The Cutter Rambles

The Cutter vs. Meat

February 24, 2011 at 2:15 pm | Posted in Weekcap | Leave a comment
Tags: Fogo de Chao

This past Saturday, I went to a friend’s bachelor party which would include dinner at Fogo de Chao. 

For those who are unfamiliar with FdC, they are a Brazilian steakhouse where the servers constantly circulate through the restaurant with slabs of meat, and cut you off a piece if you so wish.  They have quite the variety: several types of steak, chicken, lamb, and various cuts of pork.  By the time your meal is complete, you will have consumed a large amount of meat.

Normally, this is a very good thing.  After all, who doesn’t enjoy meat?

The problem is that the human body may have its limits as to how much meat it can handle.  I have been to FdC once before, and I spent that night having trouble sleeping due to the meat sweats.

This visit had the potential to go even worse.  Preparing for my upcoming trip to Mexico, I have been on a diet for the past few weeks.  Therefore, my stomach is used to less food being passed its way.  I faced a similar scenario in Las Vegas when I visited the Hash House-a-Go-Go and I did not have a pleasant evening.

I was also concerned that since it was a bachelor party, after dinner we would be going out and drinking. 

Personally, I would not be drinking alcohol, but instead I would have my drink of choice: The Shirley Temple.  The soda and grenadine in a Shirley Temple would probably be much more difficult to handle than mere light beers would have been.

So how did I do?

Well, I was very smart about the situation.  First off, I cut myself off at the point where I was full instead of unbearably full.  Unbearably full is not a good feeling.  I can remember a couple of occassions in Las Vegas – most notably my visits to Battista’s Hole in the Wall –  where I was so full that I could barely walk, and had to waddle my way to a bathroom.

I also topped off the meal with some Tums.  Tums are usually very helpful in allowing my stomach to deal with overconsumption.

Despite those precautions, later in the night as I kept pouring more liquid into my stomach, I began to feel a bit uncomfortable, and it looked like I might be in for a rough night.

Fortunately, I had one more weapon left in my arsenal.  I had wisely brought some bismuth tablets with me.  Two tablets - combined with a quick pit stop - got me back into game shape, and the rest of the evening passed without incident. 

Getting through the night was only the first step in the battle.  There was still the matter of being able to sleep, and I didn’t fare quite so well on that count.

The combination of meat and sugar did not lead to an especially good night’s sleep.  While I wasn’t feeling distress, my body’s temperature seemed to be much higher than normally.  I guess it was working hard to burn off everything.

Due to the presence of a baby, I am not accustomed to sleeping late anymore.  I hoped that this morning might be different, but aided by the cries of said baby, I woke up not much later than my normal time.  I didn’t feel too bad, but yet I wasn’t hungry in the least, and couldn’t seem to get back to sleep.

I had a kickball game to play in the afternoon, so I headed out without eating anything.  I was worried that at some point, the lack of food and sleep combined with exercise might cause me to crash.   I warned my teammates that there was the possibility of me simply collapsing to the floor.

But miraculously, the crash never came.  I got through my kickball game and a good workout with nothing consumed besides a Special K bar and lots of water.  Later on, I was able to eat dinner without incident.

So I’ll have to declare myself to be the winner of this battle against meat.  But I have a feeling that meat will get another shot at me.  And next time, I may not be so lucky.

Random Thought of the Week

We have a few plants around our condo.  We kept one of the plants on our patio for the summer, but I made the mistake of keeping it outside for too long into the Fall, and it looked like the cold might have done it in.

I believed that the plant still had some life, so I brought it inside and continued to water it.  I was encouraged to see some new leaves appear.  When a new sprout popped up from the soil, I thought my mission was successful.

Unfortunately as Mrs. Cutter pointed out, the new sprout was actually a weed. 

Now, we’ve been taught that weeds are bad, and should be removed.  But this one was actually quite nice looking.  And unlike the plant, it seemed to be thriving.  So why should I be so quick to remove the weed?  Doesn’t it have as much right to exist as the plant?

Well, as it turns out, the whole pot – probably due to some of the plant rotting – began to smell really bad, so I had to throw the whole thing out.

Here’s a picture of the now departed plant and weed:

Top Five of the Week

Here are my Top Five Restaurants in the DC Area

You’ll notice I enjoy chain restaurants.  I never said I had a gourmet appetite.  Perhaps Mrs. Cutter will share her favorites in response.

5. Orleans House – This would have been #1 if not for the fact that it closed a couple of years ago.  Great steaks and an amazing salad bar.

4. PF Changs – Maybe it isn’t traditional Chinese food, but the lettuce wraps are to die for!

3. IHOP – I do like my breakfast food, and I’m a big fan of their pancakes.  I have a soft spot in my heart for IHOP after my meal there at 10 PM in Orlando, Florida back in 1996.

2. Bugaboo Creek Steak House – My new go-to place for birthdays.  Tasty food and they have talking animals mounted to the walls!

1. Damon’s – Good steaks and a giant TV screen to watch sports games and play trivia.  I just wish they had one in a more convenient location.