Food and Drink: Vetri

Vetri
1312 Spruce St. Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone (215) 732-3478
Fax (215) 732-3487

Menu Vetri serves a chef's tasting menu as the sole dining option six nights a week, $155 per person. Vetri is a mainstay of the Italian Philadelphia Restaurant Scene. Not for the faint of palate and definitely not for the faint of wallet. Dinner for two will run upwards of $350. Well worth it, and I think the following quote does Vetri the best justice: "Possibly One of the Best Italian Restaurants on the East Coast." ~Mario Batali.*

*American chef, writer, restaurateur and media personality. In addition to his classical culinary training, he is an expert on the history and culture of Italian cuisine, including regional and local variations.

Upon arrival to this quaint, rustic looking house-converted-to-restaurant, you are met at the door by a gracious maître d who takes your coat and assigns the table. The restaurant seats 30, and has an immediate intimate homey feel. The keynote decor items include two beautiful chandeliers in the dining room, which after a little googling, I found were "elegant hand-blown Murano glass chandeliers Chef Vetri had custom made by the famed artisans at the Formia glass factory in Venice, Italy." ~About Vetri

After settling into your seats, one of the most unique aspects of the dining experience is there is no menu. Now that is not to say a menu is not brought before you, but it is more or less an "ingredients" of a meal list and you have a conversation with your server about any allergies or foods you definitely do not like. After a little parley with your server, the final choices are up to the chef who creates a hand crafted 6 course meal for your dining pleasure. This was perhaps the most exciting piece of the dining experience because I literally did not know what was coming out next to eat.

I included this shot, a complimentary glass of prosecco, because I really liked the unique choice of crystal ware. Both the champagne flutes and glasses were very unique.

This was the appetizer to start off the meal. At 12:00, there was prosciutto with a balsamic reduction along with various other hors d'oeuvres.

This was served with a crudité--whole raw vegetables with a fantastically creamy balsamic vinaigrette reduction. The vegetables were served on ice which was a nice touch.

Bread was then brought out which was accompanied by some delicious olives and olive oil. The olives were divine.

(above) This was fantastic. Unfortunately I lost my notes for this dish but the croissant was amazing. Flaky, light, divine as a croissant should be. I was not impressed with the garnish, but at Vetri, the food is the main event and it was a delight.

(above) Tuna involtini with pickled fiddlehead fern. Involtini are traditionally thin slices of meat wrapped around a filling of cheese and breadcrumbs, pan-fried in olive oil. It was delicious.

(above) DI TERRA (from the earth) salt baked quail. This was perhaps one of the highlights of the evening.

(above) Sweet Onion Crepe with White Truffle Fondue. The dish is small but the portion is just right. The onion has been cooked for eight hours and paired with white truffle sauce. It is a Vetri signature dish for a reason. Get it.

(above) Spinach Gnocchi with Brown Butter. The gnocchi were pale green and I tasted a delightful parmesan cheese on top. Maybe not quite as good as the sweet onion crepe but very tasty nonetheless.

(above) Radiatori with braised snails and porcini. Radiatori are small square shaped pieces of pasta that look like radiators. Porcini are a type of mushroom.