Revisiting Fearing’s — The Classic Dallas Restaurant Feels Like an Old Friend in the Pandemic

I am continuing with my self-care to avoid going stir-crazy stuck at home. (No, I have yet to get on a plane since March.) We are fortunate to have some mighty swank, world-class hotels, so I decided to act mighty swank and take some staycations. That said, I recently had a fabulous weekend at The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas.

My partner and I haven’t eaten out a lot since the mandate to shelter-in-place was given in mid-March, though we’ve ordered quite a bit of carryout. With the famed Fearing’s Restaurant just steps away during our Ritz-Carlton stay, an in-person visit was in order.

It was refreshing to see so many happy faces in the dining room enjoying their meals. It was definitely a pared down environment, however, with tables taken out so that groups were socially distanced from one another. Lighting was subdued, but there was still an energy in the room — which I believe we all want when having a night on the town. Some of that credit must be given to the soundtrack playing: lots of vintage rock with some Zeppelin (apparently one of Chef Dean’s favorites) occasionally seeping into the chic space.

Known as “the father of Southwestern cuisine,” Chef Dean Fearing is renowned well-beyond Dallas. Dinner was like seeing a cherished friend after too many years. Fearings was all that I had remembered and perhaps due to the last six months of malaise I have been stricken with, the meal couldn’t have come at a better time.

First off were shots of their chilled avocado soup (always one of my favorites). On that extremely hot July day it was the perfect way to begin. Then came the tuna crudo with so many delicate layers punctuated with chunky chili paste. Next were those decadent oysters “Rockefearing” — I’ve already decided to make that crab stuffing part of this year’s Thanksgiving.

One of the highlights of our meal was the halibut. I haven’t cooked much fish while sheltering-in-place (can’t risk the smell lingering in an open-plan condo), so indulging in this beautifully presented dish was heaven. As our meal was coming to a close, we played “pick our favorite” from the selection that had made its way to our table. It was actually the duck fried tater tots — hands down the best comfort food I’ve ever encountered.

For me, a visit to Fearing’s brought back memories of less challenging times (apart from masked servers and spaced out tables). It turns out, many an anxiety can be cured with a duck fried tator tot.