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Restaurants / Openings

Rice Village’s New Italian Restaurant Brings a Retro 1970s Trattoria Vibe — Milton’s Shows Benjy Levit Is Still Delightfully Reinventing

The 100-Layer Lasagna and Handmade Pastas You Need in Your Life

BY // 11.05.24
photography Julie Soefer

Houston restaurant owner Benjy Levit is more than the son of the late Milton Levit, CEO and president of the family business Grocer’s Supply. In fact, he’s a master of reinvention, poised on the cusp of the next new thing. Levit, along with culinary director Seth Siegel-Gardner and chef Kent Domas, recently closed the chic French restaurant Eau Tour that they partnered on in Rice Village. The trio has replaced it with Milton’s, a modern American trattoria, in the same space.

Notably, the new Houston restaurant’s name pays homage to both Levit’s father and grandfather.

Chicken Parm at Milton’s (Photo by Julie Soefer)
Milton’s features a trio of parm options: chicken (brined overnight, shown here), veal and eggplant, each panko breaded and topped with melted mozzarella, tomato sauce and basil, served with spaghetti. (Photo by Julie Soefer)

Charming black-and-white vintage photos greet guests upon entering Milton’s. The 2,000-square-foot space sits above Levit’s casual, all-day dining restaurant Local Foods. Here, Brittany Vaughan of Garnish Design has reimagined the trattoria experience, embracing a happy, preppy 1970s vibe.

The palette of shamrock green and goldenrod complements the original terrazzo floors and D’Hanis brick walls, remnants from the 1960s when the space served as a bank. Meanwhile, oversized Holophane fixtures light the entry and patio, and tartan-printed curtains hang beneath stained-glass panels by Chicago artist Ben Houtkamp. Rich mahogany and brass accents channel a New England yacht club vibe.

A large 11-seat Brunswick-style pub bar tucks into the right side of the restaurant, leading to the bustling open kitchen. On the opposite wall, banquettes encircle diners, and an enclosed patio doubles as a private dining room for intimate gatherings.

Milton’s (Photo by Julie Soefer)
The 2,000-square-foot Italian restaurant Milton’s is perched above Levit’s casual, all-day dining concept, Local Foods. Brittany Vaughan of Garnish Design has reimagined what a trattoria could be, embracing a happy, preppy 1970s vibe with a palette of shamrock green and goldenrod. (Photo by Julie Soefer)

Dipping Into The Milton’s Menu

Chef Domas’ innovative menu highlights handmade pasta and Josper oven-grilled meats, combining unique ingredients with techniques that are far from commonplace. To start, try the refreshing heart of palm salad, featuring paper-thin Hawaiian palm, shaved fennel, ricotta salata, grapefruit and orange supremes, topped with toasted pistachios. The delicate sweetbreads come finished with a brown butter emulsion, accented by lemon and capers.

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Kudos to the bread baker who creates the bounty found in the bread basket, from chewy focaccia to sesame seed-studded breadsticks to herb-crusted dinner rolls. The tigelle and salumi platter takes the spotlight as the star of the bread program. Pair this platter with a glass of red wine — there’s an impressive selection of old world-style Italian, French, Spanish and American wines.

Milton’s also serves Emilia Romagna-style stamped tigelle flatbread with house-made capicola, pickled vegetables like carrots and enoki mushrooms. The dish includes Parmigiano Reggiano chunks, shaved prosciutto and burrata, topped with trendy Jimmy Nardello peppers.

For truffle lovers, do not miss the three-day fermented sourdough garlic knots alongside the burrata, finished with freshly shaved truffles.

Salumi Platter at Miltons (Photo by Julie Soefer)
The bread baker’s creations shine in the bread basket, from chewy focaccia to sesame seed-studded breadsticks and herb-crusted dinner rolls. Here, the star is the tigelle and salumi platter. (Photo by Julie Soefer)

Not surprisingly, the star of the menu is the made-in-house pasta. The options include pillowy ricotta gnocchi with black pepper, pecorino and cacio e pepe, enhanced with horseradish and preserved egg. The menu also features slow-cooked Bolognese paired with rigatoni.

The 100-layer lasagna has captured the attention of many diners. This complex dish features layers of semolina pasta, spinach pasta, bechamel, oxtail ragu and tomato sauce, repeated 20 times. Chef Seigel-Gardner, formerly of Pass and Provisions, contributes his renowned cresta di gallo to the menu. The rooster’s comb-shaped pasta is tossed with roasted hen of the woods mushrooms, toasted nutritional yeast and tiny pickled mushrooms. A ring of snow white parmesan cream foam surrounds it.

Milton’s menu also showcases impressive seafood and Italian-American classics. The branzino, a light, flaky fish butterflied and roasted, is topped with flavorful salsa verde and charred ravigote made from green onion, capers, olive oil and lemon.

Additionally, Milton’s serves a trio of parm options: chicken (brined overnight), veal and eggplant. Each one is panko breaded, topped with melted fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce and basil leaves — and paired with a side of spaghetti.

Finish the meal with the highly praised olive oil cake topped with whipped cream or the towering tiramisu. The tiramisu features amaretto-tinged mascarpone and house-made coffee liqueur.

The bar program, led by beverage director Máté Hartai, includes the after-dinner digestive Caffe Nonncoretto. The staff froths a warm blend of house-made amari, pistachio milk and brown sugar, served short in a frozen cup, creating an pleasant contrast of temperatures and flavors.

Yes, Milton’s is definitely making a next level case.

Milton’s is located in Rice Village at 5117 Kelvin Drive. It is open from 5 pm to 10 pm Wednesdays and Thursdays, and from 5 pm to 11 pm Fridays and Saturdays. For more information, go here.

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