Late Night Panchy's

Being from Minneapolis, I hate to admit that I have just this year become disgustingly obsessed with Panchero's.  I was born and raised eating Chipotle, since we don't have Panchero's in Minneapolis. (Actually I think we have like one or two, but no one really knows where they are or if they actually exist.)  My obsession literally is disgusting.  I am known in my sorority house for eating Panchys pretty much everyday.  At least I used to be.  I became so obsessed with it that when Lent came around, I decided to give up Panchys.  Ever since then, my obsession has been more controlled.  

Regardless, my number one enemy this year is post-bar close Panchy's.  Seriously.  There have been way too many times when I have literally laid in my bed eating Panchy's right before I fall asleep, and have woken up the next morning with crumbs all in my bed.  One morning I woke up literally cuddling a chicken quesadilla.  This was a low point in my life for two reasons; one, because I was literally cuddling a chicken quesadilla, which obviously tells you that my love life was in the shitter, and two, I'm pissed that I didn't even eat the quesadilla.  It was a complete waste of money and, more importantly, a waste of a completely good chicken quesadilla. 

With all of this being said, I am certainly not the only one who fiends for late night Panchy's after bar close.  Every night, Thursday through Saturday especially, the line is literally out the door, down the street,  around the corner, and up the hill, from about 2AM until it closes at 3AM.  I just want to take this time now and give Panchero's a shout out: Panchy's, you are single-handedly making the Iowa student body fatter with every drunken night we have.  Congrats, and god speed.  See you tomorrow night.

The Liner

What's not to love about Airliner?  It is easily one of my favorite bars in Iowa City.  A rare trait that I have for being a girl is that I LOVE watching sports, especially basketball.  I am a die-hard Boston Celtics fan.  So, as the playoffs have been heating up, I have been watching all of the games.  There is nothing I love more than posting up at Airliner on a Thursday night (the Celtics have been playing on a lot of Thursday nights) in one of their booths, and watching the Celtics kick ass on one of Airliner's many TVs.  What makes watching basketball on Thursday nights even better is that they feature half-price appetizers until 10, and, let me tell you, their appetizer menu is to. die. for.  My personal favorite is their cheese curds (mmm, nothing better than straight up fried cheese), but I also love their spinach-artichoke dip, and my boyfriend can't get enough of their wings.  

Also on Thursdays, Airliner serves two dollar domestic big beers.  And the ads don't lie, the beers are indeed big.  I have two of them and I am usually done for the night.  So, all-in-all, I spent four dollars to get drunk.  Not too bad.

I also love Airliner so much because of its atmosphere.  It doesn't stress me out because it is completely over packed with people, and it is not so ridiculously loud like some bars that I need a megaphone to communicate with the person standing right next to me.

Airliner has been around Iowa City for quite some time now, and it is not hard to believe that this is the case.  Year after year it has been a fan favorite, and they continue to do great business every year.

21 Ordinance; handing the Greek community its fate

On June 1, 2010, there will no longer be any 19+ bars in Iowa City.  After June 1st, you must be 21 to enter any bars in Iowa City. With that being said, as a member of the Greek community, I am waving goodbye to ever socializing with Greeks outside of my own sorority.

What Sally Mason and all the other ignorant old folks who have authority at this university don't understand is that the Greek community relies heavily on the 19+ bars for social events.  Every Thursday, a fraternity and sorority are paired together to have what is called a "social," where they rent out a bar for an hour or two for the fraternity and sorority to socialize with each other.  We do these socials at the bars because, as I'm sure every Iowa student knows, we are dry campus, which means parties, let alone alcohol, are not allowed at the fraternity or sorority houses.

With the 21 ordinance going into effect next year, the Greek community is currently in a state of panic.  It has been brought up that there may no longer be socials at all, because there is no where for us to hold them.  This is just unfair, especially for new freshmen pledges, who don't know anyone outside of their chapter.  Socials are a perfect way to branch out and meet other people in the Greek community.  Should that really be taken away from us?  Isn't the main reason people go Greek is so they can meet new people?  To me, it is completely unjustifiable to completely cut off all possible socialization options for the Greek community, which makes up over 10% of the Iowa student body.  It is literally impossible to declare Iowa a dry campus and then take away our bar access as well, and still expect the Greek community to still thrive.  As it is, less and less incoming freshmen rush every year.  Iowa is a Big Ten school with over 25,000 students, we shouldn't struggle to get people to join the Greek community.  Yet this 21 ordinance is just another barrier.

Sure, it has been brought to the attention of every Greek chapter that Greeks get a majority of the drinking tickets issued in downtown Iowa City.  But, again, this is an unfair accusation.  This is so because everyone in the Greek community is social.  I'll be completely honest, everyone in the Greek community likes to drink and likes to go out.  But is this a bad thing?  To single out Greeks as the problem with drinking in downtown Iowa City is completely unfair because it's a guarantee that a large percentage of the people downtown are Greek.  We're social, we like to go out, so, yes, you'll see us downtown.  Not everyone outside of the Greek community is as social, or likes to go downtown, which is also not a bad thing.  But, in that case, obviously Greeks are going to receive majority of the drinking tickets because they make up a majority of the people that are downtown every night.

Furthermore, if Sally Mason thinks that by passing the 21 ordinance, underage drinking at the bars will stop, she is seriously mistaken.  This 21 ordinance is simply going to encourage the use of fake IDs, which is also a serious crime.  Does it make more sense to encourage kids to use fake IDs or to allow fraternities to have alcohol in their house?  Sally Mason is not going to get away with this for long, she has to allow one or the other or the Greek system is going to disappear fast.  

Talib Kweli & Girl Talk

I'm going to be completely honest right off the bat, the IMU Main Lounge is a terrible place to hold a concert of any kind.  The sound system is far from ideal, making it hard to enjoy or even identify any of the songs that are being performed.  I attended the Wilco and Third Eye Blind shows in the fall, and came out with the same result.  I literally could not recognize one of Talib Kweli's songs.  With that being said, it makes it almost impossible to even say if the show was good or bad.  

As for Girl Talk, I really don't understand how he sells out so many shows.  I certainly like listening to him on my iPod when I'm working out or getting ready to go out, but never again will I attend one of his shows.  It's honestly a waste of money.  I could listen to my iPod and get the same result.  The one part of his show that I thought was cool was that he made up songs as he was up onstage.  However, I could probably find that on youtube for free.  This ticket was not worth $27.50.  

