Entertainment

At a celebratory dinner tonight in New York, Fearing's restaurant in Dallas' Ritz Carlton Hotel will be named the nation's "restaurant of the year" by Esquire magazine.

The selection was made by John Mariani, the magazine's long-time dining critic, as part of his annual top-20 restaurants feature.

Mr. Fearing could not be immediately reached for comment.

In a phone interview Monday, Mr. Mariani said Fearing's captures the essence of "Texas-Southern hospitality that seems so genuine to me. That attitude just pays so many dividends – so often when I recommend a restaurant, people come back saying 'The food was great, but I didn't like the way we were treated.'"

On the phone and in his Esquire article, Mr. Mariani also noted the restaurant's luxurious environment, which includes several dining areas of different size and decor.

He described the menu as a refinement of what Mr. Fearing created over his years at The Mansion on Turtle Creek, which he leftto build his own venue.

"Dean and his staff are very precise about what's on that plate," Mr. Mariani said. "There was a time in the late '80s when I criticized him for doing the celebrity chef thing a little too much, instead of being the kitchen. Nobody is happier than I am that he's back in the kitchen now."

One other Texas restaurant placed in Esquire's article. Catalan Food and Wine in Houston was ranked No. 20, Mr. Mariani said.

The November issue will be on most newsstands this week.