About

Love at First Bite

She was new to campus, and he was returning from externship. They locked eyes at a friend’s apartment and their fate was sealed. From that moment on Gabriella and Michael were together studying, partying, skating, and of course cooking.

Gabriella and Michael started working with each other soon after meeting at their alma mater, the Culinary Institute of America. The couple worked seamlessly together and their magical collaboration on love, passion, and skateboarding binded them instantaneously.

Gabriella-a New York native, and Mike- a Michigander, saw eye to eye on moving back to the glove together and expanding the family business into a second-generation powerhouse. Along with that drive was the dream and that was one they drew up on the back of an empty pizza plate.  ‘Sk8orpie’ would then become their conceptual collaboration that was a thread through their later on journey into Testa Barra Kitchen and Cocktails. Testa Barra is a nouveau Italian restaurant in metro Detroit featuring artisan pizzas and food both Italian and not alike.

From graduation day, to wedding day, to the birth of their first son Hudson (named after the infamous Hudson Valley with where they first met)  the dynamic culinary couple has journeyed overseas, across the country, and everywhere in between sharing their love for lifestyle, culture, and culinary wanderlust. Their journey as chefs, parents, and spouses makes for an intricate recipe that pops lots of flavor and layers of sweet with heat.