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Marc Vetri is the Brown Butter God. His food is absolutely amazing.
We went back over the weekend and it was a fantastic time. This time, I wanted to point out how nice their staff is. Every one of them treats you like you're a regular. They want to make sure you like everything you're eating. If you're not, they send it back and get you something new.
Steve, the sommelier, is still as nice as ever. I wish I could afford to be a regular here!
Definitely one of the best meals I've ever experienced. The food was delicious, the service… Read more »
Honestly, I was somewhat nervous about going to Vetri. "Best Italian Restaurant in America" is pretty hefty praise, and most of the time I hear something of that nature I end up leaving the experience thinking it was overhyped, for lack of a better term.
But believe the Vetri hype. The food is phenomenal, the prix fix dining experience is excellent - a glass of prosecco to start your meal, a couple cookies and a menu in a souvenier bag when you leave - and the selection of Italian craft beers is excellent. That's all I have to say.
It's certainly expensive, but if you think there's any dinner for two out there that's worth $400, Vetri is it.
Scored a last minute reservation to Vetri last night with some friends who were in from out of town and had a wonderful dining experience. We had the Grand Tasting menu and chose to do the wine pairing along with it. Since there were 4 of us we were able to sample everything on the menu. Everything from the sweet onion crepe to the pizzocheri ravioli to the braised short rib was delicious. My favorite course was the spinach gnocchi. The desserts were all apple based - mini candied apples, apple fritters, apple spice cake were a few of the offerings. Once again - all delicious.
The portion sizes were just right, the service attentive and infomative, and the atmostphere intimate.
Would highly recommend this place and can't wait to go back again.
if you want tasteless food then you got the
Spot. Dined last night left mid tasting due to the lack of flavor and dullness of the dishes. However the foie GRAS pastrami with pineapple mostarda was a great idea and very fun and yummy. The spinach gnocchi perfect texture an well made by someone who knows what they are doing but absolutely no flavor that did it after the previous nanny crudo dull as a number 2 pencil after the sat's exam. Then they tried to send us another dish of rabbit, prune and fried sage pasta and it was also bland although a ravioli is all about the filling I couldn't taste it even though the pasta was paper thin which it should be just couldn't taste it.. We then left after that.
To the point, this experience did not live up to its reputation. Ordered Grand Tasting Menu, it was good, but certainly not grand or even great.
The Foie Gras and Sweet Onion Crepe were inventive and perfect. The Pappardelle with Lamb Ragu is probably the best bite of pasta I've ever had. These are the reasons I am giving more than 2 stars.
Spinach Gnocchi and Almond Tortellini were poorly seasoned and just generally underwhelming, which is sad because these were two things I couldn't wait to try. The Rabbit purses were lacking flavor in my opinion, and were drowned in brown butter to make up for subtle to no flavor (note that brown butter isn't necessarily a bad thing, but when I was just served the spinach gnocchi in brown butter, I wonder why they couldn't be more creative with the "grand tasting menu").
The entree, being the Baby Goat was a sad situation where some bites were not seasoned, some were well seasoned and some were over seasoned. I know this dish could have been perfect but wasn't executed (poor seasoning at "one of the best Italian restaurants" doesn't make sense.)
Further I ordered a great bottle of wine, which was a meal saver, but it took them way too long to assist me with the wine list. At a place that takes such pride in serving great wine, they should know the importance of getting a bottle open for a serious diner. The service was ok, but not great. Though I do appreciate that they weren't overbearing, but perhaps slightly too much on the opposite side of the spectrum.
Lastly, we ordered a bold red wine. The first dish they served us was a scallop crudo, which they were kind enough to offer a complimentary half pour of white wine to accompany the dish because they knew we couldn't drink our wine with that dish. But shouldn't they have figured that we wouldn't want a light dish like that if we are ordering bold red wine? (I won't hold them to that because it is only my opinion, but it certainly is my expectation that a quality establishment makes sound judgements.)
all this said, I will go back because I'm confused how a place could get so much respect and I just couldn't see it. Stay Tuned
I love many of the inexpensive Italian BYOBs in Philly... BUT, this is the best restaurant I've been to in Philly, and definitely one of my top meals overall. We went for an anniversary dinner and did the Grand Tasting Menu (though we just ordered our own bottle of wine and didn't do the wine pairing). They asked us what kind of food we like and made sure to bring us different things so that we could try a bunch of things.
