The Mansion Restaurant at Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek

Bruno Davaillon, The Mansion Restaurant
Davaillon is a class act, and everything that comes out of his kitchen impresses. His dishes are formal and luxurious, as in a parfait of caviar, silky house-smoked salmon, avocado and an egg custard that he cleverly serves in a caviar can. His idea of a peasant dish? Slow-roasted pheasant breast garnished with baby chanterelles, emerald-green Brussels sprouts petals and marinated, peeled red grapes. On the side is a foie-gras-enriched shepherd’s pie made with the pheasant leg. There’s always something unusual at play, like the bright-flavored pomegranate reduction that plays off perfect seared foie gras and glazed Bandera quail, with a velvety butternut squash purée that acts as a sauce. (Full review)

Head bartender Rocco Milano is a whiz at creating new cocktails — such as Romeo Romeo, a lightly fizzy drink that combines Champagne and St. Germain. A splash of Lucid Absinthe gives it a lovely, haunting note, and fresh thyme and marjoram and pomegranate-infused balsamic vinegar add complexity. His Miami Splice is for people who can’t decide between a daiquiri and a piña colada — the bottom is a lightly sweet strawberry daiquiri, made with 10 Cane Rum, and the top is delicate piña colada foam. I’ve long loved the Mansion’s “homemade” gin and tonic, and lately it’s gotten even better: Milano now infuses the gin itself with cinchona bark, to fabulous effect. (Full review)

Since David Collier left the Mansion, the desserts are not quite as spectacular as they were. But with executive chef Bruno Davaillon in charge until Collier’s replacement is found, the pastries are still impressive, with an aesthetic that’s formal, refined and beautiful. To wit: “lemon,” which layers subtly flavored lemon-verbena poundcake with fragile lemon meringue; Davaillon pairs it with frozen lemon soufflé and a pretty drop of lemon curd. Or gorgeous variations on an apple theme. Still, it’s hard to pass up the chocolate and hazelnut mille-feuille — thin layers of chocolate puff pastry filled with gianduja (chocolate-hazelnut) and caramel crémeux piped between them and a fabulous hazelnut gelato on the side. (Full review)

One of the main principles of modern French cooking that came out of the nouvelle cuisine movement of the 1970s is using what's fresh and local, as well as ingredients from other cultures, and applying French technique. It's what chefs at top French – and American – restaurants around the country have been doing now for decades. The cooking of French-born chef Bruno Davaillon perfectly exemplifies this, and with his arrival last fall, the Mansion Restaurant feels, for the first time in its history, more French than American.

For dinner you might start with a Dungeness crab salad with tomato-jalapeño gelée and Bloody Mary sorbet, then tuck into roasted squab with beautifully seared Hudson Valley foie gras and a Jerusalem artichoke purée. Wind things up sweetly with a tropical fruit vacherin, or, if you're feeling very French, one of the best cheese selections in town. The excellent wine list includes a wide selection of French vintages. (Full review)

What is the food like at the Mansion Restaurant these days? In a word, it's eloquent. Consider chef Bruno Davaillon's "Flavor of Duck." In the center of an oblong plate he places a crisp-skinned square of duck confit. Slices of rosy breast with amazing texture flank it on one side. Davaillon cooks it sous-vide, then sears and slices it, topping it with a bit of fatty duck skin fried like chicharrón. Its flavor melts onto the tongue. A perfect poached duck egg in a small bowl on the other side hides a treasure of sautéed, parsley- flecked chanterelles. Magic happens when fork goes into egg and mushrooms; braised scallion adds yet another dimension.

What's behind the eloquence? Luxury and precision, Davaillon's exquisite taste and surprising, engaging ideas, such as pairing sweet corn ravioli with a fresh, bright shrimp-and-tomato "Bolognese." The sauce gets its depth from including tomatoes both roasted and raw. A touch of white soy sauce ("I know it's not traditional," says the chef) brings it into balanc (Full review)

A Homemade Tonic with Gin: That's what they call the gin and tonic at The Bar at Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek. Made with tonic fashioned from quinine powder (made from cinchona bark, doncha know?), lime juice and simple syrup, fortified with 209 gin and topped off with sparkling water, it's terrific. (Full review)

Part of the recent renovation of the Mansion Restaurant at Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek included lowering a wall around the property, so the patio now opens to gorgeous, pastoral views. (Full review)

John Tesar took over the Mansion's fabled kitchen and has made it his own with dishes like vanilla-bean-speared foie gras and Alaskan king crab in a duo of butter sauces. The main dining room is an appropriate introduction to his cooking, but if you really want to sample the measure of his powers, splurge on the prix fixe-oriented Chef's Room, or the Chef's Table, where Mr. Tesar personalizes your fantasy meal. (Full review)

The restaurant at the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek has long been one of Dallas' most vaunted destinations, and since the departure of the hotel's last executive chef, John Tesar, in January 2009, its fate as a restaurant that matters had been in question.

Now we can answer that question: The Mansion matters. A lot. (Full review)