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" Everyone should be doing lunches like this—get a cocktail or two and talk." —brad thor right: Bruce Wolf and Brad Thor both have deep roots in Chicago. below: The masculine décor at RL is a perfect backdrop for their drink of choice, the beef bouillon-infused bloody bull. photography by galdones photography down at a restaurant you like, and talk. BW: Tomorrow I can go back to my Nutrisystems. BT: Do you need me to total up the points for today? Because when you're here the calories don't stay with you. The minute you walk out the door, they're gone. That's the magic of RL. MA on bloody bulls. BW: It looks so hea lt hy w it h t his shish kebab of condiments. By the way, I'm so enjoying this inter- view because— BT: I'm doing all the talking? Laughter. Brad, your new book Act of War comes out July 8th—give us a preview. BT: I challenge myself to get better with each book I do. So my goal is to stretch myself, and with Act of War there is a secret plot element. I actually found something that we've overlooked as a nation, which is a big national security issue, and that's the secret that readers will get when they read Act of War. The plot was heavily inf luenced by two books I read, and both of them have a Chicago connection. BW: I understand the influence of books, but what makes it stretching yourself? BT: Because I got even more in-depth into the characters than I've ever done before. I want to put the readers into the shoes of a group of special operations guys, not only for the gun stuff, but also for the intellectual stuff and the emo- tional stuff. I really want this to be a book that everybody is talking about. You're both Chicagoans born and raised? BT: Yes, I am. BW: Born on the West Side, but I grew up in Skokie. Entrées of lobster roll and short ribs with succotash arrive. How has the city inf luenced your work? BT: I will always be a Chicago guy through and through, even though I'm actually moving down to Nashville. I love this city, and it's had a tremen- dous inf luence on how I write and how I see the world. It's a good work ethic, loyalty, honesty, and integrity. That's what Chicago means to me. [Pause] Top that, Wolf. BW: The thing is, I've never lived anywhere else, so I have no idea how it has affected me. I'm sure I'm through and through Chicagoan, but how would I know? [NBC5 anchor] Allison Rosati once told me, "You should be here because you are Chicago." I grew up here, I loved the teams… it's who I am. How is the lobster roll? BW: I hate to sound cliché here, but it looks too good to eat. Just don't let my rabbi see this. Are the short ribs as good as you remember? BT: They're fantastic. The meat falls off the bone, and look at how colorful that succotash is—plenty of butter, just the way I like it. People in Chicago eat very well, and we have an abundance of fantastic restaurants. We're blessed. Brad, do you have a particular writing routine that you stick to? BT: Someone once said that successful writing is all about applying seat of pants to seat of chair, and that's very true. When I'm working on a book, I treat it like a regular job, Monday through Friday, because I'm a dad and a husband. It's 2,500 words a day, and when that's complete, I'm done. BW: Then you go out with your butterf ly net and catch butterf lies. BT: And there you go. Final thoughts on the meal? BT: Everybody should be doing lunches like this: Get a cocktail or two, sit continued from page 90 bloody bull 46 oz. tomato juice 6 oz. fresh lemon juice 4 oz. Worcestershire 2 oz. Tabasco 1 tsp. crushed red chili flakes 1 ⁄2 tbsp. ground black pepper 2 tbsp. celery salt 4 oz. horseradish 2 1 ⁄2 oz. vodka (per cocktail) 1 ⁄2 oz. beef bouillon (per cocktail) Garnish: Lemon wedge, cornichon, blue cheese–stuffed olive Make a batch by combining the first eight ingredients in a large pitcher, stirring with a whisk, and tasting and seasoning as necessary. For each serving, add vodka and beef stock to an ice-filled Collins glass, top with the mixture, and garnish. 92 michiganavemag.com on the town