VETRI

[jm chen]

So. Good.

Extremely expensive, but we weren't paying, so leaving aside issues of value for money, we were VERY happy with the meal. Service, food, wine pairings, pacing, everything.

You know that food, that when you take a bite, you just have to smile? This is that food. Everything from the artichoke salad and foie gras pastrami to the chestnut fettucine and the spinach gnocchi and the sweetbread ravioli and, yes, the goat, and the stinky cheese with the parsnip agrodolce... oh, and that celery root soup and every little detail down to the fennel gratinee on the charcuterie plate... mindblowingly good.

What I liked best was the way the tasting menu is a really nice balance of surprises and requests, so I could be sure I'd get to try the three or four dishes I knew I wanted, and still get bites of things I would never have ordered myself (cauliflower flan) that were so awesome I was glad I didn't miss them. They turned "X glasses of wine" and "he likes offal" and "definitely the goat" and "maybe more pasta?" and "both cheese and dessert" into a coherent, delicious experience.

I hate to oversell the place because I know inflated expectations can really hurt a restaurant experience, especially an expensive one. But everything we ate, everything we drank, was excellent. So if you're looking for a place to have a sybaritic blowout, you could do a lot worse.

[ulterior epicure]

What I liked best was the way the tasting menu is a really nice balance of surprises and requests...

Can you explain this? I thought the tasting menu was set.

Also, I noticed on the website that there is a "tasting menu" ($115) and a "grand tasting menu" ($135). Since they are so close in price, I'll probably opt for the "grand tasting." But, what is confusing me is that there is a "degustazione" (apparently only offered on Saturday - or currently in the summer, on Fridays only). Is this different from the two tasting menus?

I really can't wait for this meal.

[andanand]

What I liked best was the way the tasting menu is a really nice balance of surprises and requests...

Can you explain this? I thought the tasting menu was set.

Also, I noticed on the website that there is a "tasting menu" ($115) and a "grand tasting menu" ($135). Since they are so close in price, I'll probably opt for the "grand tasting." But, what is confusing me is that there is a "degustazione" (apparently only offered on Saturday - or currently in the summer, on Fridays only). Is this different from the two tasting menus?

I really can't wait for this meal.

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When I did this last August, we were presented with a list of about 10 or so dishes available that night, and were asked if we had any allergies, requests, or preferences. We also had the option of 6 or 8 courses (the two price points) and a wine pairing (DEFINITELY get this, I'm not wine-experienced, but everything I tasted was not only revelatory, but also perfectly paired. And the sommelier comes and describes and explains every pairing with you, especially if you express interest).

[jm chen]

The "grand tasting" was what we had where we picked some of the dishes and let others be surprises. We were there on a Monday, I think. I did the full wine pairing and my +1, who had somewhere to be early the next day, just asked the sommelier to spread the equivalent of two or three glasses of wine across the whole meal.

The only thing I found mildly disappointing was the dessert, and that might have just been palate fatigue. And I'm not generally a foie fan, but the foie gras pastrami is a very unusual (cold, cured) preparation so that was the biggest surprise of the evening for me.

Anyway, can't wait for the report.

[Capaneus]

What I liked best was the way the tasting menu is a really nice balance of surprises and requests...

Can you explain this? I thought the tasting menu was set.

Also, I noticed on the website that there is a "tasting menu" ($115) and a "grand tasting menu" ($135). Since they are so close in price, I'll probably opt for the "grand tasting." But, what is confusing me is that there is a "degustazione" (apparently only offered on Saturday - or currently in the summer, on Fridays only). Is this different from the two tasting menus?

I really can't wait for this meal.

←

I think the "degustazione" is there because on Summer Fridays, they only offer the tasting menu options, no a la carte. It's the same two tastings.

Otherwise, it's as others report: some customization possible, within limits.

Totally put yourself in Jeff Benjamin's hands re: wines. He's never let me down yet, with spot-on matches and interesting wines - and, just as importantly, my less-adventurous friends have been every bit as pleased.

Well, the markups can hurt, but I try to never look those up. It's just a happier place, and the wines are invariably good.

Enjoy. It's been too long since I've been, looking forward to your report.

[robert40]

I'm really looking forward to Marc Vetri's first cookbook.

http://www.amazon.com/II-Viaggio-Di-Vetri-...18123399&sr=1-1

[ulterior epicure]

I'm really looking forward to Marc Vetri's first cookbook.

http://www.amazon.com/II-Viaggio-Di-Vetri-...18123399&sr=1-1

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As one who recently had two memorable meals at Vetri, I am quite excited to see Chef Vetri publishing his "notes" as well. I hope he includes the recipe for those wickedly addictive "almond tortellini" filled with risotto.

[ulterior epicure]

Alrighty, I stepped on the scale this morning and I've finally lost the extra pounds that Philly packed on me! It has been a long, hard run.

