OUR STORY
Mike & Teresa know a good meal. Decades worth of experience opening restaurants across the globe has made them masters of Italian cuisine and experts at providing world-class service.
Italian to their core, Mike & Teresa are devout partners in business and in life. After their renowned restaurant, ‘Big Fish’, on the island of St. Martin, was swept away by Hurricane Irma, they decided it was time to move home to Ontario. They knew they would miss the life by the sea they’d grown to love so much, but they were willing to make the sacrifice to be closer to family. When they found this perfect little spot tucked away on the shores of Cobourg, it was as if the stars had aligned. They fell in love and the rest is history.
They’re pleased to welcome you to their favourite place to eat, drink and be merry: Cucina Urbana.
MEET executive CHEF
ryan ortiz
Early on, as a teen, I started working in a kitchen and knew right away that this was something I wanted to do for a very long time.
This initial experience led me to culinary school in Niagara Falls. This is where I completed my 4 year apprenticeship and trained under Micheal Olson. Surrounded by great chefs, I found my passion for cooking and decided I was all in.
After, I ended up in downtown Toronto working at Le’ Select Bistro. While there, I quickly learned how speed and attention to detail are essential to keeping up in a busy restaurant while, at the same time, creating great food.
A few years and a couple restaurants later, I ended up in Cobourg with my 4 year old daughter. We both fell in love with the town right away. Cucina Urbana quickly became our favourite place to go. I am very excited to start this next part of my journey at this fabulous restaurant and look forward to creating the best possible dining experience for all our guests.