Don't Tell – There's A New Nightlife Spot In Dallas
As proof that what happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas, Don't Tell Supper Club (DT) has come to Dallas. Loud and over the top, it is the full Vegas dinner-and-a-show experience (minus the gambling). When we arrived for a media event at 7:30 p.m. on a recent Friday, things were still in first gear. A multi-instrumentalist guitarist on the stage worked with modern electronics to play everything from rap to rock. We absorbed the scene with the signature cocktail Don't Tell; the brain-waking tequila drink claimed to contain a secret ingredient promising to 'electrify your mouth'. Without giving too much away, I can assure you it did.
Our next priority was to get fed and that brings up a really important point about DT. If you have been to as many supper clubs as I have you are likely pretty jaded about the second-string food. Not here. Tre Wilcox, former executive chef of Abacus and current owner of Tre Wilcox Cooking Concepts, consulted on the food. The result is things like big-eye tuna tartar ($19) with scallions, yuzu, and black radish, and wonton crackers to eke the fish out; smoked yellowtail sashimi ($21) with grapefruit, jalapeño, cucumber, and avocado purée; and Kobe beef carpaccio ($20) with shallot-black pepper vinaigrette, key lime, yellow tomatoes, and toast. It reads like Abacus redux, probably at the client's request to give the menu a touch of Nobu. The food execution was as good as promised, particularly the ethereal yellowtail sashimi. Just two items on the menu are main dish sized, a fish course (pan-seared cobia, $32, on the night we went) and a Prime NY strip steak ($60/$90). We went for the latter, served medium rare with a jus. Service is flamboyant, with dishes delivered on on wooden planchas with gold statues doubling as handles for the waitstaff. For the steak the statue was an ominous 'Wicker Man' style cow's head.
While we waited for our food, a magician performed a couple of totally convincing card tricks tableside. I wish I could do something similar with my end-of-year tax return. His sword-swallowing trick was fun too, making me peckish.
Things pick up about 8:30 p.m., and at 9 p.m. there is a burlesque show, with fire breathers and acrobats. The flexible space has two levels with a movable ceiling to adjust the intimacy. The crowd continues to swell until after midnight. Be aware that even early in the night, live music creates a pumped-up volume level. The multi-instrumental guitarist produced an average of around 95dB (typical club loudness) with inter-set recorded music at 85dB (both measured by Decibel 10).
Owner Derek Braun has run clubs in Las Vegas and has checked seemingly all the boxes for success here. However, Dallas has proven to be fickle with nightclubs in the past (Starck Club, Sense, and others) so Braun's execution is going to be crucial.
A couple of visitor tips. First, use the complimentary valet parking for convenience. Second, DT is open Thursday to Saturday – so sleep in Sunday. Third, there is nothing else like this in town. Check it out!