The Townie Bar Challenge: Blackstone

It was my pick this time around in The Townie Bar Challenge, so I decided to start 2012 off with a bang by heading straight to the Best- yes, Blackstone has been voted 'Best Bar' in the Press-Citizen's annual 'Best of the Area' for 2011 so I wanted to see if the good people of Johnson County had gotten it right.

The first impression was that it was a bit awkwardly located out in the boonies near the corner of Rochester and Scott Boulevard. Parking is strange, haphazard and something of a hassle but I do think the owners of Blackstone might well be seen as geniuses ten years from now- the may have chosen a seemingly odd location now, but Iowa City is pushing outwards. In ten years or so, I'd imagine that Taft Avenue is going to be what Scott Boulevard used to be ten years ago- the very edge of town. As a result, the cornfields near Blackstone and the randomness of the place will undoubtedly fade over time as they area becomes more developed. Was it sort of a hassle to park? Yes, but I'm going to give them a pass on it- for now.

I had eaten with the Missus at Blackstone before- but never in the bar area- we've always sat over in the restaurant area. The first thing that immediately jumped out at me about the place was that it kept a very nice, clear division between bar and restaurant. The restaurant side is more intimate and comfy, while the bar side is more open- with ultra modern, sleek, hip decor and a very nice, very long bar that curves around at the end to make a long 'j' shape.

Overall, it's a very nice place- it's got a clean, sharp, hip vibe to it that is undeniably appealing, but you can't help thinking that it might be just a little too hip for it's own good. This isn't a bar that you could just stroll on in to wearing a pair of crappy sweatpants and an old Smiths T-shirt you found in a box in the back of your parents' basement. (Bonus music of the night: a random cover of The Smiths 'This Charming Man' and 'Fell In Love With A Girl' by The White Stripes.) The clientele of Blackstone seem to be a mix of late 20s-early 30s hipsterish-yuppy types and the upper crusties of the East Side Business class- definately not the 'where everybody knows your name' kind of a vibe and while I could give a shit about what I wear most of the time, trying to relax and enjoy yourself while feeling underdressed kind of bums you out now and again, you know?

Blackstone might feel a little too nice for a lot of people but where it does shine is where it counts for any bar: the drinks. Most bars in town will charge you $8 for a Martini and you can't really shake the feeling that you've been ripped off somehow while you're drinking it. Not Blackstone: not only are their Martini glasses nice and deep (as a posed to pitiful and shallow) but they deliver a variety of $8 martinis that pack a punch and come in sizes made for adults. These are serious drinks for serious drinkers- and although I didn't partake in beer (that was The Quiet Man's department this trip-- these martinis were too good to pass up) the beer list looked fairly impressive as well.

But here's the real question of the night: is it the Best Bar of the Area? At the end of the night, I was forced to withhold judgement. To me, the process of declaring 'best bar' is extraordinarily subjective when you get down to it- something that our little challenge here could be accused of as well- so while I'm sitting on a final verdict until I've sampled all that there is out there, I will say this- Blackstone deserves to be up there in the discussion.

The Cigar's Grade: B

Why?: Although it's not really a t-shirt and jeans type of a dive bar and a touch too high falutin' for my taste, Blackstone has some damn good Martinis that are large and in charge. It's always a plus in my book when you look at soomething and think: 'Damn, that really was worth what I paid for it.' Blackstone, to me, delivers the goods. Best Bar? That's a question we'll have to wait and see about...