South Florida Food 50: Giorgio Rapicavoli of Eating House

Giorgio Rapicavoli, Chef-owner of Eating House

Why he’s in the Food 50: A rising star in every sense, Rapicavoli parlayed a reality-TV cooking win into a successful restaurant, and now he’s among those leading a charge to revitalize the Coconut Grove dining scene. Rapicavoli, 29, came up cooking at the now-closed Chispa in Coral Gables, where he picked up some of the Latin-fusion meets stoner-foodie tricks he has become known for today (see: Fried Cauliflower with Lime Crema and Fritos). After dominating an episode of Food Network’s Chopped, he started an Eating House pop-up venture that within six months found a permanent home. Late last year, Miami city commissioners approved a 25-year lease for Rapicavoli and partners to run a restaurant in Coconut Grove’s Peacock Park. Rapicavoli’s group expects to spend $1 million on the project, a 180-seat, indoor/outdoor space in the shuttered Glass House, projected to open in August.

What his ink means: On a research trip to Italy, Rapicavoli got a forearm tattoo of the Slow Food motto — Good, Clean and Fair — in Italian.

Where to find him: Eating House, 804 Ponce De Leon Blvd., Coral Gables.

Web: eatinghousemiami.com

Social: @grapicavoli, @eating_house

This story was originally published February 17, 2015 at 7:09 PM with the headline "South Florida Food 50: Giorgio Rapicavoli of Eating House."