The food was absolutely incredible. Even the tiny amouse bouches (sp?) they brought at the beginning were full of flavor and totally memorable. I don't like foie gras at all, and I loved the foie gras they served. Really everything was amazing - sweet onion crepe, the wild boar ragu, all the desserts. You can't go wrong!
The atmosphere is upscale, but also very intimate and casual. There's nothing pretentious or snooty about this restaurant. The service is fantastic - properly attentive without hovering. This is the ideal place to go for a special, memorable, and absolutely amazing meal!
Over-hyped and underwhelming translates to significant disappointment. Based on Ruth Reichl's recent review which considered Vetri to be one of the best Italian restaurants on the East coast, we visited last night and tried the tasting menu. While items sound interesting: sweet onion crepe, duck terrine with quince mostarda, chestnut fettucine with wild boar ragu, etc., it was the spinach gnocchi that wins the prize. The gnocchi was excellent, though the many of the other 8 dishes seemed overdone and incongruous. Many small plates were technically well executed, though together lacked coherence. The restaurant itself is a bit too homey, with commercial radio playing in the background and sound reverberating off the walls. The entrance to the restaurant is too small and a 30 minute delay spent standing in confined quarters adds little to the experience.
If this is the best of Philadelphia, I would recommend saving at least $200 and trying ANY other neighborhood restaurant. -The ambiance will be similar and while the spinach gnocchis will not be the same, you will have a much more pleasant dining experience and you might be pleasantly surprised.
I am not even sure how you write a review of a place that is so perfect. The ambiance, the food, the service, wow.....I can't even explain. You have to go for the grand tasting menu. My only complaint is that even though everything was so perfect, I feel like it was maybe 20% or so overpriced.....but when a place books up months in advance, I guess they can do that.
I was in Philadelphia this week on business, and had the pleasure of dining at VETRI. Wow! We opted for the Chef's Grand Tasting Menu, which ran the gambit of complex flavors and textures, with course after course of incredible dishes. Our table of 4 was greeted by four wonderful amuse bouche dishes, which set the evening off to a blazing start! Then the well-paced evening continued with item after item of the most amazing dishes, from house-made pastas, to salt-crusted whole branzino, roasted capretto (baby goat) and on and on...
Chef/Owner Marc Vetri visited our table throughout the evening, as well as GM Jeff Benjamin and Sommelier Steve Wildy. The service was impeccable and attentive, and the evening was an absolute delight!
This is one of the best dinners that I have had in years! I will most certainly be back.
My husband took me to Vetri for my birthday, and we had a wonderful time. The service, the intimate ambience of the restaurant, and the food were all to die for. The dishes were very well thought out, and had so much flavor in every bite. The food definately lived up to it's reputation as being the best of the best in the Philly.
The only reason I gave it four stars was because the restaurant double booked our reservations, and asked us to come in for an earlier reservation. This is difficult to do on a Monday evening when you're coming from work, and you just find this out the afternoon of your reservation. We ended up rushing to the restaurant, and arriving late. Although they were very gracious about our late arrival, it was still slightly irritating to see the many empty tables in the restaurant all night up until we left. I would have thought if they "double booked" our reservation and forced us to come in earlier, the place would have been packed. This definately affected our dining experience as we came into my birthday evening very stressed out and frazzled.
I do not know how I overlooked Vetri for four years while going to school in Philadelphia. On a recent trip back (this past Thursday) to Philly I decided to check out Vetri after reading reviews in GQ and the New York Times. I was not disappointed. My meal blew me away.
The local farmer vegetable soup was good. The foie gras pastrami with fruit mustard was excellent. This dish is served cold along with artisan bread on the plate and the fruit mustard was basically a black raspberry preserve that perfectly complemented the pastrami of foie gras and herbs.
