Last night, I went to Dean Fearing’s house for dinner. (Believe me, I had a lot of fun telling people that was my Thursday night plan.) And I learned a couple things about Dean.
1. His house is very unassuming. When we turned onto his street, I told my husband/photographer that we had to have the wrong address. But it was correct. We peered beyond the valet stand and saw a black cat sitting on the doorstep, patiently waiting to be let in. I knew it was going to be a good night.
2. Dean is a great host. No matter who you are, if you’re in his home, you’re friends. He spent a great deal of time greeting guests. He’s down-to-earth and seemed to generally care what you were talking about. But those of you who have spent time eating his meals probably already knew that.
3. Dean is a cat person. He has a dog, too, but the dog was being boarded for the evening so that people wouldn’t be asked to play catch every five second. However, Dean’s three cats (Roux, 18; Gumbo, 13; and File, 13) had the run of the place. My favorite was Roux. She got a lot of love last night. She started out on top of a chair and by the time I left, was sprawled out on a friend’s lap.
4. Dean’s food is great. It’s even better in his home. The purpose of last night’s event was to showcase Fearing’s team’s ability to whip up a great meal anywhere anytime. The 90 or so guests included event planners (including the great Paige Chenault), people who planned their company’s lunch and dinner meetings, and good customers of the restaurant. The idea is that you can have the Fearing’s team come to your office, your baby shower, your backyard, wherever and have a really great meal. We were served a variety of items, including crispy two-bite lobster tacos with avocado relish, pulled pork, corn elote, cowboy shrimp over jalapeño grits, and banana pudding shooters. The reason you don’t see me doing a lot of food reviews is because I’m not a food reviewer. As I’ve said before, I can tell you that things are good, but can’t really tell you why. Just know this: the food’s good.
5. Dean’s a rockin’ musician. Actually, I didn’t learn this last night. I had to leave before the band fired up. But I’ve heard good things. I’m not sure he’ll play if you book a catering event through Fearing’s, but I recommend you ask. If you’re planning to have a party and use Fearing’s catering, I’d love to be on the list, even if all you need me to do is throw the Frisbee for the dog so he’s out of the way.