Another thing that I thought was weird was the toilet paper streamers.  There were people walking around in the front of the stage with these giant contraptions that somehow unrolled a roll of toilet paper and blew it into the crowd.  It didn't even look cool so I don't really understand what that was all about.

I guess what my point is, is that if someone you wish to see in concert ever comes to the IMU Main Lounge, don't go.  Seriously, it will make you hate that artist.

Mike Posner at Blue Moose

When I walked into Blue Moose Tap House, I could immediately tell that this bar had a different feeling to it than your typical Iowa City bar.  Previously known to many as "The Industry," Blue Moose, first of all, is a lot bigger than many of the Iowa City bars.  I think I got that feeling because the layout of the facility is much more conducive to fitting more people than some Iowa City bars (i.e. Airliner, Vito's, 808, etc.)  Blue Moose has several small booths up against the back wall, then a number of larger round tables in the middle of the bar with stools around them.  However, the round tables are small enough that it is still very easy to get around without bumping into people or it taking 25 minutes to get from one end of the bar to the other because you had to wait for so many people to get out of your way.  This is a big problem at a lot of Iowa City bars, and nothing is more annoying (especially when you really have to go to the bathroom).  Anyways, the bar itself takes up almost one whole side of the wall, which I thought was pretty cool--the longer the bar is, the more people you can serve at once.

As for the concert facility?  Horrible.  Absolutely horrible.  I've never been so uncomfortably overheated in my entire life.  The place is a fricken dungeon.  First of all, the facility is very small, so there were a LOT of people crammed into a very small space, which obviously makes any facility hotter.  Secondly, there are no windows or, really, any signs of life in general.  It is as if Blue Moose attached a massive boulder to the back of their bar, cut a huge hole out of the middle, and called it their concert facility.  It doesn't breathe well at all.  I am honestly shocked that no one had a heart attack while being in there with the combination of extreme heat, flashing lights, jumping around, and loud music.  

As for Mike Posner himself, I've decided he sucks.  I have been listening to his music for like a year now, and I don't mind listening to it on my iPod or in my car, but never again will I attend one of his concerts.  I went to one in the fall in Madison, WI as well and was disappointed there too.  He builds himself up by having such long opening acts, then he doesn't come on until really late and does like, a 30 minute performance.  BOOOOOOOO.  And I'm sure some people thought it was cool that he wore an Iowa basketball jersey during his performance, but I have news for you, he did the same thing in Madison; he wore a Wisconsin basketball jersey.  Way to be original, Mike.  

Summit; we were all freshmen once

Okay, let's be honest: we've all been to Summit, and despite what we say out loud, we most likely had a great time.  However, they don't call it "Scummit" for no reason.

With the biggest dance floor in Iowa City, raunchy, X-rated dancing is guaranteed at the The Summit on a nightly basis.  And let me warn the females, unless you enter this infamous dance floor with a dance partner already in hand, prepare to be pounced on instantly by random (and most likely highly intoxicated) males lurking on the outskirts of the dance floor.

It is an unspoken fact that Summit is the #1 underage bar in Iowa City.  The bouncers themselves who check IDs at the door are barely even 18.

However, the neat thing about Summit is that, if you are an Iowa student, no matter what night you go there, you are guaranteed to see several people you know there.

In my opinion, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays are the best nights to go to Summit.  Every Monday, Summit hosts "country night," where people are encouraged to dress in country apparel and country music is played all night.  Free bacon is also served on Mondays in lieu of of country night, and drinks are $2 you call it.  Tuesdays are good simply because it's $1 you call it and the bar is ALWAYS packed because, let's be honest, college students like to get drunk cheap.  Thursdays are the best because it's $1.50 you call it and everyone likes to kick off their weekend at Summit.

My one precaution at Summit is to watch your step going down the stairs from the second to the first floor.  I've seen far too many people slide down those stairs on their butt.

Formosa; a place unlike any other

From the moment you walk into Formosa, one sense a somewhat sophisticated, yet relaxed atmosphere.  Doubling as what is formally called an "asian cuisine and sake bar," Formosa has something to offer for all crowds.  Although they are known for their exceptional and extensive sushi menu, they offer a series of delicious cooked plates as well for those who turn their nose up at sushi.  However, I'm convinced that anyone who says they don't like sushi has never actually tried it.  Exhibit A; despite his "dislike" of sushi, my boyfriend took me to Formosa for dinner on Valentine's Day this year.  He ordered a sesame chicken I ordered three sushi rolls knowing that he would try some of mine and like it.  Long story short, he ended up eating more pieces of sushi than I did and has loved it ever since.  (Kudos to the Formosa sushi chefs)

Formosa serves dinner from 5-9PM, and after 9PM it becomes a swanky bar.  The bar is fairly small, and gets crowed pretty easily.  It gets especially crowded on Wednesdays, as their feature is half-price unlimited glasses of wine.  Finally, although it should go without being said, if you're going to dabble in the likes of an Asian-oriented bar, I must insist on you ordering one of their infamous sake bombs.  You won't regret it.  Just sure you have a bottle of Advil handy the next day.

With all of this being said, I would like to stress the fact that Formosa does an excellent job of keeping a tidy and classy appearance, much unlike many of the other restaurant-turned-bars in Iowa City.

EXAMS & TEQUILA

Exams are like tequila–without proper preparation, they’re both sure to kindle a cruel, pungent taste in your mouth and a sharp wince in your facial expressions. Despite the striking similarities, I loathe formal examinations. Still, I continuously long for an unopened bottle of Patron Silver.

I know what you’re thinking, but I promise the above introduction does possess both merit and relevance. I am going to spend the rest of my post sharing an inspiring tale that was told to me only a short while ago.

When out this past last week, my roommate and I pulled up a couple of stools at a bar downtown. I’ll refrain from using the bar’s name in order to add to the story’s obscurity.

A few minutes after we ordered our first round, a man sat down to my right. He was a few years older (He must have been a graduate student) and arguably in need of a razor. He wore a baseball cap, an unbuttoned, button down plaid shirt, and a clean pair of skinny jeans. He spoke first and proceeded to dictate much of the conversation. He noticed I was drinking tequila and commended me on the selection. At first, I thought he was simply admiring my decision to ask for tequila before dinnertime, but I was clearly mistaken.

I soon learned that he was a TA pursuing a Master’s in some sphere of environmental science. He explained to me that tequila measurably contributed to his academic success. According to the man, before each of his most critical exams he would pull a shot of tequila to ease his nerves. Eventually, pouring tequila soon became some sort of superstitious, pre-exam ritual in order to better ensure a favorable outcome.