Having the option of ordering a half portion of pasta allowed me to sample the fettuccine with octopus bolognese. This dish was very good and very light. For my own personal taste the dish was slightly over seasoned. I still enjoyed the dish and would order it again.
The baby goat with polenta was very simple, yet very elegant. The dish consisted of only the goat and its crispy skin and two ribs served over polenta. This dish was extremely good. It may seem boring but the simplicity is what makes the dish top notch.
Spinach gnocchi was very rich and very good. I could see how someone would not be able to finish this dish alone because of the richness. I've never had gnocchi so light in texture before, they were great.
The Tuscan white and focaccia bread with olive oil and olives was available throughout the meal.
For desert the blueberry doughnuts with blueberry gelato and stone fruit tart with almond gelato did not disappoint. The only complaint I can make is very minor; the blueberry gelato was a little too cold.
Vetri also has a very affordable wine list with bottles as low as $35.
Vetri turned out to be one of the best, maybe the best, food experiences I've had in Philadelphia. It will be the first place I go to on my next trip back to Philly.
Vetri is hands down the best Italian restaurant, and quite possibly the best restaurant, period, in the city. It has received the nod for two special occasions: the first time for a birthday, and the second time, about one year later, for an anniversary. Both times, due to a combination of the restaurant's size (tiny) and popularity, we were forced to call exactly two months to the day in order to secure Saturday reservations. A Saturday at Vetri means you will be treated to the grand degustazione. Highlights of our meals include the sweet onion crepe, roasted baby goat, wild boar ragu, and spinach gnocchi. Yes, the portions are small, but this is not Olive Garden. The food is rich, flavorful, and satisfying and you will not leave hungry. The younger, cooler sommelier (not Jeff Benjamin, who is cool, but not young) is very helpful and can recommend the perfect bottle or bottles to pair with your meal. As you would expect, the service is excellent. Lastly, they give you biscotti for the road, as well as a copy of that evening's menu to commemorate the visit (mine went into the circular file, but it was a nice touch).
After reading about it and being told by my friends how wonderful this restaurant it was, I made my reservation.
My boyfriend and I came here for dinner on a Thursday night, and we absolutely loved it! The dishes were very well proportioned, although I finished the food, I was not overly stuffed. The dishes were very authentic italian, none of that overly creamy stuff. We both felt that it was definitely worth the price.
Though I have yet to try their grand tasting menu.
Overview: Beautifully prepared food, rich flavors, and exquisite service for a pretty penny.
My boyfriend and I went to Vetri planning to have a small celebratory meal... but we couldn't resist the tasting menu. The fate of your meal is left to a chef who takes note of allergies, dislikes, and (most importantly) LIKES, to customize a meal that you will not forget. Oh, AND we each got different dishes at each course according to our likes.
The tasting menu started with an assortment of amuse bouche, which included pancetta wrapped beignets and foie gras pastrami with fruit mustard. Both of these were decadent--really great flavors.
Over the next five courses, we tried the following dishes:
*golden sweet onion crepe, white truffle fondue (white truffle fondue was amazing...)
* spinach gnocchi with shaved ricotta and brown butter (the gnocchi just melts...)
* almond tortellini with white truffle sauce (Clear winner for this meal--original, delicious, and pasta texture and sauce were perfectly executed.)
* squid and artichoke galette with lemon dressing (tasty and unexpected)
* asparagus flan with egg yolk and parmesan
* roasted capretto (baby goat) with soft polenta
Dessert:
* Torte Della nonna: Strawberries, cream cake. Pretty big portion, and tasty.
* Can't remember the name of the cake, but it was an olive oil pound cake with pistachio gelato.
Overall, this meal had some stratospheric highs (pasta, excellent and impeccable service), and a few unexpected curve balls. This isn't your traditional Italian grandmother's kitchen.
Along with Fountain, this may be the best restaurant I've tried in the city. I'll go back next time I'm feeling really fancy, or someone else is covering the bill.
