Joe Britt has a fun evening with family and friends before he leaves for the Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. Photo by Amanda Taylor

Joe Britt of Columbia has been invited to the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy, but not to compete. He is going to cook.

Britt, a chef at Moe’s Grapevine Italian Restaurant on Rosewood Drive, has been asked to cook for the International Olympic Committee’s Marketing and Hospitality Club. The club hosts guests, dignitaries, and corporate sponsors of the Olympic Games from around the world.

On January 13, Britt left for his six–week trip to Italy. On February 10, he will begin working eight to 12 hour days, serving approximately 450 guests a day. He will be working under the direction of Stephen Mueller from Sydney, Australia.

John Militello of Alternative Dining in Columbia was the one who invited Britt to Torino. Militello, a friend of Britt and Chef Moe Baddourah of Moe’s, will be preparing food for the Olympics as well.

Britt is very excited about working at the Olympics. “Hopefully, this will open up my horizons,” he said. “The only other place I’ve been is Cancun for my senior trip.”

Britt is a 1999 graduate of AC Flora High School and a 2002 graduate of the USC Culinary Institute. Britt’s job at Moe’s will be waiting for him when he returns on February 28.