Philadelphia is a city with a boatload of history and various hailed “institutions,” but it also has plenty of room for a deserving newcomer. Compared to some of the city’s other Italian mainstays, Vetri is a veritable baby—opening in 1998, it’s barely out of its first decade. And yet, the quality of the food and service has earned the restaurant raves from chefs like Mario Batali, a man who knows Italian food when he eats it. Vetri is different from the instant you walk in; instead of a sprawling dining hall, it’s an intimate space that only seats a handful of diners. Chef Marc Vetri has become famous for his handmade pastas, which are wonderfully fresh and tender to the tooth. The other offerings on the menu are equally delicious, with spectacular meat, fish, and vegetarian offerings. Wise eaters go on Friday and Saturday nights for his tasting menus, which are paired with carefully chosen wines to create a meal of unimaginable deliciousness.

Vetri
1312 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 732-3478
www.vetriristorante.com