Awards
CITYVIEW's Best of Des Moines 2008
Best First-Date Spot
Black Cat Café
This is one of its many awards the new Ingersoll business received this year. Although they are new on the scene, the public, as shown by their awards, enjoys the dim lighting, comfy furniture and soothing vibe of this hybrid coffee shop/lounge. It offers something for everybody, including coffee, wine, live music and breakfast pizza.
Runners-up: Café Di Scala, Mars Café
Best Place to Hook Up
Black Cat Café
The dark and cozy atmosphere is a great place to meet a member of the opposite sex. Sit down and relax and the pick-up lines will start flowing. Although it doesn’t have the pure numbers of the runners-up, you can actually talk to a person, rather than screaming in their ear as you pour shots down their throat.
Runners-up: Impulse, (tie) Liars Club and Drink
Best Wait Staff
Black Cat Café
The newest member of the Ingersoll coffee club, Black Cat Café brings Brazilian jazz, homemade crepes (three savory and nine dessert), free wireless internet and an East European ambiance with hanging lanterns, mismatched furniture, cozy nooks and a Euro-weighted wine and beer menu. Customers have responded and this cosmopolitan coffeehouse now sports the Best Wait staff honor, too.
Runners-up: Centro, Tursi’s Latin King
Best Wine Selection
Black Cat Café
How does a coffee shop win “Best Wine Selection?” We don’t know either, but as we said before, Black Cat Café offers a little bit of everything, including 16 varieties of wine. You can buy it by the bottle ($20-36) or the glass ($5-7).
Runners-up: Flemmings, Café Di Scala
Best West Side Hangout
Cabaret West Glen
Runners-up: Drink, Black Cat Café
Best Kept Secret on the Local Restaurant Scene
The Continental
Runners-up: Flying Mango, (tie) J Benjamin’s
and Black Cat Café
Best Place to See Beautiful People
Impulse
Runners-up: Liars Club, Black Cat Café
Best Live Music Venue
People’s Court
Runners-up: Vaudeville Mews, Black Cat Café