Fairmont Dallas is proud to introduce Jean-Francois Fortin as the hotel’s new Executive Chef.

Chef Fortin has a wealth of culinary management experience from over twenty two years in the industry, most of which served at Fairmont hotels across North America. After earning his professional culinary diploma and completing Chef Training at Trait-Carre Professional Center in Quebec City, his career began in 1998 as Chef de partie at Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Quebec City. He progressed through various positions of increasing responsibility, including Sous Chef, Chef, Manager and Consultant for different restaurants.

“I have been with Fairmont hotels my entire career and have embraced the brand and its values,” Chef Fortin said. “I am provided many opportunities to expand my knowledge, grow, and travel, developing my skills as a chef.”

Chef Fortin served as Sous and Executive Chef for a variety of Fairmont hotels from 2005 to 2016 including Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, Fairmont Hotel Macdonald, Edmonton, Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, Fairmont Algonquin St. Andrews, Fairmont Chateau Montebello and finally at the infamous Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada.

“The Fairmont Dallas is a notoriously successful hotel in the area and I have been eager to join the team for several years now,” Chef Fortin said. “I have primarily worked at resorts and am excited for this new adventure in the city.”

Serving as the Executive Chef of the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise for since 2016, Chef Fortin is excited for the opportunity to get to know Texas cuisine. He and his team have already launched La Taqueria at the Lobby Bar, a new pop up concept at the Fairmont Dallas featuring Tex-Mex classics including tacos, burritos, and quesadillas. 

“I am loving Dallas so far, with its warm weather, friendly people, and the abundance of Tex-Mex food,” Chef Fortin added. “It is a cuisine I have enjoyed personally and a fun part of life as a Chef is getting to learn new cuisines in new places, learning to please the palettes of the locals.”

Chef Fortin will spend the first quarter of 2021 familiarizing himself with the hotel and the Dallas community. Being previously stationed in Alberta, Canada, affectionately known as the ‘Texas of Canada’ with its thriving cattle and oil industries, Chef Fortin looks forward to continuing to work with fine cuts of meat at the Pyramid Restaurant at the Fairmont Dallas. 

“The Pyramid is a fabulous restaurant, we are excited for what is to come in the new year,”
Chef Fortin said.

Looking for a destination to hold your end-of-year gathering or beginning-of-the-year planning meetings with plenty of space to safely spread out? Hyatt Regency Frisco-Dallas offers a beautiful space and elevated experience for any type of gathering or celebration. The spaces are large and flexible to ensure ample room for spreading out.

The hotel is a 18-story, 303-room hotel with a 27,500-square-foot conference center including the Regency and Junior ballrooms and additional breakout spaces, a large lobby bar and restaurant. The hotel recently opened to the public on June 1, 2020, so the spaces are fresh and contemporary. 

Be inspired during your meetings by the natural light that floods the spaces. Hyatt Regency Frisco-Dallas features a dramatic street-level entry to an open, contemporary lobby space with subtle decor and full of natural light. A glass-sheathed transitional modern style with stunning views of Frisco and a timeless Texas flavor crafted with subtle textures and colors and tactile natural materials are implemented throughout the interior space with soft architectural lighting and plenty of dramatic focal elements. 

Many outstanding rewards are offered if you book and hold your special gathering by December 31, 2022. Events can include but are not limited to weddings, graduations, celebrations of life, anniversaries, birthdays, receptions for religious milestones, reunions, and holiday parties. 

Rewards include:

• Spend $5,000 USD Equivalency and Earn 30,000 World of Hyatt Bonus Points

• Spend $10,000 USD Equivalency and Earn 60,000 World of Hyatt Bonus Points

• Spend $20,000 USD Equivalency and Earn 90,000 World of Hyatt Bonus Points

• Spend $30,000 USD Equivalency and Earn 120,000 World of Hyatt Bonus Points

• Spend $40,000 USD Equivalency and Earn 150,000 World of Hyatt Bonus Points

Redeem your World of Hyatt Bonus Points for free stays and dining services. Visit worldofhyatt.com to learn more.

The following options are also available for even greater rewards:

• Get up to 10% off your event spend credited towards event upgrades like complimentary guest rooms, enhanced food and beverage offerings, lighting and sound packages and virtual broadcast.

• Or, take up to 10% off your master bill

Increased flexibility is offered if a celebration needs to be rescheduled. 

Call Hyatt Regency Frisco-Dallas or visit hyatt.com/celebration to learn more. Mention the offer code GATHR.

Hyatt’s Global Care & Cleanliness Commitment builds on the existing rigorous safety and cleanliness protocols. Visit hyatt.com/care-and-cleanlinessto learn more.

Planning a get-together with your friends just got way easier! Need a spot to watch the next big game? Sheraton Dallas Hotel has reopened the doors at Draft Sports Bar & Lounge, located within the hotel and off of N Olive St. in Downtown Dallas.

Sheraton Dallas is excited to host you again at Draft Sports Bar & Lounge, just in time to continue watching college football games and the Dallas Cowboys. To celebrate the reopening, Draft Sports Bar & Lounge is offering tailgating specials! 

On Saturdays & Sundays, Draft Sports Bar & Lounge will offer: 

• $1 off draft beer from 4pm to 6pm 

• Complimentary tailgating jalapeño cheese nachos from 5pm to 6pm 

This Friday night, Dec. 4th, the sports bar will be offering $1 off draft beer during the two college football games on schedule (Louisiana at Appalachian State at 6:30pm, and Boise St. at UNLV at 8:30pm). 

