Fearing's at the Ritz-Carlton, Dallas, Texas

SOUTHERN FARE WITH AN UPSCALE FLAIR

By Ellen "EJ" Sackett

Fearing's has a lot to live up to.

Just over a year old, this latest, greatest downtown Dallas restaurant is the baby of its namesake, Chef Dean Fearing, and already the critics rave. Esquire magazine named it "Restaurant of the Year" only two months after it opened. Texas Monthly's gave Fearing's its 2008 award for "The Best New Restaurant." Frank Bruni, a food critic for the New York Times, named Fearing's one of the top ten intriguing restaurants for 2008 and described it as "big fun and big flavors." And in one Newsweek review, Julia Reed linked Fearing's with fun three times.

Dean Fearing himself is big fun. Sporting Lucchese cowboy boots, jeans and a crisp white chef coat, Fearing works the room with celebrity style. Dubbed "The Father of Southwestern Cuisine", he puts it on at the Ritz—as in Dallas' Ritz-Carlton—having left his twenty-one year reign as chef at another Dallas uber-luxury hotel restaurant, The Mansion on Turtle Creek. Foodies have followed Fearing to his new digs, which get top marks for décor, near the downtown arts district.

Comfortable yet lavish, each room has its own distinctive ambiance. My companion and I were among the first to arrive on a Saturday night and had our pick of seating. The Gallery is reminiscent of the elegant Mansion, intimate for quiet conversation. Across the hall is The Sendero—Spanish for "the path"— decorated with rattan furniture with mossy green cushions and surrounded by glass windows. It is wedged in between the two outside patios: The Ocaso, an inviting outdoor dining experience, with simply lit rectangular pools and single arc fountains, that incorporates the urban setting into its backdrop, and The Live Oak bar, which features the stately trees for which it is named. But the action takes place in Dean's Kitchen, where guests are made to feel like they are behind the scenes, within range of the chefs, in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the expert wait staff.

The setting is a showcase for Fearing's "Elevated American Cuisine—Bold Flavors, No Borders." No doubt, Fearing is fearless. He starts out with familiar fare and transcends it, combining elements you won't expect. This is not food to be gobbled, mind you. Better to go slow and let each bite entertain you.

The bread basket arrived first with most notably the jalapeño bacon cornbread. Combined with a hearty pat of softened butter, we were off to a good start. Next our waiter surprised us with a roasted mushroom soup shot, topped with a dab of sour cream. This ounce of creamy gray puree stimulated our appetites, but didn't leave us wanting more.

The State Fair Apple Duo, a combination foie gras and single sea scallop starter, was almost dessert-like it was so sweet. The smoked duck liver was too rare for my taste (is blood really supposed to squirt across the plate when you cut into it?), but fortunately, the pecan/caramel/apple accompaniment was so tasty, I temporarily forgot my concern. The Corn Flake Fried Sea Scallop in Spiced Cider Broth and Crushed Peanut “Brittle” was savory with a crunchy, sweet tang, but my tastebuds couldn't distinguish the scallop from the other flavors—only its buttery texture gave it away.

This appetizer combo gave me pause for thought, however. Just as the smoked aspect of the duck liver was lost on me for the sweetness of its sides, I had to ponder why anyone would overwhelm a simple scallop by frying it. My companion commented that "sometimes a restaurant tries too hard." In this case, I had to agree.

My partner ordered a variation on the standard meat/veggie/potato entrée: Broken Arrow Ranch NilGai Antelope on Savoy Cabbage, Wild Boar Sausage and Toasted Sage Sauté with Chili Spiced Frites and Mustard Crème Fraiche. We were told by our front waiter (or was it our back waiter?) that this particular antelope is originally from India, but fortunately Fearing's doesn't have to go that far to get them; these are free-range raised in Ingram, Texas, near San Antonio. The antelope meat was lean and tender, mild and not gamy in the least. The cabbage and sage side dish surprisingly overwhelmed the Wild Boar sausage (which perhaps also came from Broken Arrow?), and the frites provided a light, sassy balance to the rest.

