In news both shocking and not-shocking, Punk Noir, a highly eclectic tasting restaurant in Dallas' Design District has closed. The restaurant, an ambitious and costly enterprise, had been open a brief 4 1/2 months in business.
The closure was shocking in its suddenness. According to an employee, the owners came in and fired the entire staff on Wednesday, October 14 — only one day after the restaurant posted about a new menu for the fall on its Instagram page.
Punk Noir opened on June 2 at 139 Turtle Creek Blvd, #130 with a 20-course tasting menu and an immersive, multi-room design — smashing the conventions of fine dining, as a press release announcing the opening stated so eloquently.
The owners were Dallas natives John McKeel and his sons Cole and Clay McKeel, who described it as a "rebellion against the ordinary," inspired by their personal experiences traveling across the USA, Europe, and Japan, eating at many Michelin-starred restaurants, some ranked among the Top 50 in the world.
"So many of them had amazing food, but the experience often felt flat — stiff, quiet, and even intimidating," they said. "We wanted to create something different: food that is just as refined and world-class, but an experience that is unforgettable, irreverent, and full of energy."
To lead the kitchen, they recruited chef RJ Cooper, who won a James Beard Award for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic in 2007. But the space became as well known for its radical punk-inspired design, with neon colors, a dark, black-light ambience, and a dramatic communal dining room with projection-mapped visuals and graffiti art.
Punk Noir had an unusual decor style. Courtesy rendering
It was easily one of the most expensive meals in Dallas, with a 20-course tasting menu priced at $295 — and that was without wine pairings or culinary flourishes that could push the price over $1,000. Per person.
The odd combination of high price and unorthodox, urban atmosphere would be a stretch even in the most sophisticated city, which Dallas is not. Thus, the "not shocking" part.
The owners did not respond to a request for comment about the closure, and whether or not the restaurant's omission from the latest Michelin Guide Awards, revealed only a week ago, may have been a factor.
But Cooper, who said it had been a "stressful 24 hours," shared a statement, saying that "Punk Noir was never simply about a 20-course menu, theatrical experiences, or the pursuit of Michelin recognition."
"What we assembled at Punk Noir was something genuinely special," Cooper said. "It was a collective of passionate individuals who believed in pushing boundaries, challenging convention, and pursuing a level of creativity and hospitality that demanded courage, discipline, and an unwavering commitment to craft. While the restaurant's chapter may have come to an unexpected close, the talent, imagination, and dedication of those who gave themselves to this project remain very much alive."
A Billecart-Salmon Champagne dinner that was scheduled to take place at Punk Noir on Friday, October 16 has been canceled, but Cooper fans can still get a chance at his food, as the chef is participating in a dinner on October 19 at the Meridian at The Village with chef Eduardo Osorio, as part of the restaurant's Chef Collective Series.
