Dean Fearing’s mastery of inventive modern Texas cuisine is on full display in these elegant dining rooms at the Ritz-Carlton. The menu combines longstanding favorites like Dean’s tortilla soup and the surf-and-turf combo of Texas Wagyu beef filet and chicken-fried lobster with new and seasonal variations. The flash-seared foie gras on griddled potato blini is a luxurious treat, and the spread of Akaushi beef carpaccio with butter-poached shrimp is eye-popping. Fearing does great things with exotic meats like buffalo, antelope and pheasant (and with humbler beasts like lamb). Sunday brunch is a treat, too; it’s a little more rustic, with things like a buffalo-chili riff on eggs Benedict and some terrific fried chicken. Full bar, and an extensive — and pricey — wine list. --Mark Vamos/Guide
