NY Times props for a Vino's Martini

So I'm reading the New York Times dining section, page D6, dead tree edition even, when  I came across this article by Jeremy Peters, a politics and media reporter who covered the Iowa caucuses:

I WASN'T prepared to find martini perfection in a Cedar Rapids, Iowa, strip mall.

Maybe my excitement had something to do with low expectations. Or maybe it was the long workday, which closed with a two-hour “Faith, Family and Freedom” town hall hosted by Rick Santorum. He is not known for brevity.

But with that first sip from the bar at Vino's Ristorante, it didn't matter where I was. This was an exceptional gin martini. It was cold, clean and crisp, shaken just enough so there was a small island of ice shavings floating at the top. The pour was generous but not too much so, stopping just short of the lip of the glass so none would spill over.

The Atlantic online, however, smells a  hint of vermouth and snobbery:

With reports of a "perfect martini" found in the heart of Iowa, the reporters at the New York Times may have finally realized that the people of the Midwest are more than ham-fisted, meat-eating, troglodytes and they too deserve nice things to eat and drink.

Too bad The Atlantic's snob detectors weren't as sharp when Stephen Bloom submitted his infamous Iowa smack down.

Oh, I dunno. My first instinct is to be happy for Vino's and its very cool lounge, R.G. Books, which are among my favorite spots in town.

I have also enjoyed a few gin martinis there. Mine were served upright and full of the exact booze that I ordered, just how I like them. Not so sure I got the "small island of ice shavings," but it's likely. I have not sampled the Boodles gin, as Peters did. Next time.

And it may have taken a couple of weeks to figure out who won the caucuses, but it appears that Cedar Rapids has won the race for the best caucus martini. No tie. No missing ballots. No resignations. Hands down. Congrats, Veno's.