Sidenote: Vetri takes reservations up to two months in advance, so book early.
P.S. BUY THE COOKBOOK... will provide years of cooking fun. Promise.
Stunned, yes stunned I say to see tracey saying this place is overrated. I've never heard anything but good, and my meal was five stars all the way.
I too attended the grand tasting on a Saturday evening. My guest and I were the first ones there and the welcoming glass of prosecca was presented to us as we waited for the staff briefing to finish up. Lovely touch and very tasty.
We opted for the wine pairing and I agree the somellier was plesant, knowledgable, and great to talk with. Highlights of our meal included a hot asparagus flan with an egg yolk core, stunning to me as the yolk didn't curdle or dry out.
The single best piece of fish I have eaten anywhere, ever, was the skate presentation. I'm not a big fish eater unless it's Sushi, but i could eat this every single day. Thank you Mark Vetri for reminding me what well prepared fish should taste like.
The other highlight was the pig trotter ravioli. Something I mentioned casually to my waitres sthat i was hoping to try and here it was. So light, so fresh! Is that a hint of orange blossom I tasted? Amazing.
Yes, it was pricey. For two of us with wine pairing and tip it was about $600, so don't take your penny pinching Aunt Sally, she'll be heels up in the dessert cart when she sees the bill, but of you can afford it do go, it was one of the best meals of my life, and I was envious of the family next to us who coud afford to bring their seven and eight year old daughters!
Lucky kids!!!
Did some research before selecting Vetri...and that research paid off. My husband and I thought it was outstanding. We started off with the bagna cauda and quail as appetizers. The quail was to die for. We chose the guinea hen and a fish dish as our main course. I believe the name of the fish was Orcata - it was a white fish (similar to orange roughy) that sat on top of thinly sliced potatoes fanned around the plate - mmmm. We were so full at the end of the meal that we had to pass on dessert. We wished we had tried the Grand Tasting Menu since we enjoyed every dish...but maybe next time.
Let me start off by saying that the house staff was wonderful. They were friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating. Having said that, the food was a real disappointment at times. SOME of the pasta dishes were the only truly delicious items to grace the table. Between my dining companions, we had the following dishes which were tasted by all, so this is not solely my opinion:
foie gras pastrami with blueberry jam: tasty
wild fowl sausage with salt cured egg yolk, basil, and potatoes: tasty
spinach gnocchi with shaved ricotta and brown butter: shockingly lacking in any flavor, although the gnocchi itself was light and wonderful
almond tortellini with white truffle sauce: AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS
pappardelle with pork ragu: not bad, but too much acid, and the pappardelle was a tad mushy
fettuccine with octopus bolognese: would have been just ok, but too much salt made it un-enjoyable
chicken liver ravioli with trumpet royale mushrooms: good, although the liver flavor was a half-step too much and should have been balanced better
garganelli with sweet corn and scallions: very sweet corn flavor throughout, very nice summer dish
roasted capretto (baby goat) with soft polenta: this dish summarized the experience. It was just ok. There was nothing amazing about it, but nothing terribly wrong. Again, too much salt. One expects more from Vetri, though.
shaved Berkshire pork with melon: this dish was downright awful. a total miss by the kitchen. literally sliced pork (seemingly unseasoned) in a POOL of olive oil and not-yet-ripe melon cubes. It went half-uneaten, which at this price point, should say something to the kitchen.
chocolate polenta souffle: this was a molten chocolate cake, not a soufflé !!! nor was it special in any way.
stone fruit tart with almond sorbet: bizarre. The too-tough pastry was worked too much, and had an odd hint of meat flavor. The plums were unflavorful (how does this happen in a restaurant like this?! Did they not taste the plums?) At least the almond gelato was good.
Overall: we spent $120 pp inc tax and tip and won't go back.
It's hard to get a reservation here and it should be. I've found if you're in the neighborhood, you can pop in around 8:30 and ask if they have any openings. I've gotten a table twice that way.
This is one of my favorite restaurants. Why? It isn't the decor. It's pleasant, small, a little crowded and sometimes noisy.
