Dallas Dining Delightsby Dave ShultzIs Dallas, Texas the culinary capitol of the world? Probably not, but it is where most cooking ‘trends’ start these days. There are more original and innovative chefs in Dallas than any other culinary center in the country. Trends seem to start here and spread out to both coasts. Of course, by the time they get to the coasts, something new is happening in Dallas. The Dallas / Fort Worth Metroplex is a sprawling urban mix of residential neighborhoods dotted with commercial shopping centers and high-rise buildings. Mixed in these commercial areas, you’ll find some of the best restaurants in the world. So, if you’re in Dallas, turn off the TV and venture out into a brave new culinary world and be the first to experience fine dining trends soon to be written about in California and New York newspapers as ‘hot’ and ‘new’. Seasons
Chef Ty was born and raised in New York State's Finger Lakes region. From there he took his love of farm fresh foods and headed west to Denver to launch his career.
  Ty's ebullient personality extends from the kitchen, where his staff benefits from his love of teaching and sharing knowledge and techniques, encouraging them in their own creativity, to the dining room, where he is frequently seen meeting and welcoming guests. To listen to Madelyn Miller interview Chef Ty, go to our TravelLady Talk section. Laurels |
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The Renaissance Dallas North offers 289 elegantly appointed rooms in a European style and one unique restaurant called Seasons. Chef Ty Thoren creates fusion masterpieces combining the best of Mediterranean and Southwest cuisine. Ty has been in his current position for 7 years and more importantly, his staff has been with him for 6 years. This all day restaurant serves Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Dinner focuses on New American Cuisine highlighted by hand-selected steaks and chops. 
He attended Denver's Hotel and Restaurant Management School and then joined the Fairmont Hotel in 1979. Fairmont recognized Ty as a talent and put him through a series of promotions to executive sous chef in Denver.
In the North Dallas area near Loop 635 and Central Expressway on the 20th floor of the Westin Central Hotel, is Laurels Restaurant, a five-star delight with an even more delightful surprise in the kitchen. Danielle Custer, a beautiful young woman, that’s both executive chef and general manager of Laurels. 
Some of her signature dishes are pear soup with plum wine crème fraiche, 1000 spiced fried quail with fresh black-eyed pea relish, garlic chili oil and roasted garlic hushpuppies, Stilton and greens with candied hazelnuts, pancetta, brown butter vinaigrette and pickled grapes and Sumac marinated Chicago lamb rack with goat cheese potato tart, lemon mint jelly and licorice jus.
In the shadow of downtown Dallas is a new addition to the culinary scene. Salve, which means 'Welcome Good Friends' in Italian, is a welcome dining experience as well. Executive chef Sharon Hage, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, prepares rich, Tuscan style home cooking for Salve's patrons. She brings 15 years of culinary experience to the Salve kitchen. The menu includes homemade pastas and bread combined with fresh herbs and vegetables.
The 9000 square foot building offers an interior courtyard, a main dining room and any number of private dining rooms. The atmosphere is definitely authentic Italian but there's also some very high tech features. One of the dining rooms has facilities for audio and video presentations as well as in Internet connection.
For business travelers in Dallas, the Westin Park Central offers some outstanding features. Their Executive Suites have all the amenities that make your stay all pleasure and no work. The office center in your room even includes a Hewlett-Packard printer with Operators Manual and software installation disk ready to hood up to your notebook computer.