NiteTalk: A Choice Spot Called Blackbird Ordinary

Just when you thought Miami couldn't be any more blessed than it is, bar-wise, along comes a choice spot called Blackbird Ordinary. Brought to life by the same folks behind both the Beach's Purdy Lounge and The Bar in Coral Gables, the Blackbird takes the same non-nonsense approach of its siblings and soups it up some for Brickell. NIteside got with co-owner Dan Binkiewicz and asked him to fill us in.

Wanna tell us a bit about Blackbird Ordinary?
The theme of the Blackbird Ordinary was a Mad Men-type bar, an LA '50s kind of lounge. Drinking in comfort. There also will be a live music twist, We have a huge back patio which I plan to turn into a live music venue.

What's the story behind the name? How we came up with the name ordinary. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries ordinaries were taverns, bars and public houses for everyday people. They were generally placed by river ports, and frequented by sailors and dockworkers and the rest of the ship-working clientele. So our interpretation is that an ordinary is a place to have drinks. A blackbird is of course a songbird, combine the two and you get a place to have a drink and some fun, and to listen to music.

Who all is in on the action? My partners are John Donovan, Richard  Dispenzieri,  Lou Petrillo and me, Dan Binkiewicz; it's the same team behind both the Purdy Lounge and the Bar.

When did you first actually open up?
We opened December 26th, but have not had our official Grand Opening yet. We plan to do that when the back patio/live music area is completely renovated.

Neither has affected Blackbird's scheduling, has it? Not at all. Our hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 3PM to 5AM, and Saturday and Sunday from 5PM to 5AM. Our happy hour is Monday through Friday from 3 to 7 and we're doing a two-for-one special.

How does Blackbird differ from your other venues? Blackbird differs from the Purdy Lounge and the Bar in a few ways, it will have more live music than their siblings, and there's also a greater emphasis on handcrafted cocktails. Frankly, Blackbird is a little nicer than its brother and sister too. Definitely classier. All of our bars are throw down and have a good time kinda places, though, so hopefully they'll all be the same in that regard.

Does the neighborhood itself provide any unique challenges? Every bar that we own has its unique challenges. For the Blackbird the challenge is learning what the clientele wants and giving them a good time, yet sticking to our guns on what we know. And what we know is giving people an affordable good time.

Any chance you adding a fourth venue to your arsenal anytime in the near or distant future?
Actually, we already have a fourth bar, up in Nashville, and it's called Bar No. 308. It just got voted best new bar in Nashville by The Nashville Scene. John Donovan isn't a partner there though -- it's just me, Lou, Richie. As for a 5th bar?  Maybe. Never know what the future holds. But we'll do it if the conditions are right.

What else do we need to know about Dan Binkiewicz before you go-go? I'm committed to giving people a good time. Unfortunately I feel Miami is more about being seen, VIP and all that bs, instead of what's most important -- and that's having fun. People forget it's about having a good time. And I'm here to remind them. All four of my bars are for regular people, because to me everybody's a VIP. I'll never have a door guy that picks and chooses people out of line or discriminates. All of my bars will always be affordable for everyone even if we are making delicious handcrafted cocktails. Another thing that's important to me is that the staff in all of our bars has been with us from the beginning, some of them for over a decade. It gives us a sense of family.

Blackbird Ordinary is located at 729 SW 1st Ave Miami. For more information log on here.

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