At a young age, Michael Gluckman watched his grandfather run the kitchens of a bustling 800-seat restaurant. He remembers hearing how, after emigrating from Italy, his grandfather had helped transform the restaurant from a small eight-seat establishment to a series of large dining rooms and banquet facilities. This memory has had a lasting effect, motivating Michael through his own career; he started as a cook, became a server, and has worked his way up to the position of manager at several restaurants, hotels, and country clubs.

As a young cook in Detroit, he tasted Dean Fearing’s tortilla soup and immediately purchased the chef’s cookbook. Viewing Fearing as a true visionary in the culinary world, Michael is honored to have the opportunity to work beside him everyday as General Manager of one of the hottest restaurants in the country.

Michael began his formal culinary education after high school when he ventured to New York to attend the Culinary Institute of America. After completing an apprenticeship at Stein Eriksen Lodge in Park City, Utah, he earned an Associate’s Degree of Science in Culinary Arts. While furthering his education, he decided to move from the back of the house to the front and stayed at the CIA to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Culinary Arts Management. He ran one of the Institute’s busiest restaurants, teaching table service to other students.

Upon graduation, Michael joined The Fairmont Hotel in Boston as a Manager-in-Training and was quickly promoted to Restaurant Manager. After two years, he moved to the Washington, D.C., area to work for The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner as Director of Food and Beverage Outlets. There he oversaw a three-meal restaurant, a bar, and the hotel’s in-room dining operation. In 2006, Michael transferred to The Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common as Assistant Director of Food and Beverage where he ran the hotel’s entire food and beverage operation while overseeing a $4 million renovation, which included the addition of a new ballroom and lobby lounge, along with an overhaul of the existing restaurant.

When not in the restaurant, Michael can be found cooking at home, watching Formula One Racing and spending time with his wife Priscilla and their two-year-old son Oscar. Taught to ski and play hockey at the age of four, Michael is an avid Detroit Red Wings fan. He also enjoys playing the drums and was once part of a band that wrote, performed, and recorded several songs.

Every wine has a story, and Paul Botamer is an expert storyteller. He has been talking about wine, from its history to its complex flavors, for more than 25 years. He has shared this knowledge in some of the nation’s top restaurants, including Fearings’, where he currently serves as director of wine and.

“Each wine is so unique with its own flavor and history,” says Paul. “Whenever I try a new wine, I feel like a kid opening a present on Christmas Day.”

In August 2006, D Magazine noted that Paul is one of three sommeliers in Dallas with the potential to become the city’s first Master Sommelier, a distinction held by only 138 sommeliers in the world. He is currently recognized as an Advanced Sommelier by Court Master Sommeliers and is studying to take the Master exam. He is a member of the Society of Wine Educators.

At Fearings’, Paul oversees the restaurant’s beverage program, including extensive wine lists and special wine pairing menus. He joined Fearings’ in 2007 from The Mansion on Turtle Creek and previously at Mary Elaines at the Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale Arizona. During his time as lead sommelier at Mary Elaine’s, he was a member of the team recognized with the Wine Spectator’s Grand Award, AAA Five-Diamond Award and nomination for the James Beard Foundation’s: Best Wine Service in the Country: 2001, 2003 and 2004.

An avid reader and history buff, Paul also enjoys traveling to vineyards across the world to continue sharpening his education in the field.”