Entertainment

C'mon, c'mon. What's taking so long? Oh yeah: city permits, drywall, recessed lighting brackets, liquor contracts and bartenders without felony raps.

Dan Walbridge

Already open is the Charlie Palmer restaurant, which has a promising bar menu.

The city's next round of high-profile nightspots are still weeks to months shy of opening, but they're already starting to show a little leg. Take this intel with more than a grain of margarita salt. The club world is a variable environment, to say the least. Here's the latest about what's happening when:

•The downtown club Joyce was almost lost in the mists of time and contractor hiccups, but is on the mend. Expect the debut in late March. The advertised concept looks promising, though exaggerated – "Dallas' first-ever champagne lounge and nightclub" – if only because of a personal fondness for the bubbly and intrigue at the Old West dance-hall gal prancing across the promotional circular.

It's taking text-messaged reservations for the opening, at "JOYCE" to 38714. The club is at 723 N. Pearl St., across from the Plaza of the Americas.

•Draped in tantalizing mystery, Noir Bar is supposed to inhabit the basement of the under-development Joule hotel on Main Street by early summer. Publicists are keeping zipped lips about this import from Las Vegas' Pure Management Group, which is responsible for the casino megaclubs Pure and LAX.

If it's like the Noir Bar in Vegas, expect a "mixology bar" dedicated to fresh ingredients and first-rate concoctions, with accompanying towering tabs.

•The nightspot coming to One Arts Plaza is still coming, but with a different name: Canvas. The strategy here will be VIP-plus, with membership by purchase, including encrypted access card (how double-nought spy), private bartender, private powder room and elevated seating – all the better to sneer at you from.

The ETA is late May or June.

•Consilient Restaurants is reoccupying the much-lamented Sense space on Henderson Avenue with its mixology bar, Victor Tango's, described as a "speakeasy/upscale pub/anti-nightclub" – no soda guns, no bottle service, no guest list.

"Victor Tango" is bar slang for a vodka tonic. Due date for the club: late May or June.

Already up and running next to the Joule is the Charlie Palmer restaurant. The handsome little bar – it seats 26 – was barren on a recent visit, but it's worth a return. There's a promising bar menu, the wines by the glass include an acceptable Rhone at the low end ($8), and the short list of specialty drinks includes a Sazerac. Background music is turn-of-the-century chill lounge (Thievery Corporation, Tosca and such).

Those loathsome $8 valet charges had kept Mr. Dallas away since New Year's Eve, but Victory Park looked to be filling in nicely, at least with retail, on Feb. 14, when the Christopher Martin Gallery held its opening party.

The threads-conscious should drop by the Duncan Quinn menswear boutique, if only for a gander at the outsize supercool posters of Sean Connery and Michael Caine at their most debonair and the Rolling Stones at their most peacockish. Also, La Condesa restaurant and tequila bar has just opened next to American Airlines Center. It's having a private tequila tasting tonight.

The folks from Obar are high-tailing it to Vegas on Wednesday to pick up an award for making it onto Nightclub & Bar magazine's top 100 list. ... Plano's hipster hotel the Nylo started a new happy hour Wednesday, featuring a DJ, complimentary nibbles and drink specials from 5 to 7 p.m. The Nylo hosts a grand opening March 6. ... Valentine's Day is past, but IV lounge in State-Thomas is continuing this special through February: a complimentary bottle of house champagne with every bottle-service reservation. ... Chicago house impresario Felix Da Housecat is scheduled to spin tonight at Ghostbar; no cover.

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