"Marc Vetri is as big a name in Philly as the spotted lanternfly. He’s got an Italian restaurant for nearly every situation. If you need Saturday night rigatoni with sausage ragu, get on the waitlist at Fiorella in the Italian Market. For pizza worth factoring into your Center City to-do list, head to Pizzeria Salvy. But when you want a once-per-papacy meal that might inspire an Italian glass-collecting hobby, Vetri Cucina is the place to be. photo credit: Gab Bonghi photo credit: GAB BONGHI photo credit: Gab Bonghi photo credit: Gab Bonghi The restaurant's Italian dishes are both rustic and deluxe, complete with truffle and foie gras a few ways. We don't care who you are—you'll leave with the correct feeling that you could never make any of this meal at home, even if you had Giada De Laurentiis as your sous chef. Vetri offers two dining options: a $165 four-course prix fixe menu, and a six-course forchetta tasting menu that costs $215 per person. While both will be full of delicious pasta, and well-cooked seafood or poultry (in the six-course tasting, you get all three), the classic, cheaper option is more consistent in its payoff of Vetri hits. In the four-course prix fixe, you can choose the best of the best: the onion crêpe drenched in a downright drinkable truffle fonduta, a side-by-side pasta "split" of spinach gnocchi and almond tortellini, and the molten pistachio cake. While it can be freeing to let Vetri's chefs send out a procession of shrimp carpaccio and stuffed, roasted hen without you having to make any decisions, the tasting menu approach leaves more room for misses. And when you're paying this much money for dinner, there shouldn't be any bland short rib ravioli in the mix. photo credit: Gab Bonghi photo credit: Gab Bonghi photo credit: Gab Bonghi photo credit: Gab Bonghi In either case, Vetri Cucina makes diners feel like they’re the center of attention, from the tourists who heard about the restaurant from their Rittenhouse cousin to the couples celebrating the fact that they’ve known each other’s coffee orders for 20 years. Everyone is welcomed to the romantic, chandeliered rowhouse with a seasonal spritz. Someone working the floor might overhear that the woman at table three has a birthday next week and bring them a complimentary raspberry gianduja mousse. Every water refill need is anticipated. Every speck of sourdough crouton on the white tablecloth is de-crumbed. And you’ll get a perfect suggestion for a glass of white to pair with your shima-aji crudo, along with the wine’s aroma profile and whether it likes long walks on the beach. Yes, Vetri’s food is going to be great. Nine times out of ten, it's going to be incredible, actually. But it's the restaurant's seamless pacing between courses and the warmth of the experience that you'll remember. That's why a big deal date or celebration here is a Philly necessity. Food Rundown The menus at Vetri Cucina change seasonally, though many of the staples remain. Here's a sample of some of the dishes you might see. photo credit: Gab Bonghi Sweet Onion Crêpe With Truffle And Parmesan Fondue This is a classic Vetri dish, so much so that there’s a pizza version at Salvy. This onion gets sauteed and caramelized, so it’s simultaneously soft and crisp. Sitting in a pool of warm parmesan, you’ll be happy you didn’t eat all the complimentary sourdough and seeded bread early in the meal just so you can sop up all the cheese. photo credit: GAB BONGHI Classic Split With this dish, you get to try both the spinach gnocchi and the brown butter and almond tortellini with a touch of truffle. The gnocchi is pretty much a cheesy spinach orb in a pool of brown butter and shaved ricotta salata. And the tortellini, covered in almonds, gels creaminess and crunchiness seamlessly. Don’t cry when each rich and nutty forkful is over. Be grateful that it happened. photo credit: Gab Bonghi Garganelli With Espresso-Braised Duck Ragu If we can’t have this dish ever again, consider writing us a get well card. The pasta is flawlessly cooked and delicate, the slow-cooked duck is super tender and moist, and it’s an overall delightfully savory dish that feels like a stew with a noodle supporting cast. photo credit: Gab Bonghi Dover Sole It doesn’t matter if the menu changes more often than an award show host’s outfit—there will always be a fish on it. If it’s available, get the dover sole in a bath of salty capers, sauteed radish, and a brown butter sauce that we’d chug out of the pan like it’s hot chocolate in a mug. photo credit: GAB BONGHI Molten Pistachio Cake The best dessert here. And it might just be the best you ever have. The moist, buttery cake is filled with a warm pistachio glaze. It's usually balanced beautifully by a homemade gelato that would put your go-to scoop shop to shame." - Candis R. McLean
