Culinary Crafters
By Mike Lerchenfeldt / Photography by Mike Ferdinande
Local Restaurants Who Are Unexpected Crafters
Foodies who are on a mission to discover more restaurants that offer a marriage of culinary creativity and in-house libations do not have to travel outside Metro Detroit. Testa Barra, Hook Restaurant, and Buddy’s Pizza are not just restaurants, they are destinations, centers of social interaction fueled by a shared love of tasty food and drink.
Tucked away in Macomb Township at 22 Mile Road and Romeo Plank, Testa Barra is a charming eatery with a focus on modern Northern Italian cuisine – meatballs, homemade pasta, lamb shank, and calamari. The Baldwin Restaurant Group opened this 5,600-square-foot establishment in 2017.
Here, the star of the show is not beer or wine, but handcrafted gin. “After a wildly successful tequila collaboration, our operations director, Jeffery Baldwin Jr., and his mixologists wanted to dive into the gin scene as the precedent for gin was set to a new standard with floral notes and botanicals” said Gabriella Baldwin, Testa Barra chef. “Of course, we wanted to collaborate with the best of the best and a great customer of ours who had been coming to our restaurants for years bridged the relationship with Detroit City Distillery.”
Baldwin says this signature gin released about four years ago, representing the blue-collar community, is now the number one selling gin in their portfolio and available for purchase in liquor stores. Testa Barra recently held a launch party to release the second version of their Hard Head Gin.
“This new version is the devilish little sister of our Hard Head Gin,” said Baldwin. “It is barrel aged and still has the wonderful airy botanicals that the original has, but with sultry smokey overtones. Great for a take on an old fashioned.”
Baldwin says one of their most popular drinks using the Hard Head Gin is the Testa Dura. For this craft cocktail, the Hard Head Gin is infused with torched rosemary then mixed with St. Germaine, lemon, lime, agave, and Peychaud’s bitters.
“I think the customers love this drink because the St. Germaine brings a subtle sweet herbal floral note to the smoked herbal characteristics of the torched rosemary-infused gin,” said Baldwin. “I think if you like an Aperol Spritz – an Italian cocktail made with Aperol, Prosecco, and soda water – then this is its sexy big sister with muscles. This gin is not your piney Aunt Millie’s gin; it takes the gin game to a floral and uplifting experience.”
For foodies with a desire for handcrafted wine, Hook is a restaurant in St. Clair Shores that offers a unique dining experience with Chef Bobby Nahra leading the way. The Hook red blend consists of 60 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 19 percent Cabernet Franc, 19 percent Merlot, and two percent Petit Syrah.
“Our relationship with Jim Lutfy – proprietor of Fine Wine Source and Vertical Detroit and co-owner of Roberts + Rogers, a Napa-based wine brand – allowed us to collaborate and create this magnificent blend all from premier, best-of- the-best Napa Valley grapes,” said Nahra, Hook chef. “Bottled in Mendocino, the crème de la crème goes into this blend.”
Nahra says customers should try this wine because it is bright semi fruit forward with depth, and it stays on the palate better than any bottle in its price range. Customers compare this wine’s rich blackberry aroma to Caymus and Duckhorn, both Napa
Valley winemakers that produce Cabernet Sauvignon wines. Nahra is also currently working on a high-quality summer white blend with Sauvignon, Blanc, Semillon, and just a touch of Vermentino.
And for our beer lovers, Buddy’s Pizza has beer for its signature libation.
Buddy’s Pizza is a metro Detroit independent pizza chain that serves square pies made by hand with high-quality ingredients. The chain, founded in 1946 by Gus Guerra, is known for its unique style of pizza, baked in forged-steel pans borrowed from local automotive plants, resulting in an exceptionally light and crispy crust.
“We partnered with local brewery Griffin Claw in 2015 to produce our Buddy Brew and in 2018 we added our Bocce IPA,” said Michelle Mullen, Buddy’s Pizza marketing director. “Both beers are brewed specifically for Buddy’s Pizza and are only available at our dine-in restaurants.”
Mullen says Buddy’s Pizza loves working with local brands and there is not a better pairing than pizza and beer. Therefore, this partnership and product made perfect sense.