With a mother of Spanish heritage and father from Naples, Italy, Mexico native Felipe Riccio moved to Houston as a teenager and began working in kitchens as a high schooler. He spent four years at Reef and helped open The Pass & Provisions, then opened Camerata wine bar while becoming a certified sommelier. He moved to Europe in 2016 and staged at Carlo e Camilla and Erba Brusca in Milan, and returned to America in 2017 to stage at Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Tarrytown, New York, under Chef Dan Barber. Back in Italy, he staged at the Michelin-starred AGA. Riccio moved back to America to join Goodnight Hospitality as chef/partner, bringing his education and talents to casual European restaurant Rosie Cannonball and fine-dining restaurant March, which was named a 2021 Best New Restaurant by Esquire. In 2022, Riccio was a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation Award for Best: Chef Texas. 

Austin Waiter joined Goodnight Hospitality in January 2022 as Executive Chef and Partner for their highly anticipated restaurant, The Marigold Club, set to open its doors in the Spring of 2024. Born and raised in Connecticut, Austin’s love for food began at home with his mom and grandmother teaching him the ins-and-outs of the kitchen. Once he made his way into professional kitchens, the chefs he worked under encouraged him to pursue culinary school. In 2012, Austin began his journey at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. In 2014, he began as a line cook at one of Houston’s most highly regarded restaurants, Tony’s, and quickly rising the ranks until he landed the position of Executive Chef in 2017. To prepare for the opening of The Marigold Club, Austin spent extensive time in London, staging at the prestigious Core by Clare Smyth, The Five Fields, and Frog by Adam Handling, and researching and developing a menu that is reflective of the global influences and nuance of the city’s posh dining scene. Beyond the kitchen, Austin is often found traveling, gardening, studying wine, fly fishing, and golfing, while soaking up time with his wife awaiting the birth of their son, who is expected to arrive in March.

Generously supported by Carrie and Sverre Brandsberg-Dahl