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Will Ella Be Just Another Speakcheesy?

Ella the person.
Ella the person. Photo: Getty Images


Metromix rounds up the bars opening this fall, and while we probably won’t be braving the Village Pourhouse’s Columbia location (and we’ve already told you about Apothéke and Chestnut’s 25-seat next-door lounge, Chestnut Bar) we’re intrigued by the requisite faux-speakeasy contender, Ella: A “bi-level piano bar and cocktail lounge channeling the glamour of 1920s Hollywood,” from the owners of Plan B and GalleryBar. Who knows, Ella may well be a gem (we’re promised the 1920s garb on the bartenders will be “sexy but not costumey”), but let it be known: Bars that go down this road unsuccessfully will now be called speakcheesies. We’re watching you, Ella.

Meanwhile, the Daily News brings news of a decidedly forward-thinking venue, the Queensbridge Theater, which will open in Long Island City in October. The 5,000-square-foot club will be “the first of its kind in the borough, where locals can dance, dine and watch live performances, all in one place.” At the helm: Robert Prichard, whose Surf Reality theater was, of course, priced out of Manhasbeen. The L.I.C. zip code will serve him well, since the venue will be open 21 hours a day — no 2 a.m. closing time here!

Long Island City Supper Club Aims to Rock Amid The Rolls [NYDN]
Fall Bars Preview ‘08 [Metromix]

Will Ella Be Just Another Speakcheesy?