Never in the history of our fare city has a restaurant opened its doors with more anticipation than Fearing’s. The background story of the chef and buzz leading up to its opening has been so widely documented and talked about, it almost seems pointless to detail it again but here’s the Reader’s Digest version.

Dean Fearing, happy go lucky custom cowboy boot wearing godfather of southwestern cuisine, led the kitchen at the Mansion for 21 years, had TV shows, sold sauces, and penned cookbooks. He established the Mansion as the only venerable 5 star restaurant in Texas and made dishes like tortilla soup and lobster tacos first famous, now mainstream. Ritz Carlton finally decides they’re coming to Dallas and made the godfather a godfather-type offer that he couldn’t refuse. With basically an unlimited budget, he built one of the most striking dining rooms in Dallas while maintaining an unpretentious, un-hotel restaurant feel to the space. Oh yeah, and his food is unbelievable. 

Okay, so now you’re caught up on how we got here so let’s talk about Dean’s namesake restaurant. I personally think the menu at the Mansion had gotten rather stale. I mean, there’s only so many times you can go in and enjoy a taco while dining uncomfortably in a jacket and tie, right? The formula worked and it had a huge following so Chef Fearing easily could’ve just mailed it in and duplicated his famous menu adding a new dish here and there. Frankly, he’s at a point where he can do no wrong in this town so a lack of inventiveness wouldn’t have gone very far to turn off the foodie set in Dallas. But thankfully and predictably for those that know him, he chose to build on his reputation and win back his diabolically loyal flock of followers again with a tightened focus, refined menu, and yes, a much bigger stage.

One thing we’ve enjoyed on our visits thus far is the fact that the lunch menu is not a mini-me version of its dinner brethren with a courtesy sandwich or $15 burger thrown in. With the exception of a handful of offerings like the Butternut Squash bisque, the famous tortilla soup, the BBQ shrimp taco - his replacement for the lobster version from the Mansion, and the sugar mopped steak, the two menus are completely different and equally enjoyable. So far, we’ve purposely steered away from the Mansion holdovers opting to focus on what’s new and (dare we say) better. 

On an absolutely lovely late fall afternoon, we dined al fresco on the gorgeous, fountain filled patio. We started our meal with the aforementioned squash bisque and a peekie toe crab salad. Butternut squash is one of those vegetables that has become very commonplace on menus and the bisque preparation is a fall/winter mainstay on many of the better menus in town. Thumbs up to Fearing’s for making this relatively simple dish interesting, tasty, and soul warming. The bowl is brought to the table with a mound of al dente autumn vegetables and lumps of lobster meat.  From a tiny, silver pitcher they swirl the thick, smooth broth around the bowl until the veggies and lobster are almost submerged. The warmth of the bisque, slight crunchiness of the vegetables, and the sweetness of the lobster meld for a flawless combination of texture and flavor.

You would think a light crab salad would be out of place on a fall/winter menu. Peekie Toe, which is technically called Picket Toe referencing the sharp, picket fence looking pointed toes on these Maine crabs, is harvested from April through December and is amazingly sweet and tender.  Fearing’s presentation comes in a circular mold about half an inch thick topped with a tangle of micro greens. To ‘heavy it up’ a little bit, it comes colorfully adorned with chunks of fresh avocado, shards of roasted sweet yellow and red bell peppers, and a slight heat from the smoked red carrot and cumin vinaigrette. Sweet and spicy is at the crux of southwestern cuisine but where so many chefs go overboard with too much heat or too much sweet, its subtle mixtures like those in this dish that set Dean apart from the pretenders. 

We were really hungry and had no where to be for the rest of the day so we ordered a bottle of wine and chose the pork tenderloin and sugar mopped steak. Of course, these days, no pork comes without a name be it Niman Ranch, Smithfield or, in this case, Berkshire. Dean prepares his with a homey mustard and rosemary glaze and serves it with a fist sized floret of caramelized cauliflower and a ramekin of 6 year cheddar macaroni. The loin was cooked as requested just barely over medium rare and had a tangy, herby crust. The nuttiness from the cauliflower and the creaminess from the mac and cheese provided the perfect foil for the meat and turned this into an instant comfort food classic in my book. 

Five sashimi grade hunks of yellowtail tuna are spiced up and flash seared. A velvety wasabi avocado cream dances over the top of the fish and ribbons of jade basil and a splash of spicy ponzu sauce complete the dish. Our fish was flawlessly fresh and faultlessly prepared and neither the cream or ponzu overpowered the dish. 

We love quail and this might very well be our favorite quail dish of all time. Half of a bird is glazed with watermelon and jalapeno providing a light sweetness from the melon with a hint of heat from the jap. It is then roasted just enough to give some crispiness to the skin while maintaining the juicy succulence of the meat. As its co-pilot, a monstrous gulf shrimp is battered hushpuppy style and deep fried. Folks, this isn’t the BS Thailand farm raised wannabe shrimp variety. This is a true blue gulf shrimp that takes even the manliest of man two bites to devour.  Underneath this southwest surf and turf combo is a three bean salad which, on this night, included yellow wax, fava, and haricot verts as well as perfectly diced cubes of both orange and red beets. This is a dish that could easily work on a hot summer day or evening but is substantial enough to seriously consider in the fall and winter as well. 

