Drive through sterile suburban neighborhoods and a macabre procession of chain restaurants to the luxury resort La Torretta Del Lago. For running this gauntlet, you are rewarded with one of the finest meals in the state (and if you come at the right time, one hell of a sunset).

You’ll be greeted with the finest modern-elegant dining room that money can buy, complete with a stunning lake view. Both the menu and meticulous technique are true-blue French, right down to the insistence of using the finest local ingredients. We’ve had a soufflé made with Texas’s own Veldhuizen Farm cheddar, an impossibly airy and rich cloud floating upon sweet creamed corn—all Lone Star and Gaul. Turnip fondant has come caramelized to a near-toffee flavor, threaded with savory, salty bits of duck confit. Foie gras mousse with walnut bread is as texturally stirring and flawless as a Godard film. We’ve enjoyed a cart of fully ripened French cheeses allowed to rest at room temperature; figs stuffed with whipped Fourme d’Ambert; and a foie gras terrine tickled with Muscat and pungent baby leeks.

The low points are few, but noticeable: sometimes-awkward service and a wine list that mingles compulsory domestic clunkers with better (but overpriced) French bottles. Nevertheless, this is some of the most capable French cooking found in Texas.