Skye LaTorre

Skye La Torre
Beverage Director
The Meatball Shop


Born and raised in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, La Torre relocated to New Orleans at the age of 21, where she was hired as a busser at Emeril’s Delmonico, formerly Delmonico’s, one of the great, turn-of-the-century American restaurants. There, La Torre was immersed in the structure and grace of archetypal fine dining – white tablecloths, martinis and Caesar salad prepared tableside – but most interesting to her were the intricate daily tasting menus paired with wines. At nightly staff meetings, she listened to sommelier Chris Robles carefully describe the details of that evening’s pairings and grew fascinated by the romance between food and wine. Robles rewarded La Torre’s curiosity and commitment with an apprenticeship. Over the next four years, as she moved through the ranks from busser to captain on Delmonico’s floor, La Torre spent her time off helping with the restaurant’s impressive wine inventory, heavy in Burgundy, Bordeaux and Napa Cabernets.

Finally, in 2003, La Torre took a leap of faith and three-month hiatus to travel to Europe’s wine country, where she explored the Rhone Valley, Tuscany, Piedmont, and most notably Burgundy. There she lucked into joining that year’s early harvest as a grape picker at the distinguished Comte Armand winery.

When she returned to New Orleans, La Torre set about making wine her career. A short tenure as a boutique wine distributor brought her into friendship with Richard Hughes, chef and owner of the Pelican Club. Impressed with her wide knowledge and natural gift for imparting it, Hughes hired her as the restaurant’s first sommelier. Two months into her new position, however, Katrina hit, and La Torre was forced to evacuate.

Homeless but undaunted, La Torre drove to San Francisco, where she was quickly hired by Shelley Lindgren at A16, one of the city’s notable Italian restaurants known for its all southern Italian wine list. As she traveled, learned and devoted herself to the wines of that region, La Torre also absorbed Lindgren’s philosophy of hospitality, offering exceptional service to diners in a casual setting. It was also at A16 that she met Daniel Holzman, the future co-owner and chef of The Meatball Shop. The two became fast friends and when the first location of The Meatball Shop opened on New York City’s Lower East Side in 2010, Holzman immediately asked La Torre to create a wine list. As The Meatball Shop’s empire spread across New York City so did La Torre’s role as Beverage Director. La Torre now curates all six restaurants’ wine, beer and cocktail lists, showcasing her passion for local vendors, distilleries and breweries as well as proprietary white wine born from a friendship and partnership with Di Giovanna winery, located in Sicily, Italy.