Mike Riccetti

• Mike has long enjoyed and opined on restaurants serving a vast array of cuisines done very well in Houston.
• Twice, he served as one of the main judges for the annual Best Bites Competition at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
• His introduction to orange wines came at a tasting in its Italian homeland of Oslavia, just across the border from Slovenia.

Experience

An experienced food writer, Mike has penned numerous articles for local and national outlets, including Serious Eats, Palate Press, and The Tasting Panel. He is also the author of three editions of the successful "Houston Dining on the Cheap—A Guide to the Best Inexpensive Restaurants in Houston" guidebooks and a co-author of "The Guide to Ridiculously Easy Entertaining—Tips from Marfreless." He has the distinction of being the last local Houston editor for the Zagat Survey. His understanding of Italian food and wine has been enhanced by sponsored wine and gastronomic trips to Italy. He appeared in a couple of short segments in the "Pizza Wars" episode of "The Food That Built America," which aired on The History Channel. Stumbling through his brief comments, his commentary proved to be a very stark contrast to the considerably more polished insight provided by Padma Lakshmi.

Education

Mike has bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and master's degree in business administration from Cornell University, where his coursework at the latter included Introduction to Wines.