Chef Marc Vetri is the founder of Philadelphia’s critically acclaimedVetri Family of Restaurants. A Philadelphia native, Vetri spent his formative professional kitchen life in Bergamo, Italy, working alongside some of the region’s most noted chefs. In 1998, he opened the fine-dining restaurant, Vetri, to universal acclaim. Within two years of the restaurant’s debut, he was named one of Food & Wine’s “Best New Chefs” and received the Philadelphia Inquirer’s highest restaurant rating. In 2005, he was given the James Beard Award for “Best Chef Mid-Atlantic.”
Marc launched Osteria in 2007 and the restaurant was nominated for “Best New Restaurant” in 2008 by the James Beard Foundation. Amis, opened its doors in 2010 and Bon Appetit named it one of the top “10 Places for Pasta” in the country. Alla Spina, an Italian gastropub opened in 2012. It’s been recognized by publications such as GQ and Zagat as being one of the top craft beer havens in the U.S. The following year saw the debut of two more Vetri Family restaurants: Pizzeria Vetri, and a second location of Osteria in Moorestown, NJ. Pizzeria Vetri was named to GQ’s 2014 list of “Top 25 Best New Restaurants” in the country.
In 2014, Lo Spiedo is slated to open in Philadelphia’s up-and-coming The Navy Yard district. This year will also include the expansion of the flagship Vetri. The restaurant will now encompass two floors, making it available for private events and accommodating larger parties. The new Vetri space includes a test kitchen, allowing Marc and his fellow culinary partners a place to develop and explore new dishes and menus.
Marc is the author of Il Viaggio di Vetri, a collection of more than 125 of Vetri’s most-requested dishes. His second cookbook, Rustic Italian Food, was named one of the top cookbooks of 2011 by Bon Appetit, St. Petersburg Times and The Huffington Post. He is currently working on third cookbook, Mastering Pasta. In addition to his cookbooks, Chef Vetri’s a regular blogger for The Huffington Post.
Outside of his restaurants, Chef Vetri is focused on his family and giving back to the community. In 2009, he and business partner, Jeff Benjamin, created the Vetri Foundation for Children. The foundation’s signature initiative, “Eatiquette,” is a school lunch reform program in which children experience the connection between healthy eating and healthy living. The program includes 10 schools, and served more than 300,000 healthy meals.
