The creator of Fearing’s Restaurant and its “Elevated American Cuisine – Bold Flavors, No Borders,” chef/partner Dean Fearing has developed one of the hottest dining concepts in the country. Named “Restaurant of the Year” and “Table of the Year” by Esquire Magazine, No. 1 in Hotel Dining in the U.S. by the prestigious Zagat Survey, and nominated by the James Beard Foundation for Best New Restaurant, Fearing’s has received countless accolades from The New York Times, Newsweek, Food and Wine, Garden & Gun, Texas Monthly, and Modern Luxury, among others. Chef Fearing has been recognized as a “Pioneer of American Cuisine” by The Culinary Institute of America and presented with the Silver Spoon Award for sterling performance by Food Arts. His namesake restaurant has created an ongoing buzz with its seven distinct dining venues, acclaimed farm-to-table seasonal menu, and the personal presence of Fearing himself.

 

Long known as the “Father of Southwestern Cuisine” and now the creator of a generation of highly-flavorful dishes, Chef Dean Fearing has spent his life cooking for people who love good food. After 20-plus years at The Mansion on Turtle Creek, he opened Fearing's in August 2007 at The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas. A reflection of his personal vision and design, the lively, comfortable restaurant features seven stylish dining settings, including the most distinctive alfresco experience in Dallas and a popular interactive display kitchen offering ringside seating for true foodies.

 

The son of a Kentucky innkeeper, Dean Fearing grew up with grandmothers who knew all about food and who appreciated the finer details of Southern cooking and barbecue. He still uses and treasures their recipes, and they remain one of the most important inspirations of his culinary life. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, he can be spotted in Fearing’s wearing a signature crisp white chef’s coat with colorful boot embroidery, blue jeans and brightly-hued, custom-tooled Lucchese cowboy boots. When not in the kitchen, Fearing is often found strumming his vintage Fender Telecaster guitar, one of an impressive collection, playing songs from his all-chef alternative country band, The Barbwires. He is also known to spend his spare time searching the countryside for Texas culinary inspiration. The state’s rich variety of peppers, dried chilies, jicama, cilantro, tomatillos, fruits and vegetables, cheeses, Gulf seafood and Hill Country wild game play a major role in his ever-changing cuisine.

 

The exuberant, ever-friendly Dean Fearing was winner of the James Beard Foundation Restaurant Award for “Best Chef in the Southwest,” and diners from across the country flock to Dallas to experience his signature dishes. Current menu highlights include flavorful Tortilla Soup, Barbecued Shrimp Tacos, Rib Eye Mopped over Live Mesquite, Maple-Black Peppercorn-Soaked Buffalo Tenderloin, and Pan-Roasted “BBQ-Spiced” Filet with Chicken-Fried Maine Lobster, which has been described as a genuine “taste of Texas.”