dine out and do good

4 Rice Village restaurants team up for new charity dining event

Navy Blue is one of the restaurants participating in Dine Out Rice Village.

Photo by Julie Soefer

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.

Milton's restaurant cresto di gallo pasta 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.

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coming to fredericksburg

Star Houston chef signs on to luxurious Hill Country hotel

Courtesy of Bludorn Hospitality Group

Aaron Bludorn is opening a new restaurant in Fredericksburg.

Houston chef Aaron Bludorn is coming to the Hill Country. The chef’s Bludorn Hospitality Group will open a restaurant and lead the culinary program at The Kimpton Fredericksburg, a luxury hotel that’s expected to open in late 2027.

The still-unnamed restaurant will be a fresh concept from the company that’s behind five Houston restaurants — its flagship fine dining concept Bludorn, seafood restaurant Navy Blue, French-inspired Perseid at the Hotel Saint Augustine, and two locations of Bar Bludorn, including its recently-opened location in The Woodlands. Later this year, Bludorn, his wife Victoria Pappas Bludorn, and their business partner Cherif Mbodji, will open a new restaurant in San Antonio.

“We really loved the idea of being out in Fredericksburg. With us opening in San Antonio, we’ll already have a team out there,” Bludorn tells CultureMap. “We’re a growing Texas hospitality group. We see it as a great opportunity to grow our brand with Texans in really cool spaces.”

Bludorn adds that the restaurant will be a new concept from the company. Details, including its name and menu, will be released closer to the opening.

“We were drawn to Aaron’s ability to create a dining experience that feels both approachable and elevated, where exceptional food and thoughtful service come together in a way that makes every guest feel welcome,” said Blake Berg, senior vice president of development & construction for hotel owner DC Partners. “We recognize that experiential dining is an important part of what makes a destination successful, particularly in a market as distinctive as Fredericksburg. Our vision is to build on the area’s existing culinary character while introducing a new level of creativity, quality and hospitality. Aaron understands that balance. His philosophy aligns with our intentional approach to The Meuse, where every element is designed to complement the community, create a lasting impression and give people a reason to return.”

First announced in 2025, the Kimpton Fredericksburg is a 210-room luxury hotel. In addition to the Bludorn restaurant, it will offer a 10,000-square-foot outdoor pool and deck, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and more than 18,000 square feet of meeting and event space.

The hotel will anchor The Meuse, a 22-acre mixed-use development with more than 70,000 square feet of retail space. Previously announced tenants include Houston-based Padre’s Wine Company, Texas bootmaker Lucchese, westernwear label Double D Ranch, gourmet food company Fischer & Wieser, and Jackson Ballard Gallery.

Courtesy of Bludorn Hospitality Group

Aaron Bludorn is opening a new restaurant in Fredericksburg.

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