Chez Roux at La Torretta Del Lago Resort & Spa

HOUSTON, May 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Ronnie Ben-Zur, owner of the new La Torretta Del Lago Resort & Spa, has signed one of the world's most acclaimed chefs and restaurateurs to create a signature, fine-dining restaurant on the grounds of the Lake Conroe retreat.

Chef Albert Roux, named with his brother by their peers as the most influential chefs in the United Kingdom and whose London restaurant became the first ever in the United Kingdom to hold the coveted three Michelin Guide stars, will create Chez Roux as the premiere dining venue among those at the resort.

Chez Roux will be a free-standing, upscale facility located on the lake shore. The famed chef agreed to give the restaurant his name because of his close involvement in the project and will be directly and personally involved in the creation of a contemporary French menu with heavy emphasis on local products to give it a hint of Texas flavor.

Having Albert Roux on board, La Torretta joins the select company of The Walbrook Club in London, Inverlochy Castle in Scotland, The Ellington in Leeds, Brasserie Roux in London's Sofitel St. James, the Grand Jersey Hotel in the Channel Islands and the Compass Group where Roux is chairman of its Contract Catering Division, Roux Fine Dining. As the only restaurant in the United States, Chez Roux is a primary focus of Roux's projects.

World wide, accolades for Albert Roux are among the highest for any chefs. In 2002, UK Foreign Minister Jack Straw described the Roux brothers as "two of Britain's finest ambassadors who have greatly enhanced Britain's gastronomic standing in the world." Albert Roux's Le Gavroche became the first restaurant in the UK to obtain three stars by the Michelin Guide.

While Chef Roux will not be in residence at La Torretta year round, he will make a series of week-long visits beginning Oct. 19 and continuing through 2009. In his absence, Chez Roux will be presided over by a Le Gavroche-trained chef personally selected by Roux.

Construction of La Torretta Del Lago Resort & Spa is well underway with an official opening date targeted for early October, 2008. For additional information on Chef Roux, visit http://www.albertroux.co.uk.