Profile: Leslie McCrorey Wells
Before Leslie McCrorey Wells agreed to help establish Burlington’s Pizzeria Verità, she did what she always does when considering a new project: she went to the source and dove in to research. If she was going to become co-owner of a Neapolitan pizzeria, she damn well better learn how it’s done properly.
That meant traveling to Italy where she fell in love with the thin, pillowy crust and slightly charred cornicione (edge) lightly topped with simple tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and basil. “I came home and said to my business partner John Rao, ‘Let’s build this thing!’” Leslie then trained with an acclaimed Neapolitan pizza chef in New York City where she learned the art of ethereal crusts. Flour, yeast, salt, water. Make a dough with that quartet, let it rest for two days, slide the hand-tossed crust into the 950-degree wood-fired oven for 90 seconds, and pull out a bubbly, crispy, tender, burnished, melty Neapolitan pizza. Perfection takes practice, and the team at Pizzeria Verità has mastered the craft since their founding in 2012. If you’ve savored one of their 16 varieties, you know. If you haven’t, you should.
Leslie has spent most of her life in the restaurant industry. “Once restaurants are in your blood, it’s hard to shake them, no matter how hard you try,” she says with a laugh. She held management positions at Sirloin Saloon and Sweetwater in the 1980s where she worked alongside then-executive chef John Rao; the two have remained fast friends and business partners for the last 12 years. Leslie and her life-partner Rick Hubbart owned and ran Purple Knights Pizzeria across from Saint Michael’s College in Colchester in the 1990s. Wherever she worked, she made it her goal to learn every aspect of the business so she could jump in anywhere as needed.
Diners enjoy their meals at Trattoria Delia. PHOTO COURTESY TRATTORIA DELIA
That can-do approach serves her well as she oversees Pizzeria Verità, Trattoria Delia, and its sister wine bar, Sotto Enoteca, the trio that she and John Rao now run. “Our restaurants were next door to one another on St. Paul Street, and we had great fun as neighbors. When Tom and Laurie Delia were thinking of retiring in 2017, it seemed natural for us to take on those establishments.”
Trattoria Delia is a family-style, rustic, casual eatery that serves authentic Italian cuisine built around local, seasonal, and imported ingredients. A place to linger, perfect for date nights. “We have one table in particular where so many couples have gotten engaged,” Leslie notes. Sotto Enoteca, an intimate wine bar in the adjacent building, offers smaller plates (prepared in Trattoria’s kitchen) to accompany the extensive list of wines. With faster service and no reservations, it’s an ideal stop for the Flynn crowd who can pop in and out before a show.
Along with mastering Neapolitan pizza, Leslie threw herself into broadening her knowledge of wine. She took a couple of wine classes, including the challenging WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) Level 2 course geared to industry professionals. She also traveled to Italy on several buying trips with a friend who worked with Kermit Lynch, the esteemed wine importer. “Our restaurants believe strongly in supporting women-owned operations and smaller family-run vineyards that produce organic or sustainable, small-batch wines in Europe and the United States. We push our distributors on these points and turn away suggestions if they don’t fall into these categories.”
In addition to running restaurants, Leslie has dedicated her energy to numerous nonprofit boards and worthy organizations, including University of Vermont’s Fleming Museum of Art, The Flynn Theater, Mercy Connections, Clemmons Family Farm, The Intervale, and a three-year appointment on Vermont’s Future of Agriculture Commission. “I believe in supporting environmental, racial, and social justice causes,” Leslie says. “I inherited this passion from my parents who were deeply engaged with community advocacy and activism.” Leslie’s father, Lawrence McCrorey, was a professor of molecular physiology and biophysics and a revered administrator at University of Vermont for three decades; he was also a pioneer in bringing multicultural issues to the forefront.
(left) A mouthwatering Neapolitan thin-crust pizza hot out of the oven. PHOTO COURTESY OLIVE & MILO; (right) Sotto Enoteca‘s intimate wine bar. PHOTO COURTESY TRATTORIA DELIA
Leslie’s most recent pursuit? Raising sheep. “I’ve always loved animals and wanted to be a vet when I was younger.” She’s also lactose-intolerant and tasted sheep’s milk ice cream when traveling in California. Of course, Leslie dove in to the research and was mentored by Mary Lake, Vermont’s esteemed sheep whisperer and mighty shearer. Leslie bought four East Friesian lambs in 2019; her flock now numbers 30. “I love the physical work, daily milking and chores, and simply spending time with my sheep. They’re wonderful companions, and the entire sheep community in Vermont has been so supportive and welcoming.” Leslie dreams of establishing a micro-dairy on the Grand Isle farm where she and Rick live. “I would love to make sheep’s milk products—cheese, ricotta, gelato—for the restaurant, but we have to build a certified kitchen first.” Leslie took over her father’s Grand Isle property after he passed in 2009. Rick tends the vegetable gardens and laying hens, and much of the farm’s produce goes to their restaurant kitchens.
What has kept Leslie engaged and inspired for nearly four decades in the restaurant business? “Relationships. I enjoy making people happy, taking care of my staff, and creating a beautiful experience for our guests. Every week brings new challenges for solutions, and that keeps me learning. I’m a Gemini [creative, emotionally nurturing, dynamic, versatile] so I guess I’m well suited to this crazy lifestyle.”
Restaurateur, oenophile, community advocate, shepherd. Leslie McCrorey Wells does it all.
