Seattle – April 6, 2023 – Riccardo Bilotta is joining Rider in downtown Seattle as executive chef ahead of its May 2 reopening. Hailing originally from Trieste, Italy and equipped with more than two decades of experience at celebrated restaurants in Europe and New York, Bilotta adds a wealth of culinary excellence and innovation to Rider’s well-established reputation. He is known for his refined, modern New American style of cuisine, featuring Mediterranean influences.
Bilotta most recently worked at Seattle’s Columbia Tower Club, where he served as executive chef for nearly five years. Before his move to the city, Bilotta worked at some of New York’s highly acclaimed fine-dining restaurants, including A Voce, Lambs Club, Soho House and Tarallucci e Vino. With a keen business sense and a highly refined culinary skillset, Bilotta has a history of solidifying the success of the restaurants he serves.
Internationally, Bilotta has cooked his way through top Italian restaurants, including two-Michelin star Il Pellicano in Tuscany and Regina Baglioni Hotel in Rome. He has also worked at some of Spain’s finest restaurants, including three-Michelin star rated El Celler de Can Roca and two-Michelin star rate La Broche. His skillset was developed under the leadership of globally renowned Spanish chef Joan Roca and Italian chef Antonio Guida, and his work earned him the Ospitlaita Italiana award from the Italian-American Chamber of Commerce (2012).
“My culinary team will be focused on taking Seattle’s best products—particularly seafood—and elevating them with simple ingredients and flavors that let their freshness shine through,” said Rider Executive Chef Riccardo Bilotta. He continued, “Our guests will find a menu that beckons them to return to try something different next time. It will be approachable, fun, and I look forward to spotlighting a few of my signature dishes, too.”
Rider is set in the heart of downtown Seattle in Hotel Theodore. The hotel’s General Manager Eric Alverdes added, “We’re gifted in Seattle with easy access to great food, and Rider is a beautiful space to celebrate it. Rider deserves an Executive Chef like Riccardo, who brings an award-winning global perspective to his leadership, and really appreciates the bounties found in greater Seattle. I’m very pleased he accepted our challenge to make Rider one of the best restaurants in the city.”
Located at 619 Pine Street, Rider will initially open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday. The bar area will offer light-fare from 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. and the full dinner menu will be available at Rider from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The restaurant will expand dinner service and debut weekend brunch starting this summer.
Rider’s opening menus will soon be available at riderseattle.com. Follow Rider on social @riderseattle.
