Nick & Sam’s restaurant in Dallas throws glitzy over-the-top 10th-anniversary party

by Teresa Gubbins

DALLAS — In the restaurant world, the story you hear most commonly these days is of closures. So Thursday night's party at Nick & Sam's, the swanky steakhouse on Maple Avenue in Dallas celebrating its 10-year anniversary, exuded a strange giddy elation: a feisty defiance against these tough financial times, combined with a cross-your-fingers optimism that maybe we can get through this thing and get back to life the way it used to be before everything went down the toilet.

The parking lot looked like a luxury car dealership. Without trying, you could see three Lamborghinis, two Aston Martins, one Bentley, and too many Mercedes, BMWs, and Audis to count. Who rents a searchlight anymore, and yet there was one on the corner, streaking the sky.

As for the party, it's an exaggeration to say that "no expense was spared", but that's definitely the cliche that came to mind. A trio of gorgeous brunettes checked you in at the door -- as the invitation said, "your name must appear on the guest list" -- and handed you a poker chip to use at one of the dozen or so blackjack tables erected throughout the restaurant. More gorgeous brunettes-for-hire stood like sentries at the doorway, wearing Playboy-esque getups of fishnet stockings and black maillots.

Food stands were set up throughout the restaurant: one cook flipping grilled ham-and-cheese sandwiches -- oh, sorry, panini -- another cutting slices of rare tenderloin, a third spooning out shredded pork and corn bread behind a lacquered roast pig with green olives for eyes.

Tray after tray of food was passed around by waiters: crabcake sliders, lamb-chop "lollipops", baby lobster pot pies, yellowtail sashimi perched on thick slices of cucumber. A long dessert bar stood in the middle of the room with trays of baby cupcakes, petit fours, miniature lemon meringue tarts, and perfectly cut squares of chocolate-raspberry mousse cake, all beneath an ice sculpture with the words "10 years". My uber-critical acquaintance noted a "Grey Goose" etched on the base; even despite the opulent spread, he griped that Nick & Sam's got a possible discount on the ice sculpture. He's a fun guy.

There was so much food that people were eating half of what was on their plate and then tossing it aside, which seemed like a sin, especially when it was deep-fried lobster on top of thick fresh noodles in a spicy cilantro sauce.

Hunter Sullivan sang, backed by a five-piece band, and there was an open bar. Presiding over it all were owners Phil "Dennis Farina" Romano and Joseph Palladino, both of whom looked like money -- like they were the stars of their own movies.

Romano, wearing a sharply tailored suit and a precision haircut, walked around exchanging actual high-fives with other men in sharp suits; Palladino held court in a corner of the room, allowing people to come up to him as if he was the Pope. (I committed an awkward faux pas by trying to thank Romano for improving the quality of life in Dallas by opening Eatzi's and he looked at me uncomprehendingly, paused for a moment, and then said, "Oh. Alright.")

There were 600 official guests with an estimated 200 extra hangers-on. All sorts of player types were there, from rich Scott Ginsburg to model Jan Strimple to Dallas Observer restaurant critic Dave Faries.

My acquaintance thinks about things like food cost, and calculated that the party was probably budgeted at $10 per head. Adding in staff, band, and other details (one bartender admitted that attendance was mandatory for every employee), the total cost of this shindig easily lay in the vicinity of $10,000.

You gotta hand it to any restaurant that can stay in business for 10 years. After leaving, I drove by the new lower priced spinoff, Nick & Sam's Grill, and it was absolutely packed.

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