Fearing's

Dean Fearing, Fearing’s
The esteemed chef works on a bigger canvas than most — oodles of elements on each plate, all with exuberant flavor. Texan with an Asian accent, or with a Middle Eastern accent, or an Italian accent: It’s a great challenge, no doubt, to make this kind of cooking work, but this year Fearing’s dishes have been more harmonious, and as a result, more thrilling than ever. (Full review)

Fearing’s is expensive, but no more so than a dozen or so steakhouses. And if there’s anyplace in Dallas that’s this much fun, I’ve yet to find it.
Dean Fearing’s dishes may not always succeed, and his 4-year-old restaurant clearly still has some kinks to work out. But there’s an undeniable passion and exuberance at work, the service is generally outstanding and the chef’s plates impress more and more often. (Full review)

Yes, there are Asian touches on his menu, but there isn't a chef in Dallas who speaks Texan more extravagantly and joyfully than Dean Fearing. Pop one of those tender little lobster tacos into your mouth and you'll know what I mean. Ever hear of tortilla soup? Fearing put it on the map. In the kitchen and smokehouse, the affable chef communes with the likes of Texas antelope and bobwhite quail, whose apricot glaze and barbecue treatment is a wondrous thing indeed. The snazzy dining room is Dallas at its best. (Full review)

If you're feeling both ritzy and outdoorsy, you can start the evening with a drink at the open-air Live Oak Bar and then sup on the Ocaso patio, laid out among blue-tiled fountains and precisely shorn topiary. It's a particularly lovely spot for solo dining. (Full review)

The airy Sendero room at Fearing's is gorgeous at night, with its glinting chandelier, but its huge windows and tasteful wicker furniture make it the ultimate brunch locale. (Full review)

Been to Fearing's lately? It's as frenetic as the day it opened a little over a year ago. That's the magnetism of Dean Fearing, who tirelessly works the varied, gorgeous rooms of his restaurant and oversees the kitchen crew that creates dishes that are a little bit Southwestern, a little bit fusion and have a whole lot of personality. A recent check-in meal included an admirably restrained wild striped bass with crab succotash. (Full review)

Sometimes it's the details of service that stand out; someone just makes that extra effort that you never forget. A girlfriend and I stopped for a cocktail at the Rattlesnake Bar before dinner at Fearing's, but didn't finish our drinks and left them at the bar. When we were shown to a table in the bustling kitchen-dining room, we asked if anything was available in the more formal room. Not quite yet, but just a few minutes. Would we like to wait in the lounge? (Full review)