We were anxious to experience Pan last night. The bar area is small but very attractively designed. There is a cocktail area and also a bar area in front of the open kitchen with some tables and cozy seating options. I was told there was also an upstairs dining area.
You know when you have a dinner party & things don't go exactly the way you planned? The guests all arrive in a rush and you're not quite ready, the drinks are taking a while to make and food is taking longer than you thought to get finished. Then the guests start fading out the door before the best dishes you really wanted them to try were ready. That's pretty much what happened last night.
The poor lone bartender had the entire bar surrounded 3 deep by 7:05pm. She was rocking the cocktails 5-6 at a time but the crowd just kept growing. Eventually a 2nd bartender began helping and the congestion eased soon after.
The food staging left something to be desired although once it arrived, everything was tasty. The mackerel & salmon sushi bites were plated on the kitchen side counter early and then nothing more came out until 8:00pm when the edamame hummus came out. About 20 minutes later the short rib arrived, then the fried tofu about 10 minutes after the ribs were gone. Many people had gone before the ribs & tofu arrived and the executive chef spoke.
I totally understand that things beyond your control often happen. Hosting an event like this is quite an undertaking and a learning experience for a fairly new business. You've got great potential and I'd like to come back for Happy Hour to check out more of your signature cocktails & food!