Even though I grew up in Texas, I have spent very little time in Dallas. Perhaps it was the ‘pretend’ Houston versus Dallas rivalry, but in truth the geographical distance (240 miles) is the most likely reason.Making up for lost time I spent a wonderful four days in Dallas last month. Although my main reason for going to the Big D was to host a SFEERA event at Michelle Nussbaumer’s wonderful store Ceylon et Cie, several Dallasites pulled out all the stops—thank you!
On our first night in Dallas Jan Showers arranged for dinner at Fearing’s at The Ritz-Carlton. Named “Restaurant of the Year” and “Table of the Year” by Esquire Magazine in 2007 and number one in Hotel Dining in the U.S. by Zagat in 2009, Fearing’s has received accolades from The New York Times, Newsweek, Food and Wine, Texas Monthly, and Modern Luxury. Long known as the “Father of Southwestern Cuisine” iconic chef Dean Fearing did not disappoint! Dean’s tortilla soup is sublime.
Fearing's is a short walk from The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton; a new luxury high-rise designed by Robert A. M. Stern Architects. Before dinner, Jan unveiled a 2,490-square-foot masterpiece that she designed for The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton (in her ‘traditional with a glamorous edge’ style). I will have photos tomorrow, plus a tour of her store and a profile later this week.
The next evening was our SFEERA party hosted by Michelle Nussbaumer. Michelle’s 10,000-square-foot antiques emporium Ceylon et Cie, brims with one-of-a-kind vintage finds. Truly, I would spy something new every time I turned around—my kind of place! The day before our party Michelle was in Houston speaking at the Decorative Center. In true Michelle fashion, she convinced Carolyn Englefield (Veranda Editor At Large) to come back to Dallas for the festivities.
The next afternoon Jennifer Pickens, author of Christmas at the White House, hosted a tea at her beautiful University Park home. Jennifer is a most gracious hostess and I loved hearing her stories about conversations with Letitia Baldrige. Jennifer is now working on another book—pets and the White House. I can’t wait for this one.
A huge thank you to everyone who came to Ceylon et Cie for the SFEERA event and to all who played host—you are all the best. You can see more photos from the event here.
Photos by Jason Wynn
