The restaurant, for all the money lavished on a redo by the Omni La Mansion del Rio Hotel, is stuffy, going for Texas chic. But outside seating puts you a few feet above prime River Walk real estate, with priceless views of intoxicated 45-year olds. Still, it manages to be romantic. The wine list proclaims a commitment to local vintners (as the menu does to local produce), yet there’s not a single Texas bottle on the list. The problems don’t end there; on one visit, our $45 chosen wine wasn’t available either, so we were presented with an $80 bottle and no explanation of the price difference. (The sommelier later appeared and offered a nicer bottle at the original price, but we were on mains by the time it arrived.)

Service is beyond clueless. Venison carpaccio was not carpaccio—we’ve seen thinner sashimi slices. But its dandelion salsa verde was nice, if a bit overpowered at times by Bosque blue cheese. Fig-stuffed and country-fried Texas quail is a cool idea, but it was aggressive, with mouth-clogging breading. Confit of Sonoma duck leg didn’t have that lovely, fatty sheen; it simply tasted like slightly dry duck leg. The accompanying spaetzle were wimpy and flaccid. Caramelized sea scallops with Kurobuta pork belly was the inverse of what one expects that dish to be: scallops were lovely—cooked not a second too long, flavorful, and salty, but pork belly was dry, boring, and too lean. Nevertheless, try brunch.