Mr. Dallas

Club operators, with their generous egos and worldly mien, seldom get caught looking chagrined. John Reardon did Saturday night, on the opening weekend for his Joyce Champagne Lounge and Nightclub downtown.

Wish Ultralounge's Sam Sameni breezed through with a gaggle of scantily clad, hand-painted provocateurs promoting Wish's "anti-censorship" party that night. They were there and gone in a blink of guerrilla theater. Mr. Reardon shrugged sheepishly, just the tiniest pebble on the rocky 16-month-long road to make Joyce a reality.

At first blush, the place appears worth the trip, making the best of a stolid rectangular space. A long, white marble bar at the front and a secondary bar in one corner provide the liquid amusement. The DJ booth overlooks an arrangement of crushed velvet furniture geared to bottle service. (Crowd flow gets sticky in the narrow pathway between one wall and that VIP enclave.) A designer friend credited the high, tufted banquette walls and drapes for superior noise control.

Rex C. Curry / Special to DMN

More Joyce is coming, specifically the "champagne lounge" portion. The second-floor space, expected to be finished in September, will specialize in bubbly by the bottle.

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More Joyce is coming, specifically the "champagne lounge" portion. Mr. Reardon expects to finish out a second-floor space in September that will specialize in bubbly by the bottle.

The club opens at 9:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. No cover, but there is door control.

Now that the lights are on at Joyce, there are still a few phantoms to pin down. Victor Tango's "mixology bar" will debut in late August or early September on Henderson Avenue, according to Consilient Restaurants' Norma Dickey. Joe Atkins predicts a Labor Day weekend opening for his Lion's Den pub on McKinney Avenue. And figure on late September at best for the mystery club at the Joule hotel downtown.

•Thursday: Multi-instrumentalist Goga plays at 9 at Trece, while Hollywood's DJ Cobra spins late at Wish Ultralounge, both in Knox-Henderson. It's also wine night at IV in State-Thomas, with flights and bottle specials from 8 to 11.

•Friday: The Havana Social Club in Victory Park hosts the pairing of Leblon Cachaca rum and Cao cigars from 8 to 10. It's $25 for nonmembers. Call ahead at 214-303-0544.

•Saturday: Hunter Sullivan takes the stage at the bar at Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, starting at 9.

•Sunday: Thomas Avenue Beverage Co. relieves the August burn with an ice luge in operation from 3 to 8. Shots of Grey Goose and Tuaca will sluice through it for $3.

Joyce

In 10 words or less: Early adopters mill to the music in posh setting.

How happening: Opening weekend rush on July 31 and Saturday.

Who's there: Twentysomething women in their sexiest frocks and "faux-hawks" in pursuit of them.

Prime real estate: Banquette next to the DJ booth.

Mr. Dallas chronicles night life for the over-30 set on the Web. He is not a positive role model. Read more at www.misterdallas.com.