My choice was the Prime Cut Rib Eye mopped over live mesquite with Corn bread Pudding and Crispy Asparagus. (Mopping is a barbeque basting technique with an implement that literally looks like a miniature kitchen mop.) In this case, the result was a thin, sticky coating that clung to the steak and gave it a dark, woodsy flavor. The generous, de-boned and trimmed rib eye was divided into two: the loin and the filet; the latter was by far the better for flavor and texture. The dry asparagus begged for a dipping sauce to melt its light, tempura coating, but the corn bread pudding won me over completely. It had the texture of traditional stuffing, and my waiter explained that the recipe started out as just that. I could've forgone the rest of the meal and simply spooned this unforgettable comfort-food creation down my gullet.

My partner and I left the rest of the meal for after our evening concert at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center a few blocks away. About half way through the performance, I found myself wishing I had an anti-acid to kill the burning sensation in my esophagus—could the foie gras or the barbeque be the cause? I wondered. This didn't stop us, however, from returning to Fearing's later with a friend for desserts and an entirely different experience.

Again, we were seated in Dean's kitchen, close to the kitchen with a slight view of the white jackets behind the stainless steel counters. The room was lively now, every table packed with diners. We skipped the berry sorbet trio and the American cheese plate assortment to indulge in the most decadent desserts. We opted for the chocolate trio, the definite choice for chocoholics, with small but rich portions that allowed us each a few bites. A pudding-like chocolate custard was presented in a shot glass topped with chocolate chip marshmallows that could've passed for squares of cookie dough. The warm chocolate cake was just that—warm and deliciously dark and gooey like a molten. The fresh "fraiche" vanilla ice cream was a cool, refreshing contrast to the intensity of the milk chocolate brownie. The not-too-sweet butterscotch custard was accompanied by sugar- and caramel-coated apple fritters and topped with pecan toffee ice cream sprinkled with walnuts. This was three desserts in one, each flavor better separate than combined. Our waiter offered a taste of Jill's cookies cut into crouton-sized squares, and somehow we found room for the warm caramel spice cake with butter pears and more fraiche ice cream—the oral equivalent to autumn.

We could barely make our way out the door for the chic, couture crowd packed in the Rattlesnake Bar at the restaurant's entrance. And we weren't the only ones waiting for the valet who enjoyed watching the ultra-nouveau-riche young man wipe off a smudge before opening the door for his female companion to his black Lamborghini. For now, Fearing's is the place to see and be seen. But will it withstand the many tests of taste? Only time will tell.

$$$$

Fearing's at the Ritz-Carlton
2121 McKinney Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75201
214.922.4848
www.fearingsrestaurant.com

Breakfast: 6:30 to 11 a.m.
Lunch: Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Dinner: Monday through Thursday, 6 to 10:30 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 6 to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 6 to 10 p.m.
Sunday Brunch: 11 to 3 p.m.

GTB GADGETS

DO THE GARLIC TWIST!

Finding the perfect garlic press is nearly impossible. Sure, there's plenty to pick from, but they often make a sticky mess and take more to clean than hand-dicing the clove in the first place. NexTrend Products has come up with a clever, no muss, no fuss, cross-cutting solution—The Garlic Twist. Crack the clove and peel its skin, pop it into the see-through container, and twist. Tiny plastic teeth do the chore of chopping, and the end result is two neat triangles of minced garlic that can easily be tranferred to what's on the stove. Cleaning is easy—just rinse once or toss in the dishwasher, and it's good until the next time. Go to www.garlictwist.com for a demonstration and to find answers to your questions, including where to find retailers that carry this product.

