Indulging in Some Porch Drinks

[READER]( [Food & Drink]( On Monday, just one week into fall—the day the mayor reopened the bars—I was on the phone with a nutritionist I know who integrates cannabis into her practice. We were talking about the prolonged state of anxiety so many people feel trapped in right now, and the ways in which they cope with it. Naturally, her position was that we should all be treating it with CBD, and she was dismayed by the number of people who are medicating with alcohol. “That’s the worst thing you could treat it with,” she said. “Ye-heh-hesss,” I agreed instantly, glancing over at the dog, who was eyeing me suspiciously from the couch. “For sure.” The truth is if you plotted my consumption of weed and alcohol since mid-March, both charts would probably align with the worldwide curve of the virus. Pre-pandemic, cannabis had actually helped me maintain my drinking at a moderate, often responsible level. Apart from leisurely strolling through a grocery store, and enjoying a great meal in a restaurant with pals, hanging out in a friendly bar was one of my favorite things to do. But I certainly didn’t do it every night. This summer one of my favorite things to do was end the day on the porch—with pod people, or in peaceful solitude—and watch the neighborhood go by with a sweaty glass of bourbon in my hand. And another. And sure, why not? Another. But now the mayor’s unlocked hundreds of neighborhood anxiety-drowning centers. I’m still not sure there’s enough Old Grand-Dad behind the bar to black out the clouds of coronavirus my jittery, exhausted hippocampus would conjure into the air if I popped in to the old local to say hello. It’d be fun to hang out with everybody again, but, nah. In other news, it’s going down the mid-40s tonight. Great night for some fresh air on the porch. Sincerely, [Rachel Kimura goes all in on Japanese farming]( Hinata Farms is a natural. By [Mike Sula]( [@MikeSula]( [Jennifer Kim's pojangmacha and more food and drink to look forward to in the fall]( Everything is terrible, but we're not starving. Yet. By [Mike Sula]( [@MikeSula]( [Ethan Lim's seven-course Cambodian ode to mom and dad is live]( Family Meal @hermosachicago is the chef's next step toward a culinary Khmerica. By [Mike Sula]( [@MikeSula]( [Jennifer Kim is bottling love]( As Passerotto closes, its chef reimagines the future by preserving the past. By [Mike Sula]( [@MikeSula]( 2019 [Lola's Coney Island stands for Detroit]( There's a dog in the fight in Humboldt Park. By [Mike Sula]( [@MikeSula]( [Issue of Oct 1-14, 2020 Vol. 50, No. 1]( [Fall Arts Preview]( [Note from an editor]( [From the publisher]( [Download Issue]( (PDF) [View this e-mail as a web page]( [DONATE]( [@chicago_reader]( [/chicagoreader]( [@chicago_reader]( [Chicago Reader on LinkedIn]( [/chicagoreader]( [chicagoreader.com]( [Forward this e-mail to a friend](. Want to change how you receive these e-mails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. Copyright © 2020 Chicago Reader Store, All rights reserved. You were subscribed to the newsletter from Chicago Reader Store Our mailing address is: Chicago Reader Store 2930 S. Michigan Ave.Chicago, IL 60616 [Add us to your address book](