Employment History

• '71 - '78 worked through Junior High, High School, and College, cooking in kitchens throughout the Philadelphia Metro region
• Graduated from The Culinary Institute of America
• '81 Line Cook, Four Season's Restaurant under Chef Seppi Renglid
• '82 - '83 Sous Chef, Maurice Restaurant under Chef Christian Delouvrier and consulting Michelin 3 Star Chef Alain Senderens
• '84 Restaurant Chef, Cellar in the Sky/Windows on The World with Chefs Eberhard Muehler and Herman Reiner

• '85 - '86 Executive Sous Chef/Night Chef, Tavern on The Green with Chefs Stefan Kopf and Reto Demarmels
• '86 - '87 Executive Chef, The Ritz Carlton Central Park South, NYC
• '88 - '93 Chef/Owner, Globe Restaurant Cape May, NJ
• '93 - '06 self employed as an Import Food Broker, MECO Trading representing and consulting for overseas Food Manufacturers and sourcing supply for US Based Importer Distributors
• '00 - present Host/Producer Colameco's Food Show airing on Public television Channels 13WNET and WNJN
• '06 - present Host of Food Talk on WOR Radio, airing live 6 days a week via WOR and 64 other nationally affiliated network stations
• In Contract with John Wiley & Sons to write Mike Colameco's Food Lover's Guide to New York City due to be published Fall 2008

Additional Experience

While working as a cook/chef in New York, each summer's vacation through the 80's and early 90's were organized around touring France, Italy, Switzerland, and England dining at most of the Michelin 3 star, many of the 2 star, and countless wonderful local restaurants featuring regional cuisines. Those dining experiences, plus twenty-odd years spent in restaurant kitchens, have helped develop a very well trained palate.

The Import Brokerage business, had me traveling throughout Europe and Morocco, where aside from eating very well at every occasion, I toured, consulted, inspected, and lead customers, including Pizza Hut, Sysco, and US Foodservice, through inspections of the docks, farms, markets, and Food Production Processing Facilities. Accordingly I am fluent as a consultant in HAACP certification, and ISO 9002.

These days the New York restaurant scene is my beat, and when I'm not cooking at home I'm out for dinner somewhere in New York City.

Hobbies

• Awarded a Black Belt in Kyokushinkai Oyama Karate, NY Dojo, 1986
• Completed 5 NYC Marathons in the 90's
• Professional sparring partner at Gleason's Gym NY '83 - '87
• NYAC Boxing Champion
• Remains relatively fit by swimming, biking, or running daily
• From 2000 to 2006 I was a volunteer board member for The West Cape May planning and zoning boards and co-chair for some time helping to draft new FAR codes and the current Master Plan
• Enjoy home cooking meals and dining together with my family, pairing wines with food, reading, chess, art, film, and music
• Volunteer reader at local elementary school since 1992