I'm gonna get fat again.

To the jerk who just cracked "again?" - okay, so I'm still saddled down by the reserve fuel tank I keep up front. That might be a forever thing.

But a year of city living, with its multi-mile treks on foot, its sweaty concerts, its crowded dance floors and its sauna-like apartments have done me a world of good. It's a world of good that might not last.

You see, The Cheeky Monk just opened its doors Sept. 5, only a few blocks from yours truly, and it's the first time in months - the first time since I'd kicked the beer habit in favor of fat guy-friendly whiskey - that I've indulged.

The Monk, a self-billed Belgian Beer Café, had a semi-official grand opening Sept. 8, andthe Webseemsto have taken notice. Since the rest of the décor hasn't made its way in, they've held off on the pomp and circumstance until the next weekend. I made it to the not-so-grand grand opening to sample the wares.

Belgium's got a special place in the beer snob's heart and their brewing traditions go back to days when beer was a dietary staple - when "liquid bread" would have meant more than "I'm an alcoholic looking to justify my addiction." The Trappist monks turned this necessary step in grain storage and water purification and made a respected craft of it. The Cheeky Monk focuses on them and other artisans of Belgian brewing. You can get a Bud Light or Jack Daniel's or what-have-you, if you insist, but the main attraction is creamy Belgian beer and traditional Belgian and Flemish dishes if you don't drink on an empty stomach.

The menu's gone the extra step to suggest what beer pairs best with your food. It's a bit of a surprise. The old monastic tradition and even modern interest in craft beer haven't fully unseated the ancient classical notion that beer is best suited for the unfortunate barbarians living in climates that can't support a vinery.

The digs at 534 E. Colfax Ave. are spare right now - wood floors and bare walls until things get in, but nobody seemed to mind. I got helped out by Guy. His name may sound like a placeholder for a forgetful, boozy newsie, but I wouldn't forget that my man was on top of it with the history of his beers.

I tried out the Affligem blonde and Saison DuPont. There are legions of writers better equipped to talk about the subtleties of Belgian beer, but the blonde was agreeably sweet and Saison DuPont had a spicy character to it that I'm going to want to revisit. I don't need the Internet to tell me I made a pretty good call with this one, but it's nice to have the snobs on my side for once.

I'll be back before long to down some more of my favorite local beer, New Belgium's 1554 black ale. But if Cheeky Monk doesn't bump up the prices soon, I'm going to have to look into some bigger belts.