At dinner, we tried the Orange-Ginger dipped pheasant and the griddled sea scallops. Dean’s Asian inspired preparation on the pheasant was spot on. A whole bird is sectioned out for easy eating, dipped in the sauce and roasted. The bird was tender and ultra flavorful. A mound of curried shrimp fried rice, tempura white asparagus, and shitake mushrooms completes the dish. Chef Fearing is certainly not the first chef to successfully marry game with an Asian preparation but his Quail would no doubt whip a Peking Duck’s ass in a Texas hill country cock fight.

We’ve made it Cristal clear how much we love fresh jumbo scallops. In a word, these were a triumph. These completed me. A trio of colossal wild sea scallops were griddled with a little brown butter forming a great crust and preserving the middle to an almost translucent medium rare. They come served with crisp, slightly bitter Brussels sprout leaves, slivers of smoked ham, and a nice tart essence (a little juice and zest) of tangerine. I know the horse is dead, but let me beat it again…these complex flavors and textures work extraordinarily well to create a harmonious dish.

Our server talked us into the Banana Cream pie, which sounded pretty ho hum to us, but we are very glad he did.  Prepared as its own little pie as opposed to a big slice, the creamy custard dobbed with fresh bananas and topped with an obscene amount of whipped cream, this was a nicely updated version of a timeless southern classic. We also tried the blueberry ginger crisp with lemon custard ice cream. Summery ingredients but significant enough for year round, it was a delightful dessert. Finally, we couldn’t resist the cheese board with grilled figs, candied pecans, homemade honeycomb and raisin nut bread. I’m migrating more and more to cheeses as the finale and there wasn’t an ounce of disappointment here. Cheeses obviously rotate but one standout we had was a crumbly goat cheese made especially for Fearing’s from a farm in Lubbock of all places.

Along with the customized china, silverware, and glassware, all of the wait staff at Fearing’s are decked out in custom outfits from Alexander Julian. The fact that they all wear them untucked just underscores the primitive sophistication that Chef Fearing is striving for. And in contrast to the days at the Mansion, you’ll find a younger and friendlier staff with a relaxed but efficient approach to service.

Chef Fearing brought over renowned Mansion sommelier Paul Botamer as Wine Director to uncork, swirl and swill what will be a 5,000+ bottle cellar. Paul is great. I’ve had the pleasure of his assistance several times and what impresses me is not only his knowledge but his decisiveness and his knack for directing you to a solid food wine choice instead of asking for your price point and steering you to a big impressive selection. The list continues to grow and they certainly have addressed the sector of patrons that are Ritz Carlton-esque but there are some very interesting wines in that seemingly disappearing sub $100 range. 

As impressive as the food is - the scene at Fearing’s even moreso. The rumored price tag on the build out was north of 6 mil. Remember in the 1970s when that could buy you a bionic man? Oh well, times have changed and if it is possible to make this statement, they got a lot for only $6M. A two story, dramatically lit grand hallway with floor to ceiling fabric flanking one side guides you to the five dining areas. The luxurious Gallery is the fancy, white table clothed room at Fearing’s. Antiqued mirrors, inlayed hardwoods, and two 12 foot chandeliers crown this elegant room. If you’re in the jacket/tie/tux mood, request a table in here. Dean’s kitchen is open aired and also serves as one of the dining rooms with each table coming with its own chandelier. There’s also a no reservations walk up counter at the kitchen for your dining pleasure. For a private dining experience you can check out the dramatic wine room. Regardless where your table is at Fearing’s, take comfort in the fact that there is no dress code. I’m not sure how passionately that rather liberal policy has been tested yet but kudos for the effort. Honestly, the fine dining scene nationally has been trending toward a more relaxed dining experience for years and if anyone is a poster chef for that belief, it’s gotta be Dean.

Now everybody that knows Dean knows that a good cocktail is a pre-requisite to a visit to his restaurant. And at Fearing’s you have options. The Rattlesnake Bar greets the diner as you walk into the space.  Complete with a rattlesnake skin handrail and moving antiqued mirrors, this is one of the most beautiful booze halls you’ll ever swill in. For an unmatched outdoor experience, the Live Oak Bar awaits your drink order. Adorned with five of the indigenous trees and an expansive fireplace for a chilly night, this is an oasis in the heart of uptown that really shouldn’t be missed before or after dinner.

It would be easy to nitpick and look for every little flaw at a restaurant of this magnitude and notoriety. Hell, one could argue if any restaurant could live up to all the hype that Fearing’s had on its back when it opened, but we feel it has answered the bell and answered it very, very well. In fact, the only real drawback we can find is the Barbie size valet area at the Ritz. You would’ve thought someone in their home office would’ve heard the phrase ‘everything is bigger in Texas’ but I guess not. Despite that frustration, Fearing’s is plain and simple a restaurant that shouldn’t be missed for out of towners and should be in the top 5 rotation for all local foodies as well.