Jazz Showcase, which has been featuring clean air (in addition to live jazz) six nights a week for the past 15 years. Manager Wayne Segal says customers–and musicians–kept asking for more smoke-free areas until the club finally decided to do away with cigarettes entirely. That’s music to our lungs. 59 W. Grand Ave. 312-670-2473.
Resolution: Support the off-Loop theater scene
In late 2003, the city cracked down on live theater venues operating without proper licenses, darkening five of Chicago’s most innovative stages. Fortunately, one of the victims of the mayor’s raid, WNEP Theater, has found a new home at Lakeshore Theater, a former movie theater now hosting burlesque shows and hits such as Paul Stroili’s “Straight Up With a Twist.” Show your support at upcoming shows “Defending Your Life” (opening Jan. 24), based on the Albert Brooks film, and “Bad Judgment Day” (opening Jan. 15), about a church being shut down by the city for safety violations. How ironic. 3175 N. Broadway, 773-472-3492.
Resolution: Eat healthy
If you’ve sworn off greasy, high-fat bar burgers for 2004, the Buffalo Bar at granola-friendly Heartland Cafe in Rogers Park offers some alternatives. “We’ve got everything from carrot juice to Cuervo,” co-owner Katy Hogan says. She and partner Michael James are most proud of their South Dakota field-raised buffalo burgers ($7.75), char-broiled and served on a whole-wheat bun. Buffalo is low in fat and, for Atkins dieters, full of protein. 7000 N. Glenwood Ave. 773-465-8005.
Resolution: Exercise more
Who says bowling isn’t a sport? An hour of bowling burns as many calories as a light workout on a stationary bike, so it’s a great way to help keep your promise to get your heart rate up. If the thought of hanging out with a bunch of middle-aged folks at the local alley doesn’t quite pick up your spare, try Lucky Strike. This art-deco bar features eight lanes of fun–without hard-core leaguers making things too serious. “It’s a great alternative to jogging in the winter,” general manager Matt Scuras says. 1055 E. 55th St. 773-347-2695; 2747 N. Lincoln Ave. 773-549-2695.
