Biography

Michael Comire is the Executive Chef at URI and is a Certified Executive Chef, CEC, certified through the American Culinary Federation, ACF.  Chef Mike has delighted the URI community with outstanding culinary preparations since 2013, serving guests at the Kingston, Bay, Providence and Alton Jones campuses, President’s House, Ryan Center and most recently the Rhody Eatz Food Truck. Chef Mike is a very active member of the ACF Rhode Island Chapter and participates in their annual backpack-military box stuffing drive, golf tournament and events.

Chef Mike has worked diligently to lead URI Catering and his culinary staff to the high level standards of food presentation, quality, menu selections and utilization of the hyper-local produce grown at URI’s Agronomy Farm, that our guests currently enjoy at the many catered and sporting events. He routinely attributes the daily successes of an event to the hard working and talented staff behind the scenes and on-the-floor during an event. Chef Mike launched three Crash Culinary Series live cooking demos in 2017 at the Ram’s Den, showing students how to prepare and cook fresh vegetables that are readily available. Chef Mike represented URI in the 2018 Seafood Throwdown Iron Chef event at the New Bedford Farmers’ Market presented by the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, while that same year, URI Catering received the prestigious NACUFS Silver Award for Catering Online Menu.

Chef Mike’s affinity for food began when he was young, being the oldest child in his family, he was often tasked by his mother and father to help peel vegetables and cook meals with them at home. Trying out new recipes at home with family, coupled with his parents’ encouragement, fueled Mike’s passion to become a chef and make great food. He completed his internship at the Boston Marriott Newton and earned his Associate’s in Culinary Arts ‘86, and a Bachelor’s in Food Service Management ‘88, at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island.

Born in Rhode Island but raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, Chef Mike’s 40+ year career spans many food, beverage and hospitality establishments. He worked in 3 upscale hotels, 3 restaurants and 2 steakhouses before graduating college which gave him the essential culinary experience and skills to step into a hotel sous chef position, upon graduation, at the Adam’s Mark Hotel Charlotte. Chef Mike quickly moved up the culinary ladder to executive chef position at the prestigious Greenville Country Club in SC, then unto Clemson University Outdoor Laboratory as the Food Service Director of the university’s event, conference and retreat center.

Just before joining URI, Chef Mike worked several jobs concurrently including the Hotel Viking Newport, Sergio’s Italian Ristorante, and several Senior Living Communities. In 2008 he was the Director of the Federal Summer Food Service Program for the City of Providence feeding up to 5000 children daily in 2008. He has been featured in several magazines including Rhode Island Prime Time Magazine 2010, and Business North Carolina 1989. He also participated in the Providence IceFire Winter Carnival ice carvings in 2001 with Johnson and Wales University.

Chef Mike loves living in South Kingstown, RI with his wife, Beth, also a JWU graduate, and together they have successfully raised a beautiful family of eight children, now grown adults.