Draft Sports Bar & Lounge is downtown Dallas' entertainment destination for refreshing drinks, tasty eats and a lively atmosphere. It's the perfect destination to bring colleagues and friends together to enjoy the sporting events on any of the flat-screen TVs while indulging in one of the beers on tap.

Draft Sports Bar & Lounge features a private karaoke room within the sports bar that also includes an Xbox gaming system in the room. Guests can easily access the room anytime the bar is open at no additional cost if it's unoccupied. 

The Sheraton Dallas Hotel is the largest hotel in North Texas with 1,840 guest rooms and 230,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. It also recently underwent a renovation in November 2019. 

Tap your friends to enjoy the beers on tap at the Draft Sports Bar & Lounge! 

Draft Sports Bar & Lounge is open daily from 4pm to 10pm.

Copper & Steel Table and Bar at Hyatt Regency Frisco-Dallas Hotel is spreading the holiday cheer to their guests with their limited-time holiday menu items, which includes their take on Holidays in a Sandwich, Pumpkin Crème Brulee, the Merry Mistletoe Margarita, and Pines and Needles cocktail.

The Holidays in a Sandwich features smoked turkey and gravy, cornbread stuffing, fried potato pancake, and cranberry aioli on ciabatta.

The Pumpkin Crème Brulee includes spiced whipped cream and a Sablé cookie. 

Cheers to the delicious meal with their holiday-themed cocktails, the Merry Mistletoe Margarita and Pines and Needles cocktail. 

For those wanting to enjoy the cocktails at home with family or friends, Copper & Steel Table and Bar has shared the recipes so anyone can stir them up.

Merry Mistletoe Margarita: 

• 2 oz. Espolon 

• 2 oz. Fresh Lime Juice 

• 1 oz. Simple Syrup

• 1 oz. Cointreau

• 2 oz. Cranberry Juice

Combine all ingredients and shake. Pour over ice and garnish with lime, cranberry and rosemary.

Pines and Needles:

• 2 oz. TX Whiskey

• 1 oz. Rosemary Syrup

• 4 Splashes of Walnut Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a shaker glass and stir with a bar spoon. Pour over an ice sphere in a rocks glass.

Copper & Steel Table and Bar puts a Texas twist on American classics with dishes made from local meats. 

To enjoy a holiday getaway in Frisco, book your stay at Hyatt Regency Frisco-Dallas for  a special room rate of $99+tax for standard rooms, based on availability. Rooms can be booked by visiting the hotel’s website and using the booking code, FRIS99. Parents can take their children to experience KidZania next door to the hotel and parents of 8-year-olds or older can drop off their children while they complete holiday shopping at Stonebriar Centre mall. KidZania is a dynamic, real-life city built to inspire, educate and empower kids through immersive learning experiences with more than 100 hands-on activities where kids can role-play.  

Experience a drive-through holiday light show at Radiance! Frisco, which is located in Dr Pepper Ballpark's parking lot across the street from the hotel. Hotel guests can receive discounted tickets to the experience if they book the Radiance Holiday Light Package on the hotel's website. 

Frisco Square is also having their annual Christmas in the Square from November 27 to January 4 with a choreographed holiday lights and music show and an outdoor ice rink.  

Hyatt Regency Frisco-Dallasis a 18-story, 303-room hotel and is located within Frisco’s Stonebriar Centre between Nordstrom and Dillard’s and can be accessed from the mall on the second floor. The hotel opened to the public on June 1, 2020, and offers elevated experiences and amenities for both business and leisure travelers. 

Texans Can Academies - Dallas is hosting a contactless winter donation drive to benefit the students at their six Dallas area schools who are in need of essential winter gear, personal protective equipment and food this winter season. With a few easy clicks on Amazon, donations can be made through Texans Can Academies’ Amazon Wishlist. Items requested are jackets, gloves, scarves, sweaters, food, health safety items including face masks and hand sanitizer; and baby essential items including wipes, diapers and baby clothes. Sizes needed for clothing range from small to XXL. 

In order to have items shipped in time for distribution to the students before their winter break, Texans Can Academies asks for orders to be made by December 11. If in-person donations are preferred, please contact Felicia Gummi at fgummi@texanscan.org or 214-882-7949 to schedule a hand delivery or pick-up time for the items. Additionally, donations can be mailed to Texans Can Academies’ corporate office at 325 W. 12th Street, Dallas, TX 75208.

“Many of our students are in need of basic necessities, especially to gear up for the winter season and cool temperatures,” said Dr. James Ponce, Superintendent at Texans Can Academies. “Every generous donation goes directly to the hands of a high school student in need of those items.”

Texans Can Academies aims to ensure every student has the opportunity to pursue their dreams while removing barriers that keep them from attaining their education.

Texans Can Academies are a unique network of 14 dropout recovery schools located in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio. The schools are tuition-free, open enrollment, public high schools of choice serving students who have struggled in a traditional high school setting. Texans Can Academies offers students, aged 14 to 21, a second chance at earning their high school diploma. The organization believes providing the highest quality education for all students is necessary in ensuring their economic independence. To date, more than 171,759 students have changed their lives and the lives of their families through Texans Can Academies.

For more information about Texans Can Academies, please visit www.texanscan.org or www.carsforkids.org.