A group of Rice Village restaurants are teaming up to raising money for the Southern Smoke Foundation. Dubbed Dine Out Rice Village, the event is taking place through January 31.
Modeled after the popular Houston Restaurant Weeks, the four restaurants are serving prix fixe menus at lunch and dinner that include a corresponding donation to Southern Smoke, the Houston-based non-profit that provides emergency assistance and mental health services to hospitality workers.
The participating restaurants are:
- D’Amico’s Italian Market Cafe, which will serve a three-course dinner menu for $45 ($7 donation)
- Hamsa, an Israeli restaurant that will serve both a three-course lunch menu for $25 and a four-course dinner menu for $55 ($3 and $7 donation)
- Milton’s, an Italian restaurant that will serve a three-course dinner menu for $55 ($7 donation)
- Navy Blue, a seafood restaurant will serve both two-course lunch menu for $35 and a three-course dinner menu for $55 ($5 and $8 donation)
Navy Blue chef-owner Aaron Bludorn tells CultureMap that he proposed the event both to benefit the nonprofit and to encourage new diners to check out the restaurant during January, which can be a slow month for restaurants.
“We try to support SSF as much as possible because it benefits our industry in the most impactful way,” Bludorn explains. “Through providing a safety net to our team members we are stronger as a whole and can focus on providing exceptional experiences for the guests of our restaurants.”
As displayed on the Southern Smoke website, each restaurant’s menu includes some of its most popular dishes. At D’Amico’s, the options include the soup of the day, Chicken Asiago, Snapper D’Amico, and a cannoli. Hamsa’s menu includes salatin (small vegetable dishes), falafel, skewers, and dessert. The Milton’s menu includes both the cresto di gallo pasta (revived by culinary director Seth Siegel-Gardner from his time at The Pass & Provisions) and its signature chicken parm. Navy Blue’s menu includes gumbo, Caesar salad, crawfish risotto, branzino, and the carrot cake that pastry chef Marie Riddle served at the 2024 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards.
The fan favorite cresto di gallo is on the menu at Milton's.Photo by Julie Soefer
“We like to offer dishes that we are known for such as the Branzino and give those who might not normally dine with us the opportunity to enjoy them,” Bludorn says.
Southern Smoke executive director Lindsey Brown adds that she welcomes other Rice Village restaurants who want to participate. If this year proves successful, it could expand to other parts of Houston in the future. After all, the need is great.
“In 2024, we granted $3 million through our emergency relief fund ($2.6M) and to our university partners for our Behind You mental health program ($300,000). Every dollar raised — via Dine Out Rice Village and any other event or donation — matters to the F+B industry so we can continue to support them. We’re so grateful to our Rice Village friends for helping us taking care of our own by launching this new initiative,” Brown says.
