Dean Fearing to Host a Long Table Dinner with Wolfgang Puck, Robert Del Grande and Cat Cora

This past summer, chef Dean Fearing has been hosting Dallas chefs for dinner at Fearing’s Restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton. A number of restaurants do this, but at Fearing’s, dinner was served after a normal dinner service on a Friday.

“It just took off when Mike Matis, our restaurant chef, said we should do something different at 9:30 on Friday. I was like, ‘Isn’t everybody in bed then?’ and he said we should try it,” Fearing says. “It has taken off and been so much fun, and it’s just a great group of people, all walks of life.”

The September dinner brought Joel Orsini of Booty’s in Deep Ellum. Next month, rather than filled tables in the dining room, Fearing will host a long-table dinner.

“We did it last year with Chefs for Farmers, and we came up with the idea of doing these long tables. And we just loved the idea, so we decided to take it with ourselves this year … and make it a Fearing and Friends event,” Fearing says.

For the Oct. 18 event, chefs Wolfgang Puck, Robert Del Grande and Cat Cora will join Fearing for the meal. The goal is to have this be an annual event, where one famous chef will be a guest. For this year, Fearing called Cora, who instantly said she wanted to be part of the meal.

“For me it gives a great new experience for Dallas to have Wolfgang and Robert Del Grande and Cat. Cat and I have known each other for a million years and we just love hanging out with each other, and this is just the perfect opportunity,” Fearing says. “The unique experience is that it’s all family-style service: Big bowls, big platters, everybody sharing food, it’s just that great camaraderie that happens only on those table settings where you’re passing the bowl around. Everyone's talking and pouring great wine.”

Guests for the October event will arrive for cocktails before the multicourse meal. Each chef is expected to prepare dishes with paired cocktails and wine.

After dinner, Fearing’s own band, the Barbed Wires, will perform their original songs, Fearing says.

With all things included — dinner, drinks and entertainment — each ticket will cost you $250. Being that we should perhaps be in cooler temperatures, the evening will take place in the outdoor space and should be pretty lovely.