High-Style Dance Clubs Sashay Into O.C. Hot on Heels of Upscale Eateries

The opening of Planet Hollywood and Hard Rock Cafe is just the beginning.

Recently, some high-style dance clubs have been planned for the county as well.

Elie Samaha, the stylish owner of the Roxbury club in Los Angeles, is planning to open a Roxbury South at Hutton Centre in Santa Ana. Originally intended to debut with a New Year’s Eve bash attended by some of Hollywood’s hottest young stars, the opening has since been put off--probably until Valentine’s Day.

Besides dancing, the club will also offer a restaurant operated by David Wilhelm, whose Orange County eateries include Bistro 201 in Irvine and the new Diva in Costa Mesa.

Samaha said he has been too busy opening a new club in Pasadena to finish up the Orange County dance spot. But when it comes, he hints that such celebrities as Julian Lennon, Christian Slater, rapper Gerardo and his fiancee, “Wayne’s World” heartthrob Tia Carrere, will be filling the VIP Room.

Meanwhile, the owners of the Shark Club, an upscale billiard hall in Costa Mesa, opened another club about three weeks ago. Metropolis, in the Marketplace center on Campus Drive in Irvine, offers billiards and pool in an upscale atmosphere like the Shark Club. But it also has dancing and a sushi bar.