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.