Mike Colameco

Michael Colameco, born in 1957, began his career in the restaurant industry at the age of 13 as a busboy. He later graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. His early culinary experiences included working as a line cook at the Four Seasons Restaurant under chef Seppi Renggli and as a sous chef at The Maurice with chef Christian Delouvrier. Colameco further honed his skills in kitchens across New York City, including notable establishments such as Tavern on the Green, Windows on the World, and The Ritz Carlton Hotel. At 31, he achieved the role of Executive Chef at The Ritz Carlton, New York City, before opening his own restaurant, The Globe, in Cape May, New Jersey.

After selling The Globe in 1993, Colameco transitioned into the import food industry, serving as an import food broker and founding MECO Trading, which operated through 2002. In this capacity, he consulted for U.S. importers of record, connecting them with overseas food manufacturers, primarily in China, as a sourcing supplier. His career then evolved into media. Since 2000, he has hosted and produced “Mike Colameco’s Real Food,” a documentary-style television series that has aired on WNET, NJTV, and nationally on the CREATE TV Channel since 2014. This program offers insights into the culinary world through interviews with influential chefs and restaurant figures.

Since 2006, Colameco has also hosted and produced “Food Talk with Michael Colameco,” a weekly one-hour radio show and podcast. Initially, he took over the “Food Talk” show on WOR 710 in the mid-1990s, replacing previous hosts like Tyler Florence and Rocco DiSpirito, before moving it to the Heritage Radio Network. As an author, he published “Mike Colameco’s Food Lover’s Guide to New York City” in 2009 with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. He is also a long-time contributor to publications such as Saveur, Edible Manhattan, Edible New Jersey, Snooth, and Guitar Aficionado. Throughout his career, Colameco has maintained an active lifestyle, engaging in amateur boxing for the New York Athletic Club, earning a Black Belt in Kyokushin Karate, completing multiple New York City Marathons, and participating in open water ocean swimming competitions.