Sweetwater Grill & Tavern, Denton, Texas

MIND YOUR BELLY

By Ellen "EJ" Sackett

Sweetwater Grill & Tavern has that worn-out, but loved-long look about it. This corner pub, one block south of Denton's downtown square, is a haloed hangout. Founded in 1996 by Restauranteur Bob Harmon and Chef Jimmy Meredith, it's overdue for an overhaul but draws a steady following nonetheless. Regulars include the line-the-bar locals, the take-off-your-tie happy hour cronies, and the too-hip-to-be-cool college kids. And then there are those like me, who simply need a Sweetwater fix.

If it's a nice day (and it almost always is), expect the garage-door style windows to be open to the patio. The air is filled with a mix of conversations bursting with laughter, classic rock playing in the background, and the drone of overhead ceiling fans whose sole purpose is to stir up cigarette smoke.

At first you might notice the crumbling cement floor beneath you, the weathered wooden tables and chairs, the sticky laminated menus, and wonder how all of this got past the last health inspector. But before long you'll be absorbed in conversation with friends, enjoying a few hours of free time with no responsibility. Forget the dingy surroundings. Instead, look up at the cheery colored lights strung overhead. That's the Tao of Sweetwater.

It might take a while for your twenty-something server in tattered jeans and a T-shirt to notice you. In the meantime, you eyeball the menu, equally split between good and bad for you. You contemplate one of Sweetwater's kiss-a** hamburgers—blackened, perhaps? With blue cheese and bacon? Jalapenos or guacamole? But you go with the old standby—Chicken Enchiladas. Your spouse debates getting the Southwest Pasta with grilled shrimp in a rich creamy sauce or the Frito Pie with a bowl of gumbo soup, but he ultimately decides on the 12 ounce Rib Eye. You note one particular line on the menu: ...Fried Bologna Sandwich...$4.99..... W/bottle of DOM...$195.00. Does anybody actually order this, you laugh? Then you remember why you're here.

Dinner takes a while, but no worries. Look up at the colored lights. Breathe in some of that second-hand smoke. Catch your server as he flies by and order the fried pickles and a frozen margarita, which will come long before the food. Talk over the rev of a motorcycle engine about something innocuous, like the weather or the last movie you saw, or trade jokes with the customers at the next table. Hum along with The Eagles, and squint to see the football scores on the TV inside the next room.

At last, the meal arrives. As always, the food is pretty much the same. The chicken enchiladas come with black beans and rice on a plate that's way too hot to touch with way more cheese than your diet allows. The rib eye comes medium rather than medium rare, but it's a good enough cut to eat without having to send it back. The mashed potatoes are sufficiently comforting, although the side salad is ho-hum: mostly iceberg lettuce slathered with creamy ranch dressing. It's predictable and familiar. But isn't that the point?

Peach is the cobbler of the day, but instead you choose the Bread Pudding smothered with hot Whiskey Sauce--worth every lovin' spoonful. You feel grateful to be American just so you can eat decadent desserts in a place like this. After a few minutes, the bread starts to expand in your stomach and you wonder how you're going to make it to the car. Seriously.

You eyeball a skinny co-ed in short shorts at a neighboring table, spooning the Smoked Shrimp and Scallops marinated in Pico Salsa into her tiny little mouth, and swear you're going to order that or the Grilled Vegetable Plate next time. At least you promise to forgo the Bread Pudding.

Then you remember why you came.

$-$$

Sweetwater Grill and Tavern
115 S. Elm Street
Denton, Texas 76201
(940) 484-2888
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. - 2 a.m.
Sunday and Monday, 11 a.m. - midnight

GTB TIPS

WATER WITH A TWIST!

Tired of drinking water with lemon? Try a slice of lime instead. The
zesty, refreshing addition of lime to your H-2-0 will give it zip
without adding a single calorie. Chugging down those requisite eight
glasses of water a day is a whole lot easier with a tangy twist
to your taste buds, and it still keeps you hydrated. Another hint: add a
wedge of lime to a glass of soda water over ice for a non-alcoholic
drink that sparkles.