I’ll end with this–The man’s story both tickled and enthused me. I have one more week of college. I have four exams left–none of which I have cracked a book for. Conveniently in my freezer, I am chilling a bottle of tequila with approximately six ounces left (1.5 oz. per shot).

"AFTIES"

All of my posts to date revolve around mingling and drinking downtown. To spike your interest however, we’re going to shift gears and shake things up a bit. Of course, this post wouldn’t have a place here on Sauced unless we kept with the “tipsy-business”. That said this post is about both the old and new. Keeping with the booze but leaving the bars behind, we arrive at a friend’s place and decide to continue the festivities into the wee hours of the morning.

We’re talking about “Afties”–the social episode that occurs immediately following bar close.

Afties is all about not wanting to let the night end. Rather than ambling on home when the bars shut their doors for the evening, a few people collectively agree to continue on with their night and shoot the entire next day. What I mean is that it is not uncommon for a fun-loving, back-slapping after hours to carry on until sunrise. So long as you don’t mind tucking yourself in shortly after the birds begin to chirp, Afties is something all college students should aim to experience.

Though I am far from a night owl, I do enjoy the occasional after hour affair. Even still, it’s certainly one of those things not to be abused, as I imagine Afties too often would lose its buzz. Keep in mind that I have only dedicated one post to talking about the after party. This is for good reason because again in order to preserve the Afties charm, ‘getting after it’ hard but also sparingly is the most ideal way to do so.

GREENER PASTURES

In only a couple of weeks–assuming I do not sleep through final exams or forget to correctly bubble in my name on the Scantron–I will finish my college career. What’s more, the four years of hard work is finally going to pay off, as I’ll be passing with flying colors. Provided Iowa City nightlife has occupied a decent chunk of my time for the past four years, it seems fitting to pause and reflect on the best way to spend my time before I move on to hopefully “greener pastures”. That is, other than the continuous caffeine fix and frantic, last minute brain-crunch, I also plan to frequent a few of my favorite haunts to get my buzz on one last time. All this in mind, I’ve decided to list out my top five must-visits when in Iowa City.

1. Piano Lounge–An excellent choice for all of your late night entertainment. Before you hit the pillow, why not have that extra glass (or bottle) of wine to make all of the night’s shameful moments appear a little less shabby and your taste slightly more refined. Along with your savory glass of Pinot Noir, experience a few of your favorite songs being played live. And if you’re really daring, feel free to amble on over to the piano and sing along.

2. The Mill–If music is your fix, look no further. The Mill books national acts all season long sure not to disappoint. Monday’s also mean open mic–needless to say, I’ve had some of my most memorable and shameful nights on stage contemplating why I was out singing to a room of 10-12 people, having been drinking since the late afternoon.

3. Mickey’s–Cool yet casual, Mickey’s sports a drink special 7 nights a week. It’s also a nice break from the typical, overcrowded, over-priced bars that suck in the bulk of the city’s people. There’s no live music, but sometimes that’s for the best.

4. Martinis–It’s no secret that my relationship with Martinis has always been somewhat of a love-hate connection. Even still, their patio is spacious, inviting and phenomenal. Weather permitting–it’s where you want to be.

5. Sanctuary–Sanctuary’s most valuable selling points are its expansive, tasteful beer collection along with its Old English locale. The crowd is always an eclectic, diverse mix of people, most of whom are eager to solve all of the world’s most dire problems. It’s off the beaten path, but it’s fireplace and cozy, comfortable décor is enough to make amends for the extra mileage.

End

I probably should have known better considering it was finals week and all, but yeah went out anyways. I declared it "my last night out!" Yeah, it better be or god save me. It was again, one of those nights where I should of just taken the hint and not gone out, but I decided to deny my sanity and morals and go for it.

Of course, night began at DC's...what else is new? I would rattle of the drink specials, but I don't ever pay full price there, but I wanna say steins were 3 bucks. It was more or less a ghost town in there. Like there was nobody out and it was depressing. Sign #89548 I should have taken note of...but no.

It was dualing pianos, "the last one" eventhough I decided just recently I am staying here this summer, so I guarentee that was NOT the last one, but was enough reason for me to go out. It was dead, I haven't been to Vitos in so long when you can actually see the back wall of the bar because it wasn't mobbed. And you can actually order a drink and get it within the same phase of being really thirsty. So yeah, it was an unconventional last night, but THE last night nonetheless. I would have liked to go out with much more of a bang.

OH MY GOSH, and today, my friends and I were originally going to Takanami for the lunch special, not even realizing it was 230 and the place closes at 2...SO we were stuck resorting to 808? strange sort of, but yeah so we get there sit down and order, mind you we are surrounded by the stale beer, puke nasty ass odor that is just never ever fading from that establishment. SO, once we got over that, we looked over and saw the bartender and he had 10 bottles of admiral lined up across the bar top. He had 5 that were full, and 5 empty, and the next thing we knew...all 10 had stuff in them...about 2/3rdsish??? UHHHH??

THen the next thing we knew...they were all full...a little uh lighter than usual? But full...? Mysterious? I think so. Not that I am going to draw any false conclusions, all I'm sayin is I saw him pouring a mysterious clear liquid out of a dispenser into the bottles, so there was miraculously 10 full ones....WOW.

PIano Lounge.

This was one of those nights, I just truly should of taken the hint " HEY ITS MIDNIGHT...DONT GO DOWNTOWN, SAVE YOURSELF!" That is in both the money and calories regard by the way. BUT no, never learn, ever! We were playing the worlds largest game of catch phrase literally like ehh 25 drunk kids crammed around a table completely amused by the little electronic device.

Then we got sick of it right around midnight...downtown it is! Vitos....no....DC's....no....piano lounge?! FINE.

It was four dollar Bacardi drinks, which is just a dumb "special" so I just followed the pack and got some orangey tasting fruity thing. It was fine actually, you could have mistaken it for orange pop in my opinion.

We were there for quite sometime, it was boring though, it was pretty apparent the piano guy was just playing whatever he felt like, because we wrote down and requested probably 15 songs and never heard one.

It was pretty dead in there, considering it was a Saturday night and all. All the workers were sitting around snacking on huge jimmy johns and dorito bags with walking taco's in them. It was all lame and fine until this pack of drunken slobs walked in and posted up at the table behind us. Typically I'd be ridiculously annoyed by that, but I all the sudden saw it as the perfect opportunity to finally add some spice to the night. They didn't dissapoint.

