Leite was born in Fall River, Massachusetts, and raised in Swansea, Massachusetts.

He has written for the New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Bon Appétit, Saveur, Food & Wine, Gourmet, Food Arts, the Los Angeles Times Magazine, Chicago Sun Times, The Washington Post, and other publications here and abroad. Leite won the 2008 James Beard Award for Best Newspaper Feature Without Recipes and is a four-time nominee for the Bert Greene Award for Food Journalism, which he won in 2006. He is also a recipient of several awards from the Association of Food Journalists. His work has been featured in Best Food Writing (ISBN 1-56924-416-2) 2001 to 2008 and 2010. Leite is a contributor to The Morning News. He's also a frequent guest on the Today Show, Martha Stewart Radio program " Living Today" hosted by Mario Bosquez, Good Food with Evan Kleiman, and Connecticut Style and reads his essays and columns on public radio's food program " The Splendid Table hosted by Lynne Rossetto Kasper." In August 2009, his first book, "The New Portuguese Table: Exciting Flavors From Europe's Western Coast," was published by Clarkson Potter and won the 2010 First Book/Julia Child Award. A humorist, Leite brings a skewed and funny sensibility to the world of food.

Leite lives in New York City and Roxbury, Connecticut. In 2004, he became citizen of Portugal.

James Beard Awards