Openings

Speakeasies Real and Unreal: Panda and You Are Not Wanted

UrbanDaddy brings word of a café-by-day and bar-by-night from “a veteran of the much beloved, now deceased, all around great bar Passerby.” We hear the man in question is Joe Latimore, seen here blessing Passerby faithful with “pussy juice.” Panda, said to be opening Wednesday, sounds a lot like Passerby 2.0 to us, which means the scene should be plenty democratic (or rather, as democratic as the narrow gallery space will allow). But still, a detail about the door being marked only by a stencil of a panda bear forces us to quote John Hodgman, in this week’s Time Out, regarding speakeasies such as PDT and the famous (?) You Are Not Wanted: “If you have ever noticed people sneaking under your bed while you sleep, that is because there is a neospeakeasy under there, and I am the host, and though I adore you, you are not invited.”

Panda, 139 Chrystie St, nr. Delancey St.; 212-334-6770

John Hodgman’s fake facts about New York City [TONY]
Art, Sake and Late-Night Dance Parties [UrbanDaddy]

Speakeasies Real and Unreal: Panda and You Are Not Wanted