The piano guy was right in the middle of "Don't Stop Believin'" when all the sudden everyone turned and heard the biggest bang in the entire world and this one girl was done for the count. It was so loud the piano guy even hesitated for a second and stopped playing. The girl was like sprawled out and it was to the point where I was embbaressed for her just becasue I was within 15-feet of her. It was more of an older crowd so the entire place just gave death stares.

Her friends literally carried her out, and that was that. The night ended in Mesa pizza, not shocking. My guy friends devoured the biggest slices of macaroni pizza and like weird ass kinds. It was actually repulsive. I can proudly say I passed on the feast if nothing else positive.

BUST

The night started out so great, it really did. I ditched my night class, and a group of us were off to DC's for pitchers of margaritas with chips and salsa. We couldn't resist stopping at Saloon to grab some home-made quac for five bucks. We were destined for greatness...

The pitchers of margaritas were 12 bucks.....

Mind you they were huge, and did come with "free" chips and salsa...?

My roommate works there so we at least got them half price which made it all worth while. We got one blended strawberry one and one normal kind on the rocks. The bartender was pissed because apparently they are a huge pain in the butt to make, and...we kept ordering them? And when other tables saw us getting them everyone else started getting them too...so yeah we caused a little ruckus.

There were too many sporting events going on, so we could barely hear eachother, and I hate not having music! I feel like everything is 100x more fun with music! BUT no...but i can get over that. So then we went to formosa for a friends birthday dinner... It was expensive! The beer was only 3 bucks which actually shocked me, but virtually anything else...think again!

Then we went back to DC's, and this time...no specials what so ever. We bought 4 shots for 20 bucks, and a typical rum and coke for 4 bucks...talk about depressing. It was mobbed to the point of no return. You couldn't walk anywhere. The upstairs area, as much as I love it, is awful!!! That middle hole part needs to be a lot smaller so people can actually walk...because there is nothing more annoying then getting bumped every 30seconds and asked to "excuse me! sorry!"

Then off to Brothers which was also mobbed, WAY too bombed...it was wing night apparently and the entire place had the most god awful odor I have ever encountered. it was BAD to the point we just left because it was nauseating.

Then off to...summit? yeah, my drunk roommate insisted we should go "re-live" freshman year....we walked in, and boy did we! There were so many cops I think they out numbered the people in the bar. The upstairs was closed, so it was literally just police stopping every single person and shining flashlights in their faces and searching their wallets. It as out of control. I was there for maybe ten minutes before getting the heck out of there because I didn't want to deal with any of that.

All in all, the night started great, ended...not great? And...I spent lots and lots of money.

Ohh Iowa City, on Thursday

For some strange reason my two friends and I were intrigued by Iowa City "River-Feast" that was going on in the ped-mall Thursday evening-ish after class. So intrigued, we decided to disregard of dinner plans for the evening, splurge on 5-tickets a piece and check out the "taste of chicago" mini look alike.

It was an enormous success. I had the best food ever, i.e. pulled pork sandwich, delicious BBQ chicken ranch pizza and coldstone ice cream, and it was phenomenal...all of it.

We were having such a great time, we decided to skip getting ready for the night, and just head straight to the bar...time check, 6:30ish.

I started the night off on the right foot, clearly with a Coors Light Stine. Note, it was also 2-bars-1-cup again, but I decided my limit to start drinking hard stuff starts around 8ish. So I casually sipped on that for a while, then once the clock struck 8, on came the Vodka, Lemonade/Cran's, and man were they delicious.

I could see why one would absolutely hate dc's on a thursday night, aka if they get there too late and there are no tables anywhere, but we had two tables put together with a ton of chairs right by the huge tv but not under the huge speaker...aka PERFECT. We could watch the blackhawks, bulls and NFL draft while still holding mild conversation. We were there until about 10pm, which you can assume what state we were in.

We went over to dualing pianos, I think this may have been the last one of my sophomore year? I remember we went to the door and they said 10 buck cover, but this was after they put the wrist bands on our entire group already. We turned around real quick because I'm sorry but I go to Vitos far far to often to have to pay cover there. SO, we sat around outside for 10 minutes then walked in the exit and that settled that issue sooner than later.

I can truely say I havn't see a bar in the state Vitos was at that exact moment. Literally every single person in the bar was blacked-out hammered, shit show ridiculous. Like drinks were slamming left and right, girls and guys even, were wiping out left and right, fights were breaking out, girls were grinding on guys against the walls, sloppy makeouts where everywhere you turned, it was actually not an okay situation at all. BUT being your typical IC resident, I walked straight to the bar, laughed all that off and joined right in (sorta). I would say how much drink cost, but umm, that's a great question.

LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER–YOU’LL THANK ME LATER

In 5^th grade, I used to go to great lengths to avoid attending piano lessons. Hiding out underneath my mom’s forest green minivan, dipping the thermometer in hot water or eating raw chicken (the latter both to induce a fever of course) were regular activities on Wednesday afternoons. It wasn’t so much that I was radically opposed to learning to read music or sitting down to practice, but rather my teacher’s unbearable breath and routine smoking habits. Regardless of the reason, I never wanted to go. Piano lessons were the ‘arm-pit’ of my week–and for a solid fourteen months, my outlook remained unchanged.

When my mom finally conceded and agreed to discontinue my lessons, I rejoiced wholeheartedly. For a few years after, quitting lessons was one of my prouder moments. But high school came and then college soon followed. With college and going away, my outlook was no longer the same. Over the past eight years, I had picked up both the drums and guitar but even still, I was nothing more than a novice when it came to a that beautiful baby grand.

At The Piano Lounge there is a piano that doubles as the focal point of the room. Before anyone has even had their first drink, the young chap who begins to play is already 50 points cooler than any other person in the bar–including the bartenders. After a couple of drinks, he is now every attendee’s newest best friend. After a few bottles of wine (The Lounge’s trademark drink), he is now giving Brad Pitt a striking “run for his money”. If you haven’t taken the hint yet, women loves pianos, but even more so they love piano players. As the pianist (Until now, the word never sounded so suave) plays request after request, the fixation continues to grow.

Just as it is not even next to a reasonable notion to believe that anyone is following this blog–let alone a naïve fifth grader hell bent on finding ways to ditch his weekly lessons–I still have a message to pass on to all you pianists-in-training. A decent voice and a knack for the piano goes a long way and is certainly worth your teacher’s stinking breath and lungful of cancer. Weathering the storm will give you a leg up on just about anyone else looking to find that special someone. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to take your talents public and play for a roomful of alcohol-induced college students either.

