Dean Fearing spent 20 years holding down the kitchen at the iconic Mansion on Turtle Creek, building its reputation along with his own. But his passion was really reignited three years ago when he opened his eponymous restaurant at the new Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Everything old was new again. Of course, Dean’s tortilla soup has been a staple since the last ice age, as are his “two bite” lobster tacos. We’ve got no quarrel with either, though by now they have become too famous to live up to the legend.

Sometimes, the items—and their descriptions—reveal some over-thinking: “Nantucket Lightship Sea Scallops with Shredded Short Ribs on Foie Gras/Sweet Potato Purée with a Ragout of Royal Trumpet Mushrooms.” That’s two heart attacks right there. You might even expect it to be too fussy, an explosion of competing proteins. But Dean is deft in his execution. The salty-sweet scallops soften the fat of the ribs, while the fibrous sweet potatoes give structure to the foie gras. The woodsy, textured mushrooms bring it all together. It makes us hungry again just writing about it. Other smart but heavy dishes: ribeye with corn bread pudding; buffalo tenderloin, as blue as a porn film, with the bite of jalapeño grits. The lunch cut of Nova Scotia halibut with barbecue and shrimp enchilada? Genius.

Service is well intentioned if not always good at follow-through (“Oh, you want that second cocktail now?”)—a big draw-back with prices like these. But we’ll adjust. Just bring us another lobster taco.