Critics’ choice: Three chefs who are raising the bar in Texas

Lucia Dallas

This adventurous new Italian osteria “hits a lot of hot buttons,” said Teresa Gubbins in D Magazine. Small, artisanal, and as casual in spirit as its hip Bishop Arts neighborhood, Lucia has recently been named “the best new restaurant in Texas” by The New York Times. Local culinary stars David Uygur and his wife, Jennifer, are fulfilling a dream by operating their own place for the first time, and they’ve created a room so warmly alive that “you can almost sense its heartbeat.” David makes every dish “a form of personal expression.” The house-made gnocchi gets a bit of tang from thin slices of speck, a shot of sweetness from sautéed cabbage leaves, and a touch of decadence from a deliriously rich taleggio cheese. Lucia creates its own cured meats, and no other Dallas restaurant can touch its house-made bread. But it may be the beef tongue, “tender as butter” and paired with salsa verde and roasted onions, that best embodies the cause that keeps David’s creative juices flowing: “to glorify ingredients others would ignore.” 408 W. 8th St., (214) 948-4998

The Inn at Dos Brisas Washington

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Even before the arrival of its accomplished new chef, this ranch resort had established itself as an unlikely fine-dining oasis in rural Texas, said Kate Murphy in The New York Times. Located 50 miles east of Houston in a former cow pasture, Dos Brisas harvests produce from its own high-tech greenhouse and 10-acre organic farm. Various honors have been the payoff, and “now the restaurant has added another distinction.” Chef Craig Shelton, who was a farm-to-table pioneer at the Ryland Inn, in Whitehouse Station, N.J., combines classical French cooking with cutting-edge culinary techniques (think thermocirculators and liquid nitrogen). The dining room at Dos Brisas has an unfortunate suburban-country-club feel, but Shelton’s multicourse meals, each served with a flourish, will put you in a forgiving mood. On a recent chef’s menu, the highlights included tataki of Wagyu beef with wakame, sprouted onion, and tempura of Japanese pumpkin, followed by parsnip rice pudding with a vanilla-liqueur reduction. 10000 Champion Dr., (979) 277-7750

Congress Austin

It took chef David Bull mere months to create the kind of dining experience that I’ve been seeking in Austin for more than two years, said Mike Sutter in the Austin American-Statesman. This plush new operation is the first I can award a five-star rating, meaning it offers “an extraordinary restaurant experience from start to finish.” Bull’s decision to offer only a two-tiered prix fixe menu means that after paying $65 for three courses or $95 to $125 for seven, you largely surrender control to Bull and his team. But every visit here is met with flawless food, pinpoint wine pairings, and expert service. Bull gracefully balances the flavors of familiar foods. American caviar is accompanied by a “sweet mousse of carrot and orange zest”; the savory beef short rib ravioli comes with a creamy burrata cheese and a “deep” bordelaise sauce. You finish a meal here with a feeling “something like wonder.” 200 Congress Ave., (512) 827-2760