Mario Rizzotti is a man on a mission, and he’s coming to Augusta as part of it. “One of the reasons I’m taking this tour is to promote the healthy side of Italian cuisine,” said Rizzotti, a Food Network Iron Chef judge who is traveling to all 50 states as part of his “4 the Love of Italian Food” tour. He will be in Augusta on Feb. 20 at Ristorante Oliviana, at 399 Highland Ave. in Surrey Center.

When many Americans think Italian food, they have wrong concepts, and some dishes made in America under the banner of Italian would receive looks of confusion in Italy, said Rizzotti, who is a native of Rome. The idea that Italian food is full of garlic, fat and carbohydrates isn’t the case and along with the help of Oliviana’s chef, David Alcaraz, he intends to prove it.