Speakeasy's, New Albany

A really wonderful evening at the new Speakeasy's restaurant/lounge tonight in New Albany. Dinner took a long time coming, but the staff were wonderful and accommodating, the food really good once it came, and the band top notch. Wednesdays are promised for dance in their very roomy piano/bar space (the owner, in a prelude to what was to come, plays a good coronet), and it all looks very very promising. We had a really good time tonight and are looking forward to more.

I was there on opening night - frankly, it was a disaster, but I'm willing to write it off to it being their first "real" day and the size of the crowd. We had reservations but were not seated before the band started (a separate ticket, by the way) and then had to share a table at the very back of the room with another group we didn't know. We never even were asked if we wanted dinner! And, in the category of "out of their control," the air conditioning system failed in one side of the building and the bar area filled up with smoke from the kitchen.

But, it is a very attractive space, and nice folks are trying to make it a success, and I'll no doubt be back to give them another try. Glad to hear your experience was a good one.

I was there on opening night - frankly, it was a disaster, but I'm willing to write it off to it being their first "real" day and the size of the crowd. We had reservations but were not seated before the band started (a separate ticket, by the way) and then had to share a table at the very back of the room with another group we didn't know. We never even were asked if we wanted dinner! And, in the category of "out of their control," the air conditioning system failed in one side of the building and the bar area filled up with smoke from the kitchen.

But, it is a very attractive space, and nice folks are trying to make it a success, and I'll no doubt be back to give them another try. Glad to hear your experience was a good one.

Do give them another try. Opening venues is like going to hell (having done it many times I can tell you) and their's was not a "soft" opening (Glen Miller Orchestra). Indeed, I think they should be praised for just surviving a night such as that. It is a gorgeous venue and I know they will do just fine once the kinks are all worked out. They do so much to enhance our little corner of the world and I wish them all the best!

Where or what is the Speakeasy located near in New Albany?

Where or what is the Speakeasy located near in New Albany?

It's a Jazz Club on State Street (right next to the 1950,s looking Firestone Tire place and across the street from Smiths "the furniture corner" of State and Main St.) Good Jazz and food!.......

I think it's fair to say they need to work some kinks out, but I assumed that going in. I wouldn't have wanted to be there opening night.

The staff should probably be coached about what's going on (nobody seemed to know who was playing or what the promised dance venue was about). But when I spoke briefly to the owner, he noted they hadn't worked out quite when the dance thing was happening, but luckily the man from Shall We Dance studio around the corner who're operating that part of it was standing right there and he filled me in and then gave me an impromptu spin around the floor to demonstrate a particular form of "nightclub two" they offer. All nice folks. Looking forward to going back.

I'd offer a suggestion, if anybody's here on the forum, that they modulate the lighting even more than they did for the music part of the evening and maybe put out some more/bigger candles for that which would add to the atmosphere significantly. The overhead lights were a little overwhelming for that, even when they were dimmed.

Thanks for the location!!! Will stop in!

I was also at the opening night. I was impressed that the owner was still showing some control by the end of the night. The combination of the air conditioning and the hood failing in the kitchen made one side of the place unbearable. Luckily for me, they had NABC Mt. Lees on draft to help keep me cool. Once we got over to the other side of the building for the music, it was simply amazing. I chalked it all up to opening night hell, and knew we would be coming back to support them later

The biggest thing I noticed was the poor wine list. They are apparently the victims of one of the area sales reps who pushed their entire portfolio of low end wines on them. Hopefully they can adjust these as they go.

Todd L. called it properly, but I was a bit more circumspect here:

http://cityofnewalbany.blogspot.com/2007/06/in-mood-saturday-at-speakeasy-with.html

Brad and Lori deserve credit for steaming ahead with extra difficulty points. I've eaten several meals there, and the kitchen will be fine. It's an excellent venue, as noted here, and the beer selection will be good even if the wine's not there yet.

The biggest challenge is when their jazz combo is eventually asked to "play some Skynyrd," or even worse, Buffett.

Props to Dave Clancy for being a team player. There are a bunch of people trying our best to make downtown New Albany a contender, so come down and give theese establishments a try.

Note: And drink an NABC beer while there ...