"Everyone walking into MAD right now is wearing a suit," an exasperated woman whispered into her phone from a sidewalk in River Oaks District.

The blow came as a double-whammy. Not only did a well-heeled crowd file into MAD - short for the airport code of Madrid and arguably the most coveted reservation in town - late Thursday evening, but the newly opened Spanish restaurant was also closed to the public for a private event.

Crushing news for anyone hoping to snag a last-minute table or seat at the bar, though truthfully, the chances of either coming to fruition were slim to none.

In the months since the Rothko Chapel's MAD dinner had been rescheduled from its original June date, the 6,000 square-foot space became Houston's summer hotspot. Reservations are booked six weeks out, cocktail bar real estate included.

For all the hype, the sensory overloaded dining room truly delivers. It's a visual feast for the eyes, with stimulating light fixtures, velvet love seats, mixed metals and iron staircases to nowhere. The mirrored, art-filled lavatories alone have more vibe than any nightclub dance floor in recent memory, and provide the sort of FOMO-inducing social media posts that resulted in the aforementioned wait-list.

In many ways, MAD is the antithesis of Rothko Chapel. A contrast of high-def maximalism opposite a literal study of peace and restraint.

But hey, a little party never hurt nobody.

"I go to BCN Taste & Tradition for fine dining, I come to MAD for fun dining," quipped Lynn Wyatt, Rothko Chapel's cultural ambassador of owner Ignacio Torras and chef Luis Roger's sister eatery. "Being here reminds me of when my husband Oscar and I had the honor of hosting the astronauts, and we convinced Liza Minelli to join us. I think the arts are the soul of every city. And Mrs. Dominique de Menil is truly the model of arts patron."

The sold-out crowd, all fellow arts patrons, nodded knowingly at mention of de Menil, who founded the Rothko Chapel with her husband John in 1971. And though the restoration and expansion of the Menil Collection-adjacent campus is behind schedule, as confirmed by board chair Michael Piana, nearly $15 million of its $30 million "Opening Spaces" capital campaign has been raised, thanks in part to BBVA USA. Newly appointed CEO Javier Rodriguez Soler had a hand in both the evening's guest list and subsequent $130,000 raised.

With super-sized gin and tonic cocktails on offer and four courses of whimsical, over-the-top bites, organizers tapped into a recipe for success.

Party-goers sampled fan favorites like the MAD tomato, Houston Chronicle "newsprint"-wrapped steak tartar, fois gras shaped to resemble miniature ice cream cones and liquid olives, which induced many a vodka martini craving.

It was the kind of night that lingered seemingly into eternity. And likely inspired an onslaught of new reservation requests.