If you’re looking for a good date night spot in Mueller, the Italian restaurant L’Oca d’Oro is your best bet. The large windows spill light into the airy dining room during the day, and at night there's a slightly more intimate atmosphere. They’re big on local, seasonal produce, so expect to see a regularly changing menu. Whatever time of year you go, keep an eye out for their fresh-made pastas—that’s where we’ve had some of our favorite bites here, like a perfectly cooked ricotta cavatelli with an overnight roasted tomato sauce.

The wine selection is great, with plenty of options available by the glass—including some fun orange wines—with a heavy lean on Italian reds. The cocktails are creative and sound a bit garden-inspired—incorporating things like parsley-carrot cordial and cucumber-celery-basil shrub—that seem to taste even better when you’re sitting on the cozy patio looking out over the lake. There’s even a small menu of equally inventive no/low abv cocktails. And if you’re looking for a very Texas-meets-Italian finish to your meal, try their house made Nocino—it’s typically a walnut-based liquor, but instead they sub in green Texas pecans for a bit of local flair. 

photo credit: Nicolai McCrary