Camerata's Felipe Riccio Is an Eater Young Gun

After months of reviewing the thousands of nominations submitted by Eater editors, chefs, industry insiders and diners, Eater National has named Mangiamaccheroni pop-up co-founder and Camerata wine guru Felipe Riccio as one of the members of the 2014 class of Eater Young Guns. Eater Young Guns aims to identify the most promising up-and-coming talent in the restaurant industry, whether they're working as chefs or line cooks, wine and cocktail pros, restaurateurs, or maître d's. These are the junior statesmen of the culinary world who have most distinguished themselves this year, and who are its next stars.

Get to know the newest Houston Eater Young Gun in this Eater National video. Riccio says that heading to wine bar Camerata after stints at The Pass & Provisions and Reef has influenced his view of the industry and helped him sharpen his palate. He also talks about how the idea of his wildly popular pop-up dinner series Mangiamaccheroni came to be and how his family has supported him and helped to shape his love of the restaurant scene. To sample Riccio's inventive fare, be on the lookout for future Mangiamaccheroni pop-up events (be sure to snatch up tickets as soon as a dinner is announced, since they sell out quickly). In the meantime, head over to Eater National for the full list of national winners.

Update: We contacted Riccio about his win. He tells Eater: "[It] feels pretty incredible. I almost feel a bit out of place, because of how talented all 50 nominees are, but I am very honored to be included in the group."

Head over to National for the full list of winners>>

Riccio in action at a private event [Photo: Will Walsh]