It’s reasonable to think that England’s best contributions to the United States are the original 13 colonies, the automobile, gin or the muffin. Many in the Mad River Valley would beg to differ believing that their best export was Michael Ware, a longtime Waitsfield resident and now Warren resident.
Michael was born near London, educated there and served in the British military in England and Germany. After the service, he headed to Sierra Leone, working for two years in the diamond industry. It was a chance to save money as there was nothing to spend it on. Returning home, he found himself very unsure of his future.
The United States beckoned and, via New Zealand and a commercial freighter, he set off. He had a pen pal he would look up. Arriving in Jacksonville, Florida, he put on his kilt and hitchhiked, over two days, to New York City. He recalls that being a crazy time as he was ill-prepared for the hot city weather with his woolen kilt and no summer clothes. He managed temporary work as a waiter. Meeting the pen pal began his connection to The Valley but a rather nomadic life ensued. He went to summer resorts on Fire Island, the Jersey Shore, and Long Island and returned to Vermont in the winter.
WINTER MANAGER
The chef at Orsini’s restaurant took him in and made him the winter manager where, over the years, he received a very adequate restaurant education. Orsini’s was located in a beautifully restored barn on the German Flats Road in Warren. By the mid to late 60s, he was working with local architects Bob Burley and Malcolm Appleton doing floor plans and elevation studies and took satisfaction from the work. In 1967 he bought The Ware House— a Waitsfield craft shop with items from all over Vermont. It did not make money and he sold the building that would one day become “The Store” owned by Jackie Rose and is now Addison West. He returned to restaurant life when Orsini’s became “La Pasta.” Pasta had emerged as a popular fad. In 1971, Mike and his partner Gusti Iten, purchased both the barn and the restaurant and renamed it The Common Man. It was a wonderful time in The Valley for good food options and fine dining. The combination of atmosphere and well-trained and steady staff made an evening out a special experience. The Common Man was among the favored. Marrying Sheila McLaughlin, a Waterbury attorney, made the late 70s a very good time for Michael. Five years later they had built a home in Waitsfield and welcomed their son Nicholas.
In 1987, The Common Man suffered a serious fire but was rebuilt and reopened the same year with Michael as the sole owner. Before and after the fire, Michael and his signature mustache, would welcome guests in his sport coat and turtleneck or perhaps his ascot. The kilt appeared on New Year’s Eve when he greeted guests and sometimes while out on the mountain. In 2004 his time as owner came to an end. Two subsequent owners sold the property and after 57 years as a restaurant, the property became apartments.
HIGHLIGHTS
Asked what were the highlights from The Common Man? Michael said, “I am very proud of all the good memories people still have and feel chuffed when hearing these thoughts.” Especially remembered is the Waiters’ Slalom originally held in the restaurant where Mike mounted bonafide gates to the floor. Waiters and waitresses, wearing ski boots and carrying trays with full water glasses, competed on the course. It was a hilarious event attracting mobs of spectators. Michael spent most of the time begging people to get down off the rafters. The event was moved outside to Sugarbush and became part of March Madness.
Out of the restaurant business, Michael pursued his love of cooking and baking bread. In congenial weather he could be found in his MG TD kit car and in the garden he grew exponentially over the years. There was time to enjoy his family and recreate. Passionate about fly fishing and skiing, he was always busy. He is pleased to have been a founding member of the Sugarbush Racing Club. Nicholas lives with his wife and two young sons in Hawaii, Mike and Sheila, now retired, spend a month visiting them and try to plan a summer reunion.
Always appreciative and mindful of his community, Michael does what he can to make a difference. He serves on the board of the Mad River Path and helps with trail maintenance. With Friends of the Mad River, he does water quality monitoring. Twice a month he visits specific sites to get water samples and readings. For a number of years, he has driven for Free Wheelin’ transporting people to Berlin, Burlington and Hanover. With stewardMRV, founded by the Mad River Valley Chamber of Commerce, he and a group of volunteers monitor and keep up trail heads and swim holes. Jobs include garbage pickup and general maintenance. His biggest finds are a little jar of hashish and a marijuana plant left in a pot. His Brit humor was rewarded finding a copy of “Deliverance” near Warren Falls.
‘DUMP EVERYTHING’
Sheila shared a story of his learning that someone purchased a condo and did not want the furnishings and proposed, on Front Porch Forum, to dump everything. Michael responded and hauled the contents to Waterbury for Habitat for Humanity. “He’s such a good guy!’ she added. This was substantiated when learning why the back of his pickup was full of flattened cardboard. He volunteered at the breaking down of the International Bazaar fundraiser for Amurtel and offered to truck all the cardboard to the transfer station. Each Monday he drives to Middlesex to Central Vermont Community Harvest and picks up fresh produce gleaned from local farmers and food producers. He brings armfuls to Evergreen Senior Center and the local food pantry.
The Wares have downsized to a Warren townhouse and Michael parted with his kilt. He has recently decided his skiing days are over. Despite having four knee replacements over the years, his knees no longer assure him. He vows to keep the spring tradition of a picnic at Allyn’s Lodge, but all those chairlift rides spewing his limericks and jokes with his lilting accent, will be sorely missed by his chair mates.
When our treasured import was asked to rate all the things he has accomplished and given, he did not hesitate naming his best achievement. “Nicholas. He is a great, caring and empathetic kid — very much his mother.”
