Milton's

There’s no shortage of Italian restaurants in Houston, but none are quite like Milton’s in Rice Village. With its Art Deco touches, the narrow restaurant doesn’t feel like a place trying too hard to capture that red-sauce nostalgia that’s so trendy today. Instead, the food does the talking: Sicilian “tar tar” features a medley of fresh seafood that begs for more focaccia crostini because you want to finish every last bite. Chargrilled oysters, which are all over the city’s menus, become a vehicle to down copious amounts of Parmesan and pancetta. You can keep your meal light with any number of salads or just go ahead and dive into the 100-layer lasagna or chicken parm that easily serves two. By the time you finish a tiramisu or the olive oil cake, you're reminded that dining at an Italian restaurant doesn’t have to feel predictable—in fact, it can be a lot of fun.