Dean Fearing

Fearings - Dallas

Dean Fearing grew up in the kitchens of his father’s inns across the Midwest with dreams of becoming a rockstar. Fearing made a name for himself as the chef at Dallas’s historic Mansion on Turtle Creek. During his 26-year tenure, he earned the title of Best Chef: Southwest from The James Beard Foundation, made multiple television appearances, published two cookbooks (Mansion on Turtle Creek Cookbook and Dean Fearing’s Southwest Cuisine), and became nationally recognized for pioneering modern Southwestern cuisine. In 2007, Fearing partnered with The Ritz Carlton to open his American dining destination, Fearings Restaurant. The state’s rich variety of fruits and vegetables, cheeses, Gulf seafood and Hill Country wild game play a major role in Dean’s cuisine.

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.