That said, I’m about to give the only advice given throughout this entire blog that a responsible mother might deem as either a saving or educational thought–

Stay in school kids. And more importantly, keep at that old piano. You can thank your moms and I in a decade or so.

CRAWLING–‘A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT’

When Lance Armstrong sits down on his bike minutes before the Tour de France, how much thought do you think he gives to beating the entire fleet out of the gate? Now I know what you’re thinking–

And you’re right–positioning is key, but with 2,200 miles of uncovered road ahead, my guess is that it’s not exactly of burning importance.

Though I’ve never been one to bike for 21 consecutive days over thousands of miles of treacherous terrain, I have been known for having excellent stamina. And again, I know what you’re thinking–

Now that you’ve all had a second to first bury and then recover your mind from the gutters, I’ll explain what I really mean with respect to my superior rate of endurance–kegs and eggs, day drinking and a night on the town all within 24 hours has become one of my favorite college pastimes. But even more so than any of the preceding activities, I love a legitimate bar crawl.

Truth be told, I’ve taken a sizeable lump of time to craft an ideal night of ‘crawling’. For starters, good weather is fundamental. Good weather means ‘beer gardens’ and ‘beer gardens’ mean a ‘socially acceptable’ excuse for a few pints at 5PM. This brings me to my next point–an early start can’t heart either (So long as you keep in mind the title of this post). Traditionally, bar crawl partakers rotate bars hourly, but I would argue that it’s often the downfall for an honest finish. Allotting only an hour per bar means that people feel rushed to get a few drinks in before ambling along to the next haunt–oftentimes, people drink too much, too fast and then end up either going home early or finding a comfy bench in the ped-mall for a goodnight’s sleep. A better idea is to allocate 1.5 hours per bar. This will give everyone the chance to take a load off and casually sip on a couple of cocktails. More notably, it will increase the likelihood that the bulk of your tribe makes it to bar close.

The most important ingredient to a successful night of crawling (Aside from the people involved) is the final bar on the agenda. A brilliant last spot on a crawl is like the cherry on top of a sundae–without it, you’ll feel cheated, naked and empty. Put simply, 8 hours of drinking deserves a commendable end to the evening. Namely, be sure to give the matter adequate thought when crafting your crawl’s long-winded, well-lasting route.

May the marathon begin,

-mike

2 bars 1 cup

I was oddly excited to experience the new phenomenon of 2 bars 1 cup. If it wasn't for that nauseating u-tube video, the name would of been ridiculously clever. But anyways, name aside, I was semi disappointed when I got there and realized the cup resembled and over-sized dixie-cup.

But anyways, that little let-down aside, we paid the 3 bucks for the cup and moved on. We were at slippery pete's first. This was my first time there since the bar opened, my roommate works there so she had been raving about it, so it was about time I actually gave it a shot. It showed a dissapointing resembles to ETC that was there before. I don't think I have ranted about ETC yet, but for the love of god that bar was probably the worst one on this campus. So good its gone. ANYWAYS, they kind of tried to make it a weird English theme in there? (yeah, who knows) The waitresses all had tiny shirts with british flags on them, and the walls and decorations were all straight from England (probably not, but you know).

So yeah, the service was eh. Since we got there after 10p.m., it was 2 bucks to fill our cups up each time. It was a decent deal if you were drinking mixed drinks just because they were bigger than your typical glass, but if you were drinking beer you mis well of just paid the extra buck, tossed your over-sized dixie cup in the garbage and bought a beer stine.

The drinks were ridiculously strong. Take that as you will. But yeah, I am glad I experienced it, the deal is...its a deal? I kept my cup so I would consider going back next Thursday, but it would take some heavy persuading.

QUESTING–THE PATIO ADDITION

A search, a pursuit, a noble and adventurous activity undertaken by knights–the name is not all too important. Simply understand that sunny, slightly breezy days are here to inspire a quest that many students are all too familiar with. This particular quest is the quest for happiness (As I like to call it), also know as the quest for the best patio/beer garden in Iowa City. For the remainder of this post I will carry on with caution, as I’ve seen a few duals-to-the-death on account of the passionate debate that surrounds the following question–what is the best beer patio in town? I have two answers.

The Safe Answer–It depends.

The Audacious Answer–Martinis, Martinis, Martinis. The best patio in town is the patio at Martinis.

Now before I begin to receive hate mail and all kinds of nasty words threatening my existence, please do here out my explanation. The patio at Martinis is ideal for three critical reasons: location, space and people.

First, the patio is situated on the opposite side of the ped mall. This means no obnoxious boozehounds acting foolish interrupting your conversation. If you want to have this sort of experience, stand in the line at Marcos, contribute to the GDP and buy yourself a double-decker grilled cheese. If you want to relax without the sound of drunks bellowing nonsense, find a seat outside at Martinis.

Second, the patio has enough space to seat lots of people comfortably. Now if you’re one of those people who like to pry who insist that the strangers’ conversation sitting at the table immediately to your left is more interesting than anything that you or your company could ever possibly say, this probably isn’t the patio for you. But if you’re one of those people who enjoy a bit of breathing room and some privacy, find a seat outside at Martinis.

Lastly, the patio always seems to attract an eclectic mix of people. The beauty of Martinis is that it always seems to host a vibrant, diverse audience. Parents, students, professors, the Pope–all are welcome. So if you’re one of those people who enjoy meeting new kinds and are intrigued by variety, find a seat at Martinis.

MISSION CREEK

What better way to start off April than 70+ bands coupled with 70+ pints of beer and/or shots of plastic-bottled liquor (Not one of my prouder moments). Of course, the latter half is a slight exaggeration unless you take kind to never-ending vomit and a headache that makes migraines sound inviting. Case in point, this past Tuesday marked the beginning of Mission Creek Festival. The fest’s focus is not solely music, as the ‘mission of the Mission’ is to promote the arts at large within Iowa City. That said I spent much of my time fancying new bands, mingling around some of the most underrated hotspots in town (The Mill, Blue Moose etc).

For those of you unfamiliar with the music tier of Mission Creek, think ‘Lollapalooza in diapers.’ There are approximately 70 bands that pass through Iowa City within a span of five days–much of the acts are on the rise threatening to blow up, which makes each show even more exciting. Some of the highpoints of this year’s fest included Birds & Batteries, The Cave Singers, David Bazan, VV Brown and Little Dragon. Of the acts I saw, I didn’t have one bad experience. Of course, I preferred certain shows to others–yet, the level of talent among the bulk of the fest’s lineup was unmistakable.

