"The island, which is connected to the mainland only by ferry, was a big change - both geographically and culturally - from Wexler-Waite's hometown of New York and the Democratic campaigns he worked on in his post-college years. Nevertheless, the seasonal nature of politics left him to explore other interests - including pizza. Now, he's turned that into a full-time gig and returned home to open a Brooklyn branch."
"The space won't look too different from its previous tenant, Bar Vinazo: A bar still stretches down the middle of the room, while the white brick walls will be decorated with colorful plates and platters painted with sunflowers and cheerful langoustines. One bar seat will always be reserved for Giorgio, a stone lion that Wexler-Waite introduces with a beaming smile."
"In Maine, the pizzas are wood-fired, but more stringent regulations on live flames in the city mean he'll be baking his pies in an Italforni Caruso electric oven. What won't change is Wexler-Waite's fanatical devotion to ingredients. He's looking forward to having readier access to things like fresh buffalo mozzarella, which he's getting from the Il Casolare dairy in Southern Italy."
Ben Wexler-Waite opened Il Leone on Peaks Island, Maine, in 2021 and has since opened a Brooklyn branch. Peaks Island's ferry access and island culture contrasted with his New York background and earlier work on Democratic campaigns, and the seasonality of politics encouraged a shift to pizza as a full-time pursuit. The Brooklyn space retains a central bar, white brick walls with painted plates, and a permanently reserved seat for a stone lion named Giorgio. Pizzas will move from wood-fired ovens to an Italforni Caruso electric oven to comply with city flame regulations. Ingredient sourcing remains paramount, including buffalo mozzarella from Il Casolare and careful sourcing of basil and tomatoes.
Read at Grub Street
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