In the waning dusk of evening, Ralph Smith Photography Studio was an idyllic setting: A gorgeous enclosed courtyard with a foliage-covered trellis and in-ground lily pond. Romantic, yet pastoral, it was made even more magical by the glow of flickering candles against white linen and a twinkling array of wine glasses on the long dining tables. The stage was set for Triniti Restaurant’s second snapshot dinner, this one by starlight.

With an announced opening date of December 6, the Triniti team – executive chef Ryan Hildebrand, chef de cuisine Jose Hernandez, sous chefs Greg Lowry and Matthew Lovelace – has been offering preview, or “snapshot” dinners to showcase what’s in store for patrons when the restaurant opens. The first dinner was held at El Gran Malo bar/restaurant last month; the third and final one will be in November. And this past Saturday (October 15), the second dinner was a snapshot in the true sense, because each of the dishes served were pulled from the actual restaurant menu.

The 10-course menu reminded me of one of the first true fine dining experience I ever had, at the famed Patina Restaurant in Los Angeles circa 1998. Now a Relais & Chateaux property, the Michelin-starred Patina’s multi-course French Californian fare is still at the top of its class, and in Houston, we currently have nothing like it.

Triniti is poised to fill that void. Hildebrand’s brand of French, which is prepared with exacting technique, is more nouvelle cuisine and lighter than traditional French, with a distinctly Californian sensibility.

Take the soup course, a veal broth with leek, king trumpet mushroom, shaved beef, foie gras dumpling and truffle balsamic reduction. It is one of those dishes you will want to re-visit again and again. Lacking the heavy cream often used in French soups, the broth consommé was nonetheless rich with the essence of veal, its savoriness complemented with melt-in-your mouth tenderness of the shaved beef. Add to that the crisped yet elastic texture of the torched king trumpet mushroom and a hot foie gras dumpling that melted in your mouth the same way that a chocolate truffle would, and it was a knockout dish. The presentation also included a bit of truffle balsamic reduction, swooshed onto the plate with an artful slash that was tasty enough to inspire diners to use their own fingers to lap up the sauce, effectively leaving clean plates on the table.

While the veal broth with foie gras dumpling was standout for me, there were other courses that impressed not only for their presentation but execution. A tortellini stuffed with sweetbreads and duxelles, served atop a sauce of parsley root puree with little cubes of scallion gelee that melted into the sauce was a favorite among my table companions.

The quail was meticulously deboned, stuffed with duck, and then rolled into a small bundle wrapped with the quail skin, before being painstakingly fried in butter to get a crisped outer shell. Served with butternut squash puree and a crisp square gingerbread biscuit, the ensemble was much appreciated for the skill of preparation, even as we reveled in the hearty, autumnal flavors of the butternut squash and crispness of the gingerbread.

A course of eight-inch sweet prawns was also beautiful in presentation and flavor, the bright orange color of the prawn set against a bed of chickpeas, blood sausage and glazed root vegetables.

And a sous-vide preparation of lamb ribeye, swathed in collard greens and then presented in a standing column atop whole grain mustard, with dark round braised potatoes and fall squash was unbelievably good. I typically don’t enjoy lamb, but this one was so delicious that I finished off the entire portion.

I cannot forget the desserts, for a meal at Triniti would not be complete without one of the signature desserts from chef de cuisine Jose Hernandez, a trained pastry chef. His pistachio paste over chocolate shortbread could have been a modern-day sculpture of green and brown, the pistachio paste tasting like a yummy frozen mousse. But it was his gianduja mousse with ricotta cream that set my hormones aflame with its smooth-creamy-chocolatety-hazelnutty-dreamlike perfection.

Service, which was overseen by general manager Fred Zenatti, was excellent and well paced. Zenatti also did the wine nine wine pairings of the night, a mix of French, Austrian, Italian and Argentinean vintages.

In the end, it’s hard not to be effusive, and I can tell you that these sentiments are not mine alone. At the conclusion of the meal, the team got a standing ovation from the guests, a tribute to the fact that the 10-course meal with wine pairings was a like taking a joyous roller-coaster ride. We had exhilarating highs and comfortable lulls and just when we were settling down to take a breath, it would zing off again to give off an unexpected rush of food pleasure.

When it opens, Triniti will offer à la carte menus as well as tasting menus. There will also be a highly coveted chef’s table where you’ll be able to sit down and ask the chef to create a menu for you on the spot.

The next and final preview dinner takes place November 12. Make reservations while you can.

TRINITI, 2815 S. Shepherd bet. Westheimer & W. Alabama, 832.582.5958, trinitirestaurant.com

Anticipated opening: December 6. For up-to-date information, follow Triniti on Facebook and Twitter.