Each year, Mission Creek continues to grow and receive national attention. For the past four years, I’ve attended the fest only to find that every year attendance and excitement becomes exponentially larger. As new venues continue to get involved (This year, Blue Moose hosted some of the fest’s larger performances) and the quality of the lineups is firmly reinforced, Mission Creek’s potential for critical acclaim and attention grow even more promising.

If you hadn’t the chance to attend any events of the festival, rest assured the brain trust behind the fest is already hard at work dead-set on making next year’s program something for students and Iowans alike to buzz about. So c’mon all you art-fanatics and hipsters-to-be, keep Mission Creek on your radar. And in the mean time, check out all of the exceptional shows, readings and exhibits still slated to pass through in the coming months.

Self Created Bar Crawl

My nights recently have turned into a weird sort of game, something like "Hey lets see how many bars you can go to and get drinks at in a ehh 4ish hour span." The game could probably be called a number of other things as well, "lets see how many times you use your shitty 27-year old blonde haired ID and get away with it" ( i have dark brown hair), or better yet, "lets see how much money you can drop on cover in one night alone!"

Yeah anyways, as I was saying, Friday night my friends asked if my friend and I were interested in going to a "dive bar" with them. These guys are all from Iowa City originally, so they know all the "secret hide-outs" if you will, and somehow knew about this hole in the wall ghetto bar, aka Jobsite? First off, my friend and I had no idea what a dive bar was ( we are still getting made fun of for that), but yeah we agreed, obviously. We were the youngest people there by 30 years, easily. It was all IC locals, and I swear they probably took attendance there cause everyone knew everyone, and everyone was just loving life. We should of probably taken the hint the place was a bit sketchy when the first 5 shots we tried to order he had never heard of?

SOOO, we did what any normal college student would do, TEQUILLA.

Needless to say, the night at the Jobsite was ledgendary. The pitchers were 6 bucks, which at first I thought was ridiculous, then realized how massive they were (in comparison to say the single serving ones served at every other bar in this corrupt town) They filled probably 5 good sized glasses ( opposed to those weak ass dixie cups you get every where else), yeah so it was fantastic. We set up a string of tables and the service was great, (again, unlike anything you'd find in actual downtown Iowa City, they cared about good service, eventhough we were young kids). They owed it to us, we probably helped them reach there montly income goal in a 4 hour span.

Anyways, back to the barcrawl, we somehow survived that "dive" and headed downtown, first to Airliner, then Vitos, followed by DC's and topped off by THE one and only scum. I frikin hate scum, but it was just one of those nights it was appropriate. I hated them all, they were all mobbed and smelly and hot and you know, the usual. I would name the deals, but there weren't any. I think I spent the most that night than I have any night this year.

It goes well with the other game I am currently playing, "Lets see how long you can get your bank account before the end of the school year! Lets see if you can make it without asking dad for money this year!"

'STAY THIRSTY MY FRIENDS'

Today is March 25^th–dare I say that time of year when winter has cordially decided to rest its wrath. My hope is that I haven’t spoke to soon and the frigidness is all behind us. Assuming this to be true, April is just around the corner and spring is finally in the air.

Before I begin, one must understand I’m no statistician. Truth be told, I haven’t anything against numbers, but even still, long division is about where my brain begins to stumble over equations. That said I’m still fairly certain a correlation exists between springtime, booze and police blotters. Something about blooming flowers and greater daylight gives students that extra momentum to hit the town on a Monday…Tuesday…or really any of the five days remaining. Further, something about the warmer weather gives students a reason to stammer half-clothed at bar close inevitably ending them in the police department’s possession (Thankfully, the inspiration for the previous sentence was merely a stranger and not a close friend or even acquaintance).

Case in point, spring helps remind many of us to again see the beauty in the life of a college student. Now that midterms, blizzards and Valentine’s Day are all behind us, we have nothing but cool breezes and sunnier times ahead. With a cornucopia of beer gardens and an even greater assortment or drink specials at almost any decent hour, Iowa City retains its mark as a noble contender for best college towns around. So go ahead kids, take advantage of the many jewels that go hand-in-hand with college life–an extra night on the town or even a day of ‘bags’ with the neighbors. Whatever your desire, remember spring only rolls around every so often. Get outside, have a ‘cheers’ and always remember to keep your coozy within reach.

Dueling Piano-Singluar?

I was more then ecstatic when I got an inbox about dueling pianos at Vito's on the Thursday we got back from Spring Break. What a perfect motivation to get through the week? My group of friends and I learned out lesson and attempted to get there early enough to enjoy it for a while before it got too mobbed. We arrived around 10ish, which in our case is extremely early to head downtown. Our early entrance made no difference, it was a mob scene. And to my dismay, THERE WAS ONLY ONE PIANO. How devastating.

I would of rather just listened to the radio really loud then this guy singing karaoke and smashing the piano keys. It was cheesy and cliche. Think of 5 songs you'd assume to hear at a karaoke bar...yeah he played those, all five. Jesse's Girl? Sweet Caroline?Don't Stop Believing? I could go on.

I was pretty bummed, and not to mention the service...sucked? You stand there waving big bills just to get any bartenders attention, then secretly trade your 20 for a 5 obviously. The shots were measly and small, and of course the bartenders secretly trick you into ordering the expensive beer instead of the one that is the $1.50 special. When I ask for a beer, I clearly mean I want the cheap one unless I say otherwise? You'd think? Not them though.

There were also cops grabbing groups of people left and right, thats always suspenseful. I don't see myself attending next months 'Dueling Piano' unless he finds someone to battle of course, oh and that new piano man fires the first guy and brings someone new.

pints, lots of pints

I proudly expanded my horizons this weekend and gave Pints and run for its money. I was pleasantly surprised. It was mobbed, which is understandable with all the NCAA bball games on and all, but it wasn't crowded? If that makes sense? I didn't feel like I was getting pushed and run in to every 30 seconds. I enjoyed the atmosphere, and considering it was a Friday/Saturday night, the prices were very reasonable. The beers were 3 bucks on friday night, which again, considering the circumstances I thought was pretty decent. They were very well staffed, and it wasn't like at certain places where you order a drink from the cocktail waitress and she either A. never comes back B. messes it up or C. takes 3 hours--the services was very quick and accurate (which never hurts).

Not like the drunken slobs notice when they get a coors instead of a bud light, but still, a little accuracy never hurts. They had the perfect number of bartenders on so you weren't standing there waving your money for 20 minutes. Then of course who can forget the complimentary popcorn....BOMB. It was delicious and they had that machine constantly brewing.

