Nightlife Notebook: Provocateur Returns, JBird Opens, More

MEATPACKING DISTRICT— Time sure flies when you are having fun in the sun, but eventually even nightclub owners have to come back to work. After closing their club in late July to spend a few weeks in Ibiza, Mike Satsky and Brian Gefter are scheduled to reopen Provocateur this week. Guess that means that their European clients who are so fashionably dressed have finally decided it was time to return to New York as well. [EaterWire]

EAST VILLAGE— A tipster tells the Eater Nightlife desk that the Phoenix, the popular neighborhood gay bar, has been sold and that the new owners are going to be making some significant changes to the place. What kind of changes? Basically the bar will get a new name and will no longer be a gay bar. An employee who answered the phone last night in the bar had no information, and there were no owners or managers willing to talk with Eater. Stay tuned. [EaterWire]

MIDTOWN— Get ready for J Bird, a new cocktail lounge that soft opened this week beneath XVI Lounge overlooking Times Square. Guests can expect to get top quality cocktail service from Jason Litrell (Death and Co, Dram) in one of the more intimate settings in the area. Email here for reservations, as no walk ins will be welcome for the time being. [EaterWire]

SOHO— It seems that rumors of the Dutch opening a new speakeasy in the restaurant's basement were unfounded. The Feast's Ben Leventhal says via Twitter "Am in receipt of a formal denial of any/all speakeasy activity in the PDR at The Dutch", but adds that the denial means it's a "50-50 shot it's down there". [Twitter]

BIRTHDAYS— Happy birthday to nightlife kingpin Noah Tepperberg, who will be celebrating tonight with a 300 person dinner at Tao and then heading over to Lavo for a night of revelry. [NYP]

CHINATOWN— It's almost Labor Day weekend which means that Fashion Week is right around the corner. There will be much more coverage coming, but the question that is still on everyone's mind is what's happening with Le Baron. Despite claims by Andre that Le Baron would be ready by September, the place doesn't seem close to opening and most likely will not be ready for at least several months. Now the question is, will it ever open? And more importantly, will anyone care that it doesn't? [EaterWire]

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