However the service has always been good and the food is exceptional.
What would I recommend? Homemade pasta. The stuffed tagliatelle with foie gras and sweet onions, squash gnocchi with brown butter and pancetta and the chestnut fettucine with wild boar ragu they were serving in December were memorable. The gnocchi seems to melt in your mouth.
The goat is also different and very good. Crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. I've had good fish and the desserts are well done.
But order a variety of pasta, more than one, it's what they do best.
The food is beautifully prepared. The atmosphereis cozy and the service is impeccable. I really enjoyed this meal.
This is one of the best restaurants in the city, and I can see why. I guess I just wanted to feel that the food was also some of the best that I have ever eaten. It just wasn't. I wanted to give the restaurant 3 stars because of the massive amount of disappointment that I experienced from this highly anticipated meal. That would have been inaccurate though. It was, for all intent and purpose, a wonderful meal. The food didn't live up though. Sorry, if you think my opinion is somehow in question because I did not fall in love, but I can't help it. My tongue knows what it likes. It's a pretty close relationship so I do trust it.
I would like to go back, but the cost was quite high for the return. I love spending money on a good meal, but the food has to be first for me.
Ah, so good. We did the Chef's Grand Tasting Menu the day after Christmas, and I was completely in love with the service and the food. One tip: no need to do a wine tasting/pairing with it - just ask the sommelier to recommend some delcious wines that go with your food and you won't leave too drunk to drive home.
But please go. For your sake.
Visiting from out of town and too late for a bowl of pasta at 10 pm. Thanks a lot!
Best restaurant in town. Hands down.
I had been a long reader of CitySearch reviews but had been too lazy to get an account myself - until I read the unjust reviews and got an account SPECIFICALLY for the purpose of writing about Vetri. This entry is just what I'm copying over from CitySearch because people seem to be reading more about Yelp now (they might as well pay me given how enthusiastic I am about the place, but they don't).
I've been to Vetri three times, once in fall 2004, another time in April 2007, and last in April 2008 - over that 3.5 yr time span, they were consistently the best. Service can be a little slow there, but that is not a place you go in a rush. Go there and enjoy the freshly handmade pasta. You can't get that anywhere else in Philly. I've eaten all over Europe and Asia and been to 50 restaurants in Philly including the famed Le Bec Fin, Fountain's and Lacroix, and Vetri's beats them all in my book. Their gnocci, ear pasta with mushroom (forget the exact name) and lavender olive oil ice cream (which unfortunately is no longer served) are some of the most memorable delicacies that have graced my taste buds.
In case there are suspicions regarding my post being a potential PR scheme, I will say that I was not at all impressed by Osteria which is supposedly owned or started by the owners of Vetri. If you are curious as to what other restaurants I frequent or love, Overtures (BYO) is one of the best (food, service), Le Castagne is terrible (except for the gorgeous maitre'd they had in 2005), and Striped Bass, Washington Square and Positano Coast are at the top.
Pros: FOOD, FOOD, FOOD (appetizer, entree, dessert - cannot stress this enough!), wine
Cons: Pricey, but worth every penny; seating may be a little bit cramped but that adds to the homeliness; getting a reservation here requires 2-months' preparation (i.e. you have to call way ahead)
My husband and I have been going to Vetri every year for his birthday since 2005. It continues to prove itself with exceptional food, service, and experiments in fine Italian cuisine that are just out of this world. If you can go for the tasting menu, do it. It gives you an incredible sampling of what Marc Vetri and his kitchen staff have to offer. The service is polite, professional, and always accommodating with special requests. The wine paring is also great, but will leave you heavily intoxicated as well as leaving your wallet in an even more empty state.
Vetri is not cheap. So if you're on a budget, save it for a special occasion. It's well worth it. Reservations can be hard to get, so call ahead at least a few weeks for a weekend. They start taking reservations 2 months in advance.
For a more budget-friendly option, Vetri's 2nd location, Osteria, is also amazing. And, yes, I am happily hopping on the Marc Vetri bandwagon. Not only is he incredibly talented, but really nice too.