All in all, I will be going back and so should you.

comparable

I spent my Spring Break in Jacksonville, Florida. Not your typical college student vacation spot, yet it didn't disappoint. Besides the fact we were staying in a NFL players condo on the water, we had plenty of pointers on the hot spots. The first night typically your too warn out from traveling to go out--not us. We jumped in a cab and went to the beach area where the street resembled downtown Iowa City.

There was no Marco's Grill Cheese or Pancheros, but there was a ghetto icecream place and bars, lots and lots of bars. It was a Saturday night so the lines (just like IC), were down the block. We just randomly picked one and got in just as you would in Iowa city (showed some strange ID that works as long as you have the same hair color). The bouncer joked about us being from chicago, and let us right in. We all joked back and forth about how everyone was over exaggerating in regards to the ID situation being tough.

We got a little cocky and proceeded to follow the crowd to the bar around the block. Little did we know it was notoriously the hardest bar in Jacksonville to get in. We got denied. Every one of us. And yeah we had no other choice but to stay classy and...sprint away? And get in a cab immediately?

The tiny lapse of judgement very well could have single handely turned our trip into the vacation from hell, BUT, it didn't. We resorted to the 19+ bars which were shockingly comparable if not better than Iowa city? Not gonna lie, the workers were much stricter than those at say, summit, union, anywhere? They would literally color on your hand with an inch thick permanent marker and then circle around snatching drinks left and right. Neither of those things at all typical of an Iowa city bar employee.

Regardless, a lot of them had sweet outdoor patios with live music that was a lot more elaborate than any piano skit I've seen. The drinks were a lot cheaper, and the specials, well, they had specials? Yes, even on a saturday? whatttt?!

We ended strong with College Night at a bar that was typically a 21 bar. Whoever created that bar was a genious because they made it so it appealed to everyone. It was basically cut right in the middle, half was a tiki kind of bar that was really chill, and half was like a raging dance party. More or less a Summit meets a hippy style DC's on a chill Wednesday night. It was fantastic. As was my spring break.

I used to consider myself a regular at DC's FAC--until a few nights ended a little on the early side and I decided to stick with waiting until its dark to go out. But, when I do go to FAC, I go to DC's. It always ends up being a safe choice if you want to avoid huge mobs and the constant voice from behind you nudging you in the back to move so they can slide past. Of course the one weekend my entire group of friends gets it together and makes it out the door by 5:30pm sharp...it's an absolute mob scene.

Typically we head straight up the stairs and hangout up there, but we spotted a table in the far left hand corner of the bar. At first seemed to good to be true with amongst a mob of that size but once we got to it we realized a mega sized speaker was blasting music directly down onto the table to the point a scream would not even get the attention of the person directly next to you. All was right in the world when the cocktail waitress delivered our first round of $3 Steins of beer / Fishbowls of mixed drinks which were phenomenal.

Not only is it a ridiculously good deal, but the service despite the mobs was oddly prompt and accurate. We sat in silence (despite the blaring of strange boy -band emo music i.e. fall out boy, in our ears), without talking just because that wasn't an option, and people watched while downing our over-size icy beverages.

The night proceed a block down at Spo-Co, which also sported a ridiculously good Friday night deal. They had huge $3 mixed drinks in some sort of jar type glass. Spo-co managed the crown much more efficiently than DC's, and topped their emo jam's as well.

Next friday stop #1 = spo co.

A "NOT SO GENTLE-MAN" NAMED STEVE

A few words of wisdom for any of you bar-going enthusiasts–consider this post fair warning for anyone interested in exploring Iowa City’s nightlife outside of the usual downtown strip.

If you ever happen to amble on over to The Vine (On the corner of Gilbert and Prentiss) and an aged, grizzly-like man named Steve introduces himself and proceeds to invite you to a game of pool, shake his hand, smile and then politely decline. Whatever you do, do not accept his offer. And whatever you do, absolutely positively never-in-a-million-billion years mention Steve’s jacket.

The story I’m about to convey is loosely based on real-life events. I say loosely because I had been drinking since 3PM, and it wasn’t until sometime after 10PM that it all hit the fan. So while I’m fairly confident all that I’m saying is accurate, I wouldn’t make any wagers regarding this story’s correctness.

After approximately four games of gentlemen-friendly pool (all of which Steve gracefully lost), Steve decided it was time to salvage any dignity he was able to keep from the table and exit for the evening. Before his exit, Steve went over to his regular bar stool to pick up and put on his cool suede jacket. To Steve’s alarm, the jacket was not anywhere in sight. So what does Steve do you ask? Well, let’s think about what any normal, rational-minded, sober person would do if confronted with this sort of dilemma.

I for one, would first ask myself, did I happen to put my jacket on another stool? Or perhaps I left it at the bar where I had first sat down? If the jacket weren’t to turn up in either of these areas, perhaps it would be best to ask around? After all, a lot of people visited the bar–99% of them having all brought coats. Possibly, someone mistook “my cool, suede, dated, depleted jacket” for their “cool, suede, dated, depleted jacket”!

So now let’s take a poll. How many of you think Steve tried out any of these logical next steps? Probably to no one’s surprise, Steve did not do any of these. Instead, Steve stormed over to my good buddy Jon, kicked over a stool (having spilled an entire beer in route) and, without any sympathy, threatened every precious inch of Jon’s manhood if the jacket weren’t to be found immediately. Thankfully, Jon wasn’t alone, shackled in a basement with Steve and rather in a public, well-lit restaurant with plenty of witnesses. That said–Steve managed to calm himself when a normal, rational-minded, sober person found his jacket and offered it up in exchange for Jon’s precious future for a family. Where was the jacket you ask? Well, sure enough, the jacket was left at the bar where Steve had first sat down.

Despite the madness that “I think” actually ensued, we all left the bar without even a scratch. So long as you remember these few words of wisdom, I would encourage everyone to experience The Vine on a Friday afternoon. Cheap wings, a fish special and $3 steins of Boulevard are on the menu well into the evening. It’s an exceptional institution–and please don’t let this story keep you thinking otherwise.

THE LATE NIGHT SPECIAL

This post is dedicated to all those bona fide night-fanatics­–you know, the ones who opt to watch full seasons of Full House in order to avoid being the first roommate to bed; or the ones who argue the best part about Jimmy Johns is the shop’s 3AM close policy; or even the ones who decide to clean their grubby toilets simply to avoid sleep before midnight. In Layman’s terms, I’m writing to give all you “evening people” another reason to avoid getting to bed at a reasonable hour.

