For those of us that have spent much of our adult life in or around the Rice Village, the news of the closing of Benjy’s in the Village was almost more than I could bare! It was my first hip, edgy restaurant that I went to and I loved all the food, the flourless chocolate cake and so much more. Well, the brains behind that restaurant Benjy Levit has always been a visionary and now, not long after he opened Local Market next door to Benjy’s, was ahead of it’s time during a very difficult time in our city. People were scrambling for groceries and Local was there to service us. So having said all of that, I was sad to say bye-bye to Benjy’s but trusted Levit to do something very right, on target and timely……and that is what he did. The New Local Foods Market (LFM) concept is taking over the former benjy’s space in Houston’s Rice Village located at 2424 Dunstan Road, officially opening on Tuesday, February 16, 2021. The two-story Local Foods Market boasts expanded grocery offerings, counter service, and a wine shop on the second floor dedicated to natural, organic, hard-to-find wines at below retail prices. In addition, The Market will include some exclusive products that can only be found at LFM.
“We are thrilled to continue the pop-up success with the conversion of benjy’s into a larger Local Foods Market. Our Chefs have created an amazing menu featuring upscale ingredients for diners to enjoy in a casual atmosphere,” said Benjy Levit, Local Foods Owner. “We wanted to create a fun wine-centric space with a laid-back vibe, a new way to highlight our great purveyors.
Redesigned by Austin-based architect Michael Hsu, the 4,500 square foot space features a covered outdoor patio with seating for 50. Brand new built-in booths matching the earth tones throughout the space for a fresh and clean feel with vibrant pops of color.
The counter service menu is designed and executed by former benjy chefs Maria Gonzalez and Mike Potowski featuring fresh, chef-prepared dishes highlighting locally sourced proteins, vegetables and grains. The menu starts with Cheese and Charcuterie plates using local Houston Dairymaids cheese and Dozier’s meats. LFM has also combined two soup favorites and an array of proteins is also available served with two sides, à la carte or atop a simple salad. Protein options include Hot Smoked Salmon, Texas Wagyu, Beef Pastrami, Tofu Pastrami and Roasted Free-Range Heritage Chicken.
A few of the local vendors include Blue Horizon, Provisions Charter School, C&H Farms and Thanh Tam Tofu in Bellaire. Diners can order at the counter and enjoy their meal in the dining room, on the expanded patio or take it to-go. The Rice Village location will also offer “Grab and Go” servings as well such as Vegan Sushi, Japanese-style Egg Salad and so much more. The La Marzocco Strada espresso machine will make the perfect cup using custom blended Katz’s Coffee, Levit was one of Katz’s original customers. LFM will also be hosting purveyor pop-ups on a regular basis as well!
The grocery side of the concept includes small, artisanal foodie staples from all over the country including specialty spices and sauces. Other staples included are local eggs, milk, Texas beef in retail packs and Houston Dairymaids cheeses. Shoppers can find exclusive products that can only be found at select locations in the city such as Rancho Gordo heirloom beans from Napa, SQIRL Jams from Los Angeles, Woon sauces from San Francisco and La Boîte biscuits & spices out of New York.
On the second floor, the new restaurant will house an array of affordable, hard-to-find, natural wines for purchase, certain to be crowd pleasers. Diners have the option of eight draft wines by the glass or can grab a bottle to enjoy with your meal with no corkage fee. Craft beer and artisanal ciders will also be available.
Local Foods Market will be open Monday through Friday 11am – 9pm, 7 days a week and adding breakfast and brunch soon. The current Local Foods space in Rice Village will also be getting a refresh. Beginning February 15th, the restaurant will be pick-up and delivery only and will reopen for dine in the following month.
Benjy Levit owns and operates five Local Foods locations in Houston and Local Foods Austin coming soon. For more information, please visit www.localfoodsmkt.com or @lfmhouston
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