Mr. D's Diary

:: March 24, 8:30-10:30 p.m.
Drálion anniversary party
The brisk breeze blowing through the Centrum building atrium created a wind-tunnel effect at The Drálion on March 24. Nicotine addicts of the feminine gland, gathered outside the restaurant/lounge at its first anniversary party, had Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch moments. They tugged to keep their skirts down to modesty’s length and the prying eyes of companions safe in their sockets.
The anniversary was a bit belated, coming 15 months after The Drálion’s soft opening, but never mind: It was the liveliest night for the place in a long time. A SkyTracker punched the overcast sky with searchlights. Owner Khahn Dao estimated that more than 1,000 voluptuaries scarfed Vietnamese egg rolls and sesame chicken, white cosmos and Cava. Comedian/actor Eddie Griffin mingled with local scenesters.
The Drálion has undergone a Feng Shui makeover in recent months. The lounge looks more inviting, with auspicious shades of red and gold added to the warm wood hues. A mirror ball scatters reflected light and bad vibes. Ornamental firecrackers hang from the ceiling to disperse demons or anxious vendors. Maybe this is the real start of a new year.
Pros: Indochine hors d’oeuvres and other lovely morsels.
Cons: Mother Nature remonstrated against revelers on the patio.

Photo by MEI-CHUN JAU / The Dallas Morning News

:: Feb. 7, 11 p.m.-1 a.m.
Sans Souci
Here’s a thought experiment: How long would it take a garden-variety bar-hopper who walks into Sans Souci not knowing it’s a swingers’ club to puzzle that out? Are the women dressed more provocatively than at Candle Room? Not really. Is the close-order drill on the dance floor more fervent than at Seven? Not by much.
Figure 10 to 20 minutes before the light bulb would go on over even the dimmest brow. Realistically, though, anybody who enters knows already. Sans Souci is a brand and has been for two decades. It’s moved around, from a windowless cinder-block box near Love Field to a rambling space on a ragged stretch of Walnut Hill Lane to its current choice plot at the top of the Sterling Hotel, northwest of downtown.
There, like-minded couples sip cocktails from what look to be juice glasses and make pungent eye contact. They shimmy to a beat-heavy mainstream mix that hasn’t changed enough over the years. The furniture — puritanical straight-backed chairs and tiny tables — hasn’t changed much either. A long expanse of glass looks back on downtown Dallas, but the window seats aren’t prime real estate, tables near the dance floor are. That’s where the meet-and-greet occurs to the strains of Montel Jordan’s “This Is How We Do It” and 50 Cent’s “In Da Club.”
Pros: Good-natured concupiscence, sight lines.
Cons: Moldy music, unforgiving furniture.

:: Jan. 31, 9:30-10:30 p.m.
Spike
Spike is the little lounge that could, chugging up a hill called Mockingbird Station. That retail-residential complex is a laudable example of new urbanism. It’s also a bit of a hassle to get into and around, and clubgoers are notoriously hassle-averse. The entrance on the Central frontage road is difficult not to miss; surface parking is snug as is the underground deck.
The Spike proprietors are trying to out-hustle the hassles by ginning up specials through the week — service industry Mondays, “hump day” Wednesdays with DJ Willie Trimmer, jazz on Sundays and a planned “ladies’ night.” Spike is also expanding into a vacant adjacent space in the next few weeks.
The crowd is very variable: moviegoers marking time before heading into the Angelika, Virgin Megastore shoppers resting their feet and some actual night-lifers who mean to be there.
Pros: Unfussy good vibe, enterprising staff.
Cons: Mockingbird Station squeeze.

Photo by RANDY ELI GROTHE / The Dallas Morning News

:: Jan. 24, 9:30-11 p.m.
Passport
A Braniff Airlines lounge was the inspiration for Passport, which opened three weeks ago on Ross Avenue just east of Central. Matthew Giese, veteran drink-shaker and scene-maker, can discourse at length on the glories of mid-century modernism that enrapture him and collaborators Kenny Jakova and Parker Lawson. But their clientele of comely young things and Shirt Guys might prefer the Cliff Notes version: “cool new club.”
Pros: Jet-set decor, old pros behind the bar, winning lounge mix from DJ Lawson.
Cons: Problematic street parking, valet logjam.

Photo by JOHN F. RHODES / The Dallas Morning News