"I am overwhelmed with gratitude": Macomb chef returns home after international pizza competition in Las Vegas
(CBS DETROIT) - A Macomb County chef returns to Michigan with high hopes and inspiration after competing in the International Pizza Expo and Conference in Las Vegas last week.
The competition, which was held on March 28-30, featured pizza professionals competing in four different categories, including traditional, non-traditional, pan, and Neapolitan/STG.
According to a press release, Chef Mike Baldwin of Testa Barra in Macomb Township earned the 10th overall score in his category and was three points away from winning the grand prize.
"I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the amazing support and love I received from Metro Detroiters. It means the world to me to have my hometown behind me as I compete on the global culinary scene. I am determined to show the world why Detroit's pizza style is the best and will continue to represent my hometown with pride," Baldwin said in a statement.
Baldwin sat down with CBS News Detroit before leaving for the competition and spoke of working with family, including his wife Gabriella. His father is Jeff Baldwin, the owner and chef of J. Baldwin's Clinton Township, and Mike Baldwin and his wife opened Testa Barra under the Baldwin Restaurant Group umbrella.
"We're just a tight-knit team. Even from Gabriella's first Food Network competition on Guy's Grocery Games, I remember at four in the morning in California skateboarding as fast as I can through a Walmart to grab her a hair-tie...," Mike Baldwin said before the competition.
For more information on Baldwin or Testa Barra, click here.