Dine Out and Do Good

6 Rice Village restaurants team up to support Houston hospitality nonprofit

Courtesy of Milton's

Some of Rice Village’s top restaurants have teamed up to raise money for the Southern Smoke Foundation. Dine Out Rice Village is taking place through January 31.

Modeled after Houston Restaurant Weeks, each restaurant is serving a prix fixe menu at a set price that includes a donation to Southern Smoke, the Houston-based non-profit that provides emergency assistance and mental health services to hospitality workers.

“January is typically a slower month for restaurants, so if we can encourage folks to go out to eat and simultaneously raise funds for the people growing, cooking, and serving the food and drinks, it’s a win/win all around,” Southern Smoke executive director Lindsey Brown said. “We hope Dine Out Rice Village becomes an essential event in Houston’s food and beverage annual calendar.”

The participating restaurants are:

D’Amico’s: Two-course dinner ($45)
Hamsa: Three-course lunch ($25) and four-course dinner ($55)
Hudson House: Two-course lunch ($20) and three-course dinner ($55)
Mendocino Farms: Golden State Farm Salad (20-percent of sales)
Milton’s: Three-course dinner ($55)
Navy Blue: Two-course lunch ($35) and three-course dinner ($55)

Find the specific dishes and donation amounts in this Instagram post:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Southern Smoke Foundation (@southernsmokefoundation)

Navy Blue co-owner Aaron Bludorn first proposed Dine Out Rice Village in 2025. He encourages diners to sample the restaurant’s crispy salmon with pomme puree and butter-braised leeks.

“We created Dine Out Rice Village in concert with Southern Smoke Foundation to showcase all of the amazing restaurants in the neighborhood,” Bludorn said. “We feel that giving Houstonians a reason to visit the Village is all we need to remind them that it is one of the premier dining destinations in Houston.”

Seth Siegel-Gardner, culinary and creative director for Milton’s owner Local Foods Group, echoed Bludorn’s sentiments. “All of us at Local Foods Group love what Southern Smoke Foundation does for our industry locally and around the country,” he said.

“We’re always proud to support the incredible organization, especially because that usually comes with doing something fun for Houston diners. In this case, the set menu is an awesome deal for a great cause. It’s a good excuse to try or revisit Chef Kent’s legendary Chicken Parm.”

news-you-can-eat fundraisers southern smoke foundation rice village

that sucks

Parking problems shutter Houston restaurant after less than a year

Succulent Fine Dining/Facebook

Succulent Fine Dining has closed.

A promising Houston restaurant has closed after less than a year. Succulent Fine Dining served its last meal on Thursday, February 5.

Located at the Regent Square mixed-use development, Succulent Fine Dining opened in May 2025. It was a new concept from from Houston restaurateur Shawn Virene, the mastermind behind champagne-fueled River Oaks restaurant a’Bouzy.

In a lengthy statement, Virene cited "ongoing site-related access, parking, and valet limitations that have significantly impacted our guests’ ability to access the restaurant and, ultimately, the overall guest experience" as the reason for the closure. It states that the City of Houston restricted levels two and three of the development's parking garage to residents of its apartment building, even thought they were supposed to be available to employees and customers.

“Succulent was a labor of love, and this was not an easy decision,” Virene said. “It has been an honor to serve our guests, and I’m deeply grateful to everyone who supported us. I hope those who loved Succulent will join us at a’Bouzy so we can continue serving you. Offering minimal valet at a $25 minimum per car is egregious. Our valued guests have not been able to access our establishment at a reasonable cost or with ease, and that is simply not acceptable for the level of hospitality we strive to provide.”

For Succulent, Virene took inspiration from California’s Napa Valley, with a wide-ranging menu by chef David Buckley that utilized both West Coast ingredients and some sourced from Texas farms. Its design included an expansive, second-story patio that featured pergolas and antique greenhouses.

“Our culinary and service staff poured their hearts into this restaurant every single day,” Virene added. “Their professionalism, dedication, and genuine hospitality made Succulent special. We are profoundly grateful for each of them, and we are committed to supporting them during this transition.”

While Succulent has closed, other restaurants in Regent Square remain open. They include Flight Club, Mexican Sugar, and Georgia James.

closings news-you-can-eat