Final thoughts...
the spinach gnocchi = absolute heaven
My husband and I went to Vetri for our anniversary back in April, and decided to do it up right with the chef's tasting menu and the wine pairing. It was worth every penny. It is by far the most we have ever paid for a meal, but I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. The only downside is that would require another big celebration to justify the price tag.
I liked how small it was; it felt both quaint and exclusive. The tables seemed a bit close together, but not prohibitively so. The waiters are very aware of their space here, and I saw no problems navigating to the tighter spots for them... unlike other restaurants (brassiere perrier?) where you are blantantly cramped, and the waiters are always bumping into you when serving the surrounding tables. It was good enough for lower personal conversations, but close enough that we struck up a friendly conversation with our neighbor as we were finishing up our meals to compare/rave about the different items we had.
Our meal was very relaxed, I didn't find the waiters intrusive at all. I enjoyed hearing about the different wines included in the pairing, and I especially liked that a list of the wines served were included with our tasting menu to take home. I found myself at a few points trying to pace myself with all the food and wine, that I created a small backlog of glasses. The waiters weren't rude at all, or trying to rush me to finish them, which was very comforting, since I felt silly with 3 wine glasses in front of me.
On to the food: Excellant, Superb, Best I've ever had, Ruined me for other restaurants as there is no way they could top it. Etc...
With our tasting menu we were able to try a lot of their items. Some were not as good as the others, but the others were so good, it more than made up for it. Also, my husband and I debated if the things we didn't like as much were because they weren't a dish we particularly liked, or just because they werent as over-the-top phenomenal as the other things.
Our favorite items were the spinach gnocchi and the short rib ravioli. 10 stars. It is unreal how the gnocchi melts in your mouth.
We also enjoyed the sweet onion crepe, duck terrine (tasted like Bologna, but in a good way), crispy sweetbreads with rhubarb & crudo with local radish.
Our entrees were still good, but not great. We had the Baby goat and Bass fillet. These came right after the gnocchi & ravioli though, so that might've had something to do with it.
We also were not impressed with dessert. My husband had a chocole polenta souffle, which was decent and I had the Zucotto "tuscan parfait" which I barely ate.
I'm very interested to try out Osteria, which is Mark Vetri's other restaurant. I know it's not supposed to be as good (how could it!), even though it ranked higher in the Philly magazine top 50 (#1 for Osteria to Vetri's #7). But if it has the same flair, its bound to be great.
I had great time at Vetri. My boyfriend had just moved to the city, and loves food, and it was his birthday, so I wanted some place special. Generally, I lean more towards a great BYOB that anything quiet this fancy, but after hearing great things, and reading the press, I decided to splurge.
We had a lovely, quiet, classy time, and the food was delicious. The asparagus flan was surprising, with that beautiful egg yolk leaking out - and I don't even like asparagus. The truffle gnocchi with almonds literally made me cry. The BF had a lamb he found delightful and the wine pairings were great.
I just can't quite give it 5 stars. Maybe its the huge hype, or because I've actually eaten at more memorable places for a lot less $$, or maybe my expectations were a little too high. It's still a fantastic restaurant, and worth a visit.
The food is great but the portions are silly small. Everything is very high quality and the service is perfect(my drink was refilled within seconds of completing it). The atmosphere is small, quiet, and rife with people celebrating various milestones and intimate special occasions.
I'd recommend the spinach Gnocchi and any of their pasta dishes. I tried the goat dish and it delivered a unique texture that I'd say is somewhere in between high quality lamb and duck. Sadly, I left a little hungry after an appetizer, entree, and dessert(but that's to be expected at gourmet establishments).
The grand tasting was delicious. Vetri gets some high praise (best Italian restaurant in US, etc...) and it deserves it. Is it "the best?" You can't have a best. The cooking was great and we enjoyed it immensely. The debate at our table (light-hearted) was whether Vetri outdoes Taverna del Colleoni in Bergamo, where Vetri, the man, had once learned and worked. Every dish we ate was light, packed with flavor and exactly right. Things that were really excellent last night: the squid, the lima beans, the rigatoni...and that onion crepe!
