His namesake restaurant, which showcases his Southwestern roots, at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Dallas has garnered wide acclaim since it opened last August.
The 53-year-old is also a musician, who founded the country music band, The Barbwires, with fellow chef Robert Del Grande.
Fearing spoke recently about his passion for cooking and music.
Q: How do you describe your cuisine?
A: “I call it ‘no borders’ cuisine. I think that’s the way people like to eat. Sashimi starter, then a chicken-fried lobster, barbecue fillet over corned-whipped potatoes. If we do Texas-style cuisine, there isn’t a sushi twist to it. I don’t mix and match cultures, ethnic boundaries and all of that.”
Q: Who inspires your cooking right now?
A: “My sous-chefs. They are adding their own little say to the plates they are doing. In my younger days, it was the Wolfgang Pucks and Alice Waters of the world.”
Q: What was the origin of The Barbwires?
A: “Robert Del Grande and I have been playing together since we first met in 1983. We’re old frustrated musicians. When we were travelling together, we decided we would just bring out guitars and we would just play in our hotel rooms. We are call it the ‘Room Service’ tour.”
Q: Does your music reflect your cooking?
A: “When I think up a new dish or a new song, it fits in the same format. It’s what I love about life. It’s creating.”
Q: What do you cook for yourself when you have to eat alone?
A: “I could literally eat pasta everyday. That would be number one. I’m a tomato gravy kind of a guy; I love all the variations of tomato sauce. Number two would be curry. Number three would be anything on the grill”