Trifecta of Rising Stars at Pyramid

by Steven Doyle

The Pyramid at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas enjoys an uncommon fact in that they employ three past winners of Dallas Food and Wine’s Rising Star Chefs including Executive Chef Andre Natera (2003 White Wine winner), Executive Sous Chef Paul Peddle (2011 White Wine winner), and Pyramid Sous Chef Andrew McDonald (2011 Red Wine winner).

To celebrate these Rising Stars, The Pyramid Restaurant hosted a dinner this past Friday evening. The “Trifecta at the Pyramid” was a chef’s tasting dinner and live cooking demonstration hosted by the hotel. Each Rising Star Chef prepared an interpretation of their signature award-winning dish, along with a special dessert course by Maggie Huff.

It was a true honor to be part of this special evening and enjoy each of the award winning dishes, but more particularly to sit with the chefs and see what they have been doing since their win.

Obviously chef Natera has gone on to create an incredible kitchen staff, spiking the Pyramid menu with new enthusiasm as an homage to the earlier days at the hotel. His efforts have not gone unnoticed, garnering even more accolades in the past year the chef has been on staff.

Natera’s appreciation for using all local ingredients is fairly well known, and there have been many articles (including on craveDFW) about his roof-top gardens and beehives. But few probably know that the chef, who uses classic French technique, has an eye on the past and the pulse of the future.

In more than one conversation with Natera he speaks of seeking out future generations of chefs in a effort to promote Dallas as a destination city. He practices this philosophy daily, encouraging his staff to excel beyond what he has created. There are others who share this philosophy with Natera, and these are the true trail-blazers for the city.