Mark Vetri is best Italian Chef in the United States. Period.
Having just read about Marc Vetri and his eponymous restaurant in Bon Appetit (Sept issue), and having a scheduled trip to Philly, we decided to visit this much lauded Italian restaurant. You might have missed this place walking by it. The restaurant has only 35 seats, a very cozy atmosphere as you would find in typical Italian restaurants. Buon Ricordo (good memory) ceramic plates on the wall remind you that this chef travels to Italy often to further immerse himself in food.
The menu is updated weekly and changes with the season. They also offer 6 and 8 course tasting menus during the summer. We called just a day before our visit (they book 2 months ahead) we were very lucky to get in! The chef and staff were so welcoming and treated us like royalty! Here's what we ate:
Antipasti - huge antipasto round with lots of yummy grilled, marinated vegetables, smoky cheeses, mixed greens with grana, and freshly sliced ethereal slices of prosciutto done a la minute and brought to our table. We also ordered the Crisp Suckling Pig with Roasted Corn antipasto that was so delicious! The chef also sent out the Foie Gras Pastrami with Cherry Mostarda (the foie gras is "cured" like pastrami - this was such an amazing dish!).
For pastas, we ordered the Mint Pappardelle with Lamb and Sweet Pea Ragu and the signature Spinach Gnocchi with Shaved Ricotta and Brown Butter. Lots of butter in the gnocchi sauce! The gnocchi were almost entirely made of spinach - and just so light and delicate. The chef also sent out a taste of the not-on-the-menu corn ravioli with shaved black summer truffles from italy. Divine!
We decided to share the main course - another signature: Roasted Capretto (baby goat) with Soft Polenta - it was out of this world! Chef Marc Vetri presented each dish to us, and this was especially incredible - they roast the goat outdoors for hours. It was so tender!
Such a great experience and we loved meeting Marc. He is an incredible chef and we will be back!
We did the regular tasting menu with a few bottles of wine--possibly the best meal I've ever had. The chef clearly focuses on great textures and on selecting a few key ingredients with strong flavors in their own right (the pigs feet meatballs were outstanding). The service was absolutely perfect and much appreciated having just eaten at another place where I felt rushed through my dinner. Absolutely excellent!
Thank heaven I ate here. We were in Philly for our anniversary on the fourth of July and found more than several great reviews of Vetri and had to try it. Vetri is now in my dreams. I will forever remember my fabulous meal and evening I had.
First, Vetri is tiny about 35 seats, very cozy and intimate with whimsical touches including in the bathroom where the walls behind the sinks are covered with broken sections of ceramic plates.
Second, the service was wonderfully attentive, informative and not intrusive. They even helped us find a cab on a horribly rainy night -- I had not realized the poor man was wading through ankle deep water trying to find a cab for us for over 15 minutes. Now that is dedication.
Finally - the food. We had the tasting menu -- which is personalized to your likes and dislikes. Every course was more amazing than the last. The gnocchi -- I will always compare future gnocchi to this experience.
Do not miss this dining experience!
When my friend Peter said he was coming to town and that he wanted to take me out to dinner, I said "Awesome!" He let me choose Vetri, one of my favorite restaurants. Mario Batali once said "Vetri is the kind of restaurant that I don't mind just going in and letting the chef make whatever he wants to; there's not going to be anything less than perfect." An undercooked pasta dish three years ago was forgivable, especially since my most recent culinary experiences at Vetri were wonderful. We ordered the six-course Tasting Menu and glasses of Santa Tresa wine. Among the many dishes we sampled were foie gras pastrami with fruit mustard, house cured charcuterie, fluke crudo, marinated venison loin with red cabbage and pistachio creme, sweet onion crepe with white truffle fondue, cauliflower flan with egg yolk and pancetta, pappardelle with goat bolognese, stuffed tagliatelle with foie gras and sweet onions, spinach gnocchi with shaved ricotta and brown butter, veal loin cooked on a stone, and desserts of chocolate polenta souffle with vanilla gelato and hazelnut cake with bittersweet chocolate ice cream. My favorites were the pappardelle, the sweet onion crepe, and the venison loin, but I would find it difficult to not give credit to any of these dishes because they were all wonderful in their own way. A raspberry sorbet course preceded the dessert and a selection of petit fours were presented post-dessert. I like tasting menus because they give you a sample of many of the things you'd probably order anyway along with new things to try. The restaurant is very quaint and cottage-like, so it's like sitting in a nice little old Italian mother's home in Brooklyn or South Philly and letting her prepare a special meal for you. Spaghetti and meatball queens, this isn't your kind of place. The food at Vetri is not the kind of fare that you could easily cook yourself.
