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]