The Stinking Rose: A Garlic Restaurant, San Francisco, CA

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

By Ellen "EJ" Sackett

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet…as garlic? That would be true if the name were The Stinking Rose, San Francisco's garlic restaurant, located near the landmark Coit Tower and the Embarcadero. Locals as well as visitors call this original restaurant a favorite, and this visitor in particular makes a point to go there whenever I visit the city-by-the-bay.

The menu says, "We season our garlic with food," and they mean it so much they even trademarked the saying. Everything they serve contains the odiferous herb. No exceptions-well, except for the desserts. But I go for the main attraction.

This Californian-Italian restaurant isn't a gimmick. Jerry Dal Bozzo came up with the concept and opened the restaurant with restauranteur Dante Serafini in 1991. In 1995, another Stinking Rose restaurant opened in Beverly Hills. In 1996, Executive Chef Andrea Foncillo joined the team and added his culinary expertise to the operation. This ain't no stinkin' slop joint. The Stinking Rose is dining at its finest.

Like any good Italian restaurant, the ambiance sets the tone. Curtains of strung corks and empty bottles of Chianti hang from the ceiling like grapevines. My companion and I were seated at a two top by the window in the back corner of a room, its walls covered with black-framed photographs of the famous and infamous. The music of Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Dean Martin crooned overhead. A waiter came over immediately, took our order, and returned promptly with our drinks and first appetizer.

Don't say you don't like garlic until you've tried the Bagna Calda, which means "garlic hot tub." Sensual, slippery, garlic cloves soaked in extra virgin olive oil, butter and anchovies are served with bread for dipping. This popular dish, kept warm at the table over a small votive, has only one drawback: it's entirely possible to gorge yourself on it, which could potentially spoil your ability to gorge on forthcoming courses.

Another "must do" appetizer is the Roasted Garlic Potato Onion Soup. The soup is hot when it arrives at the table, covered by a pastry cap over the bowl that creates a soft dough when mixed with the creamy potage. It's beyond good to the last drop. By the time I scrape the bottom of the soup bowl, I'm stuffed.

But wait, there's more. My husband and I choose the top two entries to split: bone-roasted Forty Clove Garlic Chicken or Garlic Braised Boneless Short Rib, served with yummy garlic Yukon Gold mashed potatoes. Priced under $20, these best sellers are worth every clove. If meat can melt in your mouth, these do.

Fish and seafood lovers will go for the sizzling iron skillets with any combination of peel and eat shrimp, crab or mussels or one of three tureens of either garlic steamed clams, seafood "zuppa," or Louisiana shrimp in a tomato broth. All of these menu items can be sized accordingly for small to extremely large appetites.

What would an Italian restaurant be without pasta? Again, fish aficionados have plenty of choices, which is always a safe bet so close to the sea. Whether you prefer pesto to tomato sauce, lasagna to linguini, or gnocchetti with gorgonzola, you can get it here. Ahem. With garlic, of course.

Meat lovers will not want for choices either. Try the Silence of the Lamb Shank with Chianti sauce and fava beans, or go for Roasted Rabbit with olives. The Porterhouse Pork Chop is another favorite, as is the Italian Garlic Meatloaf and the Baby Back Ribs. Those with expandable waistbands might consider a slab of the 100% USDA certified prime Midwestern beef Garlic Roasted Prime Rib, although the large cut is plenty. The Surf and Turf combines The Stinking Rose's Dungeness crab fresh from the Pacific Ocean with the Prime Rib that comes with the afore-mentioned potatoes and Swiss chard. You'll never have to eat again.

Did I mention desserts? There are the standards, all up to par: tiramisu, chocolate mousse, and vanilla ice cream. Oh yes. There's one more. Uh-huh. You guessed it. Leave enough space in your stomach for Gilroy's Famous Garlic Ice Cream-in case you didn't get enough of that which we call a stinking rose-by any other name would taste so sweet.

$$-$$$

The Stinking Rose
325 Columbus Avenue (between Vallejo and Broadway)
San Francisco, CA 94133
415-781-7673
Open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.