Mickey’s Irish Pub runs late night drink specials Monday through Sunday. That’s right kids: Mickey’s runs a legitimate deal 7 days a week from 10PM until Bar Close. That said, it’s now extremely easy to rationalize a Wednesday night on the town. And if the notion of a true value 7 nights a week seems too strong to swallow (perhaps more so than a pull of Jameson entirely sober), go ahead and take a moment to let it all digest:

Blue Monday
$2.50 Blue Moon
$2.50 Blue Margs
$2.50 Blue UV
$2.50 Blvd Wheat

Fat Tuesday
$2 Fat Tire
$3 Daiquiris

Wednesday
$5 Domestic Pitchers
$2 Pints $2 Margaritas
(FREE Chips and Salsa)

Thursday & Friday
$2 ‘You Call It’
$3 Bombs

Saturday
$2 Wells
$3 Bombs
$5 Domestic Pitchers

Sunday
$2 Domestic $3 Import Bottles
$2.50 Irish Whiskey
$3 Irish Car Bombs

Keeping with the idea of a true bargain, Mickey’s offers $3 burgers as well as chips & salsa Friday after classes (2-5PM). There’s also a plethora of dinner specials available Monday-Thursday. As if this wasn’t enough, Mickey’s is a promising contender for ‘Best Music Played’ within all of the bars in Iowa City. With hip new bands such as Kid Cudi, Phoenix and Kings of Leon conquering each speaker, Mickey’s is arguably the closest thing this town will ever get to a Grammy.

Dueling Pianos

I think I went into a minor depression when I found out my number one, go-to, hot-spot was closing for an entire 30-day stretch. I could argue all day that any bar in Iowa City could technically be closed down at any moment for some sort of liquor violation, and it really just boils down to what bars cops feeling like going to. REGARDLESS, not important, solely because the always lovely, always classy, Vito's re-opened on Thursday.

They came back on the scene the same way they exited-- Dueling Pianos! Between the $1.50 beers and shots, I'd say they sounded alright. If the night would have just stayed like that, aka get a beer, walk and hear a few good songs, then repeat, the night would have been phenomenal. Instead though, it was more of a get a drink, get pushed, slammed and kicked while stuck in a pack of what looked to be 16 year olds. If you could strategically weave your way through the masses and fend off the outrageously hammered couples drunkly expressing their affection in the middle of the walk-ways, you were golden!

Part of me also said a brief prayer before I got there that the two piano players were replaced. Who in gods name doesn't know #1, Walking on Broken Glass or #2 Sweet Caroline, but knows every word to the "Heaven there is no beer," Iowa song. That's normal? Once I learned the large clear pitchers they each were regularly chugging between songs was vodka opposed to say, water, I let their sloppy, slurring lyrics slide.

Glad they re-opened, my friends and I are actually ecstatic. BUT, the next time they have to close and re-open (which I don't doubt will happen again multiple times before I graduate) I think I might hold off a day or three and go when I can at least walk and hold the occasional conversation without using sign-language.

STAY CLASSY KIDS

Who ever said that college kids couldn’t keep things classy? Well quite honestly, I don’t think that’s ever been said; even still, I feel it’s a fairly accurate conviction. As a second semester senior, I’ve pulled and witnessed some terribly mindless stunts after bar close–like the time I walked almost 2 miles with only a handful of napkins as shoes in a full-blown, snow storm. Or the time my roommate scaled a brick wall up to our second-floor apartment balcony only to walk into the wrong unit (we actually live on the third floor). Put simply, in the past four years I can cite numerous times when I have given the Iowa City community good reason to question a college student’s sophistication. In a last stitch effort to mitigate this off-putting perception, I’m beginning to take steps in a more grown-up direction.

That said, my girlfriend and I decided to spend Saturday night eating and sipping wine at Atlas World Grill. We requested a seat downstairs owing mostly to plain curiosity; I was glad we did too. The environment downstairs was cozy and pleasantly old-fashioned. Brick-and-stone walls, subtle scented candles and a fashionable menu made for a very tasteful experience. After spending much of the night eating and “casually drinking” (a concept still “in diapers” for me), I was happy with the night’s selection.

Unfortunately, keeping things classy isn’t cheap. Just as it costs $8 for a full bag of wine at Liquor Downtown, you’ll pay between $7-10 for one glass at Atlas. Dinner portions are however large enough to feed a small town, and so splitting an entre is an excellent way to rationalize your new, mature ways. While not as expensive as wine, you still won’t find $2 pints at Atlas. On the other hand, you’ll be able to sit down and have a conversation without heavy techno blazing at a rate that the floor starts quaking. Also worth noting, Atlas is a lovely place to show that special someone how much you appreciate their company. Even if it means picking up a few extra shifts in the Burge cafeteria to make up for your lofty night of spending, Atlas is well worth the extra man hours. It’s a must see before leaving Iowa City as it serves excellent food & drink, but also makes the idea of becoming ‘an adult’ not so uninviting.

MONDAY’S NEW FIX–The Mill

In 1999 Mike Judge, the writer of Office Space, decided he’d coin a phrase that would slowly work its way into the seams of American culture. Today, having ‘A case of the Mondays’ is common lingo and for me, an unfortunate fact of life. I feel I can speak for the masses when I say the most uplifting thing about Monday is that it’s only a 24-hour affair. Thankfully, the M-word only consumes 14% of the week and leaves the residual 86% for potentially exciting times.

Finding the good in a day that’s inherently glum was something I’d always tussled with, until of course I stumbled upon that little gem off of Burlington and Dubuque–The Mill. Until this Monday, my favorite part about the place was its ‘free-delivery policy’ on any food order. But my attitude swiftly changed after a night of unwarranted drinking with a few close friends. We sat down about 9PM and ending up closing the place down. If I hadn’t known any better, I would have mistaken it for a Thursday or Friday night (I don’t believe in going to the bars on Saturdays). We had such a ball, a few of us vowed to make ‘Mondays at the Mill’ our regular fix. Between the warped-over pool table, lip-smacking pizza and eclectic blend of people, it’s arguably impossible to leave disappointed. Further, you’ll begin to see Monday in a much brighter light.

If you hadn’t enough reason to test the waters, The Mill offers $2 domestics and free live entertainment (Open mic. night) every Monday. As an enticing bonus, you’ll be afforded the chance to shake hands with some of the burliest-haired men in Iowa City. You may even dig up the inspiration to raise that Abe Lincoln-like beard that you promised your mom you would never-in-a-million-years grow.