Erik Shewmaker
Owner and general manager @ Blackstone

What inspired you to open this restaurant?

We wanted to bring a Chicago-caliber restaurant with stylish atmosphere and food to Iowa City, and we noticed that the east side of Iowa City had been neglected by commercial development, especially by restaurants.

How would you describe your cuisine?

Stylish American food with Asian and Mediterranean influences. We have a lot of classic comfort foods done in a way that’s a little different. Like our mac and cheese — we use a special cheese mix and add some applewood bacon, which brings out a really unique flavor. The mac and cheese started off as just a side item, but it was so wildly popular that we added it as an entree. It’s easily our No. 1 seller.

What other dishes are popular?

Our burgers are all very popular. We use high-quality beef and hand-patty it, so the burgers are really juicy. We have some standout appetizers, too – sagnaki, a flaming Greek cheese; a satay sampler, chicken, beef and shrimp skewers with various dipping sauces; and some gigantic chicken fingers.

You also offer a gluten-free menu?

Yes. We were noticing a lot of requests for gluten-free items, and we saw an opportunity to jump on that need and learned as much as we could about what’s available for gluten-free menus and what you need to do to prepare gluten-free foods. It’s something we take very seriously.

What’s the best part of your job?

The people. They’re the reason why we’re successful. It makes me look forward to coming to work every day. I consider myself friends with both the staff and our guests. We try to get to know people and grow our relationships.

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

I love to be active, challenging myself in some aspect, whether mountain biking, playing golf, working out, or pretty munch anything that gets the hair on the back of my neck standing up. I like to put myself on the edge.

— ANNE