Anyone who says that this restaurant is "shockingly average" does not know anything about fine dining. I have eaten in famous restaurants all over the world, and this one is right up there with any of them. I will admit that if you are looking for a "scene" or a "trendy atmosphere", this restaurant is not for you. However, having said that, I will say that there is no other restaurant in Philadelphia that produces food that is as interesting, fresh, and delicious as Marc Vetri's. The service is impeccable, the menu ever-changing, and the preparations fascinatingly nuanced.
I went there tonight for my tenth time. I took a few friends out for a celebratory dinner. We ate their famous charcuterie plate, a special preparation of nantucket bay scallops, pig's foot ravioli, pork belly papardelle, spinach gnocci, shoulder of baby goat, salt-cured branzino, a cheese plate, lavender gelato, and chocolate souffle. We ordered "family style" and enjoyed every single bite. In fact, we ordered "seconds" of the papardelle and scallops because they were so delicious.
Some advice before dining at this restaurant. First, eat family style. It is the best way to taste as much as possible of the diverse menu. Second, let them help you choose the wine. The employees of this restaurant are well-versed in the nuances of their wine selections and will help you find a reasonably priced bottle that pairs well with your menu choices and preferences. Third, when you eat here, "go all out". That means, get ready to eat a lot, and prepare to enjoy yourself thoroughly. This is a restaurant tailored for those who enjoy a cozy, comfortable atmosphere, nice people, and good food. Again, if you are looking for a trendy restaurant, go to Morimoto. The food won't be NEARLY as good, but you'll find all of the wannabe hipsters you can handle.
I know this is a strong review, but I believe every word of it. There are a lot of excellent restaurants in Philadelphia that may enjoy more "street cred" (think Le Bec Fin, Morimoto, Buddhakan, etc.), but certainly do not deserve it. This restaurant is absolutely terrific, and if you walk in with an open mind (and granted, an open wallet), you will absolutely enjoy it as much as I do.
Enjoy. This will be one of your better dining experiences, anywhere.
--WEM
Vetri was shockingly average. We had such high expectations given the restaurants sterling reputation, but were really disappointed. We made reservations two months ago for a Friday night so we could choose our food a la carte and not do the tasting menu. It's in a small cute location, but once you sit down it feels a little claustrophobic, especially since there are so many waitstaff hovering over your table and over the other diners' tables. It was actually very distracting, because many of the customers are regular patrons there and thus know the staff well. As a result we spent more time hearing about the host's family then we did talking with each other. The chef also seemed out of the kitchen more than he seemed in it, and the result was evident in our food. The menu is intriguing, it's classic Italian with a nice mix of meat, fish, and pasta. As expected at a place like Vetri, it's very expensive. However, when you pay $43 for loin of venison you expect a decent size portion and exceptional execution. That was not the case, except for our pasta appetizer all our dishes were luke warm and only one was a substantial portion. After spending $200 for apps, dinner, dessert, and wine you really should not leave hungry. We thought the pasta was excellent and nothing was bad, but just average. We eat at nice restaurants all the time, and this really didn't measure up. Don't buy into the hype, save your money and eat somewhere else.
Three Course Recession Menu
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
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Philadelphia, PA
Neighborhood: Bella Vista
Category: Italian
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Category: Italian
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Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Olde City
Category: Italian
Philadelphia, PA
Category: Italian
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