Marc Vetri
Trained in Bergamo, Italy, by some of the region's most noted chefs, Marc Vetri brings a bold, contemporary sensibility to classic Italian cooking. Within two years of opening his eponymous Philadelphia restaurant, Vetri was named one of Food & Wine’s Ten Best New Chefs and received the Philadelphia Inquirer's highest restaurant rating. In 2005, Vetri won the James Beard Award for "Best Chef Mid-Atlantic."Vetri opened his intimate 40-seat restaurant in the heart of Center City Philadelphia. His outstanding pastas, innovative flavor combinations and artful presentations captured diners' imaginations and propelled Vetri to the forefront of culinary trends. In February 2007, nine years later, he opened Osteria just north of Center City at 640 North Broad Street. While Vetri is exclusive and refined, Osteria is larger and more casual. It's the perfect place to grab a counter seat and enjoy a slice of thin-crust pizza or settle into a plate of wood-grilled meat such as spit-roasted lamb stuffed with Parmesan and herbs.
In both restaurants, Vetri's flavors are simple yet pronounced. Freshness is his muse. He chooses the finest seasonal ingredients from local farm markets and premium purveyors around the US and Italy. He keeps cooking to a minimum and preparations straightforward. "Cooking is about finding high-quality, regional ingredients," he says, "then using the simplest techniques to convey their purity."
Vetri's culinary training began early. As a boy, he cooked on the weekends with his Sicilian grandmother in South Philly. As a young man, he cooked his way through school while studying business and music. In California, he got more serious about food and took a job cooking at Wolfgang Puck’s Granita. Disillusioned with California's fusion of cuisines, he followed his passion to Italy, his roots, where he immersed himself in Italian food and culture. He cooked all over Italy, learning to butcher meat, make prosciutto, and roll supple fresh pastas.
Years later, armed with more skills and dedication than ever before, Vetri returned to the U.S. and honed his chops at restaurants such as Coco Pazzo and Bella Blu in New York. Under his direction as executive chef, Bella Blu was named “Best New Restaurant” by New York magazine in 1996. All the while, Vetri dreamed of owning his own restaurant, one that was small and intimate with a relaxed atmosphere, just like the best trattorias in Italy. He wanted a place to practice his craft, a place that would inspire him, a place where he could personally cook the meals for each and every guest.
When Vetri visited 1312 Spruce Street in Center City Philadelphia, the former home of Le Bec-Fin, he knew he found the perfect place. After 15 years of cooking in more than 20 restaurants around the world, his dream became a reality. He opened Vetri, his restaurant "home," and followed his vision of creating elegant, hand-crafted food for every table. With his superb tasting menus, he helped diners discover the incredible flavors of veal kidneys, guinea hen, roasted goat, and more.
At his new restaurant, Osteria, the chef has expanded his culinary vision and brought it to a wider audience. From a crunchy, oozing Lombardo pizza baked with an egg on top to a grilled rib-eye with just the right char to sweet and crunchy cannoli stuffed with torrone semifreddo, Vetri’s passion for flavor and respect for ingredients continues to seduce diners and win critical acclaim.
Vetri's recipes have recently been collected in a long-awaited cookbook from Ten Speed Press (available Fall 2008). It includes more than 125 of his most-requested dishes and more than 75 gorgeous photographs. The book also tells the story of Vetri's culinary journey from Philadelphia to California to Italy to New York and, finally, back to Philly to share the Italian cuisine he loves with the people of his hometown.