Meet The Team

The son of a Kentucky innkeeper, Dean 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. In fact, some of them receive their own unique spin in The Texas Food Bible.

After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America and following 20-plus years at The Mansion on Turtle Creek, Dean opened his own Fearing's Restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas in 2007. Since then, he and his popular menu favorites have been featured in The New York Times, USA Today, Newsweek, Food and Wine, Southern Living, Forbes, Fox News, Bon Appétit, Garden & Gun, Robb Report, The Food Network, Guitar Aficionado and more. He was recently recognized as a "Pioneer of American Cuisine" by The Culinary Institute of America, and was also presented with the Silver Spoon Award for sterling performance by Food Arts.

Dean is a restaurateur who likes to spend as much time as possible at his restaurant. Most days, 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, he is often found strumming his vintage Fender Telecaster guitar, one of a collection of several dozen guitars and amps, playing songs from the album created by his all-chef alternative country group, 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 Dean's ever-changing cuisine.

Blanchette brings an illustrious 15-year career to The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas, where he previously served as the hotel's Executive Sous Chef. During his tenure with The Ritz-Carlton brand, he has held leading culinary positions in several acclaimed hotels, including The Ritz-Carlton, Orlando, and The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman. Blanchette began his career at Le Cordon Bleu of Culinary Art before fine-tuning his professional cooking and kitchen management skills staging at luxury establishments across Europe, including Hotel Arts Barcelona and the Michelin Star restaurant, Miramar.

Chef Blanchette is proud to return to his "home hotel," The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas, where 14 years ago he cultivated his passion and set the foundation for his career as a line cook.

With a career spanning Washington D.C., Miami, Texas, Switzerland and beyond, Chef Michael Matis, known as Mike by his colleagues, brings a world of inspiration to the Fearing's team. Chef Matis got his start washing dishes when he was only fourteen years old. Enamored by the energetic pace and thrill of challenges in the kitchen, Chef Matis went on to graduate from the Culinary Institute of America in 2006. Having years of experience under his belt, Chef Matis worked as Chef de Partie at various restaurants in Washington, D.C. before moving overseas as Sous Chef of Conte-Gouts in Lausanne, Switzerland. Most recently, Chef Matis worked as executive chef under Chef Stephan Pyles at Stampede 66, where he oversaw all back of house staff, two sous chefs, a pastry chef and 15 line cooks and dishwashers. 

He has created stunning dishes in fine dining kitchens all over the world. Since his start at Fearing's, Chef Matis' launched the dinner series known as Fearing's and Friends, bringing in local Dallas chefs for sold-out collaborative dinners. Always on the lookout for ways to fuse creativity into his work, Chef Matis enjoys Chef Dean Fearing's encouragement to bring his ideas to the atmosphere guests know and love

Pastry Chef Corey Thomson grew up in Kenosha, Wisconsin. By the age of 14, he knew that he loved the art of cooking, and began working as a cook in a small Italian restaurant. While he had initially yearned to become a bio-chemist, Thomson also learned the fundamentals of pastry while still a teenager and he quickly discovered the balance of science and chemistry required within the pasty field. This realization led him to a career path which combined both of his passions.

In 2006, Thomson made a move to Texas to train at Le Cordon Bleu in Austin, where he continued to master his craft and focus on the classic French techniques of patisserie. Upon completing his studies, he moved to Dallas, Texas where he spent three years at The Mansion on Turtle Creek, serving as Assistant Pastry Chef. Over this period, he worked with several notable chefs including David Collier, Bruno Davaillon and John Tesar.

Since early 2011, Thomson has been part of the team at The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas, creating memorable desserts and overseeing all aspects of the pastry operation. The self-described perfectionist also enjoys working with the dynamics of chocolate and sugar, producing unique and abstract showpieces for display at The Ritz-Carlton Club® Lounge.

Thomson has also continued to differentiate himself not only through recognition by major media, including Dallas Brides, but also at high-profile events for Vogue, Cole Haan, Fashion at the Park and more. Additionally, numerous guests of The Ritz-Carlton credit the positive chef for turning their stories into sweetly edible memories.

Every wine has a story, and Paul Botamer is an expert storyteller. For more than 25 years, he has been talking about wine, from its history to its complex flavors. He has also shared this knowledge in some of the nation's top restaurants, including Fearing's, where he currently serves as director of wine. Botamer is recognized as an Advanced Sommelier by Court of Master Sommeliers and is a member of the Society of Wine Educators. He has been recognized as one of the Best Sommeliers in DFW by CBS DFW, and he has been featured in several renowned publications including Wine Enthusiast, D Magazine and Wine Spectator. As Director of Wine for Fearing's Restaurant, Botamer oversees the restaurant's beverage program featuring an extensive wine and spirits menu which is served in all seven of the restaurant's distinct atmospheres, including the private 6,000-bottle Wine Cellar. Botamer is responsible for the creation and execution of unique special event beverage menus, including wine dinners with some of the nation's top wine makers; past participants include Kevin Buckler of Adobe Road and Randy Lewis of Lewis Cellars. 

Fearing's receipt of accolades from notable local, regional, national and international publications is in large part thanks to Botamer's efforts. He joined the Fearing's opening team in 2007 from The Mansion on Turtle Creek. He also has brought his talents to Mary Elaine's at the Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. Throughout his career, Paul Botamer has been a member of teams which have been recognized with the Wine Spectator Grand Award, AAA Five-Diamond Award, nomination for the James Beard Foundation's award for Best Wine Service in the Country in 2001, 2003 and 2004, and a No. 1 Hotel Dining ranking for Fearing's by the prestigious Zagat Survey. An avid reader and history buff, Botamer enjoys traveling to vineyards across the world to continue sharpening his education in the field.

Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Miguel Sayago began his career as a diplomat after graduating in Political & Administrative Sciences. While serving in Brussels, he discovered his passion for wine, leading him to study at L'École du Vin (Itervin Brussels, 2008).

His professional and academic journey has taken him around the world—living in Spain, France, Mexico, and Argentina, while exploring global flavors and wine cultures through diplomatic missions and sommelier training. He deepened his education in Argentina at the Argentine Sommelier School (EAS/CETT - University of Barcelona), graduating in 2015.

Since then, Miguel has transitioned fully into the wine industry, working as a Brand Ambassador and trainer across continents. After moving to the U.S., he joined the Marriott group in 2023 and proudly became the Sommelier at Fearing's Restaurant in August 2024—bringing global insight and storytelling to every guest experience.