The Pyramid Restaurant & Bar, located at The Fairmont Hotel in Dallas, recently hosted a mini media preview to introduce Executive Chef André Natera’s seasonal dinner menu for fall. The Fairmont’s 3,000 square-foot rooftop garden helps this chef’s passion for perfection play out perfectly. Some of the new dishes include lobster dumplings, oxtail ravioli, beef short rib, and herb printed pappardelle. Chef Natera also has a six-course pre-fixe tasting menu available during dinner.
Parking was not an option the second I realized my outfit was hideous. Luckily, clothes were still back seat hanging from a tasting in Houston the day before. Still untouched was a brand new black shirt. While this was a grab and go purchase without a visual, it seemed like a grand plan to wear it instead.
Changing clothes in the car is something that should not faze anyone. This act may frighten people in tall buildings or security camera operators, but the car-seat-lean-back-shirt-change is actually minimal in shock value. After two parking garage attempts, I settled on a side street. Changing clothes on a side street is okay after confirming all doors are locked. Getting carjacked without a shirt isn’t safe.
Outfit drama switched gears fast. You know when a girl gets really really cold? This new shirt made me look cold– practically freezing. Are you with me? Some girls fancy this look. It’s a real go-getter. Most guys are fans of the cold-girl-look as well. Cleavage and the cold-girl-look are both terrifying. With only one minute of walking until restaurant arrival, I couldn’t believe I was faced with this kind of public upper body situation. Solution: Nada.
Just when it finally seemed like an ordinary tasting, I asked the beverage director if she knew the people sitting at the other end of the table. She reached for her cell phone to open an email containing the guest list. While snooping this particular email, I saw none other than— Teresa’s name. Gasp! What’s with this heightened level of joy? She’s merely mortal. I keep asking myself about this necessary quest in life to have her ultimate approval as a writer. This behavior is not recommended for anyone pretending to be normal.
Walking over to introduce myself was the only option. I didn’t know what she looked like, so it could have been anyone. For reasons unknown, I chose the girl sitting at the end and said, “It’s me… Ashli. You know, from Almost Veggies.” Her face morphed into confusion as I instantly plummeted even further into a massive rookie writer status in Dallas. She replied, “Teresa has purple hair. You do know that?” It turns out this female– in fact– did not, I repeat, did not have purple hair. As a matter of fact, not one person in the room had purple hair. Coming to the conclusion that Teresa was not present suddenly became simple.
And so came the end of my first media preview since moving to Dallas. Executive Chef André Natera seems quite worthy of the endless accolades he’s received throughout his career. Pyramid is definitely a Dallas keeper.