Here is a *LONG* excerpt from my blog post at the the ulterior epicure:

Vetri is the kinder, gentler Babbo. Though, other than having incredible pasta programs (and being located in a retrofitted townhouse), the two are little alike, I found myself comparing these two restaurants almost immediately, and continuously.

Neither Vetri’s food nor its service brandished the aggressive edges that Batali does. Vetri’s got curves, gilded with French flourishes (haunted by the former tenant?) – fondue instead of fondutta, sabyon instead of zabaglione, and crépe instead of crespelle – and softened by a mostly female wait staff. Whereas Vetri’s food is more playful and moors slightly farther from Italy, Batali’s seems set in stone – perhaps from having the benefit (or curse) of more media and chatter and more years of developing a menu of rotating “signatures” – Batali feels more dogmatic. Whereas I wouldn’t miss having a knife at Vetri, I’d never think of eating a meal at Babbo without one.

This is not to say Vetri’s food isn’t hearty, rustic, or bold. What I had was immensely so. But this is Italian food with one pinky raised.

There are a number of ways to enjoy Marc Vetri’s cooking. On weeknights, you have a choice of ordering á la carte, the “Tasting Menu” ($115) or the “Grand Tasting Menu” ($135), the latter of which is a progression of antipasti (a flurry of snacks followed by one or two composed plates), primi (two per person – with us, they even brought out a third for each of the two courses for us to share), secondi (fish or meat), a intermezzo (or, pre-dessert), and dolci (dessert).

On the tasting, the staff first consults with the table: preferences, allergies, dislikes are discussed.

The first evening, the “Grand Tasting” presented (Click here to see all of the photos from this meal):

Antipasti

Marinated Zucchini Sticks

Wrapped in prosciutto

Rosemary Foccacia

Local chevre with pickled wax beans

Savory Beignet

Filled with plum and wrapped in lardo

Pizza

Tomato, bacon, and basil

Pastrami Foie Gras

Brioche and rhubarb mostarda

Loredan Gasparini, Prosecco NV, Veneto

Supplement

House-made Salumi

Bresaolo, pancetta, coppa, calabresa, soppressata, black pepper-cured sausage.

Crispy brussels sprouts, fried fennel, and pickled cucumbers

First Courses

Crispy Sweetbreads

Almonds and cherry agro dolce

Fluke Crudo

Plums, arugula, and olive oil

Burrata

Eggplant caponata and gnocchi friti

Proprieta Sperino, Rosa del Rosa 2007, Piedmont

(Paired with the Burrata)

Second Course

Golden Sweet Onion Crêpe

Truffled Parmesan fondue, Parmesan gratinee

Bastianich, Sauvignon 2007 “SB,” Friuli

Third Courses

Spinach Gnocchi

Smoked shaved ricotta salata and brown butter sauce

Almond Tortellini

White truffle sauce

Bolognani, Teroldego 2006 “Armilo,” Trentino

Fourth Courses

Tomino Ravioli

Green beans and potato

Fazzoletti with Duck Ragu

Black olives

Cantina Santadi, Shardana 2001, Sardegna

Fifth Course

Capretto

Mesquite-smoked baby goat with soft polenta

Tenuta di Capezzana, Carmignano 2004 “Villa di Capezzana”

Intermezzo

Blueberry Sorbetto

Dolci

“Strawberry Shortcake”

Black pepper gelato

Chocolate Polenta Budino

Vanilla gelato

Local Honey Ice Cream

Blueberry granita, currants, and mint

Domaine Cazes, Rivesaltes 1988 “Tuilé,” Roussillon

(Paired with the Chocolate Polenta Budino)

Petits Four

On Fridays/Saturdays (depending on the season – Fridays in the spring/summer and Saturdays in autumn/winter), the restaurant only offers the “Degustazione” ($135), a tasting menu that, as I learned on my second evening at Vetri, is essentially the same format as the “Grand Tasting Menu” that we had a few nights before. The only difference between the “Grand Tasting” and the Degustazione, as we were told, is that the Degustazione is supposedly a culmination of the chef’s weekly whim. As described on the website:

“To fully experience Vetri restaurant, you must reserve a table for the chef’s menu on Saturday night. On these special evenings, Marc Vetri creates new dishes inspired by the freshest seasonal ingredients from local food producers. The chef then hand-paints an original menu for each table in the restaurant. These beautiful menus lead Vetri’s guests on a culinary journey known in Italy as “degustazione” … or, simply, tasting.”

But this is misleading. Or, at least it was in my experience; the Degustazione menu was comprised almost entirely of Vetri’s signature dishes. There were also afew from the regular a la carte menu. The other confusing thing about the Degustazione, for which there is a specially hand-painted and written menu, is that the menu lists twelve dishes: three each in four different sets: antipasti, primi, secondi, and dolci. But, you don’t get all twelve on the menu, like you would on most printed tasting menus. Not unlike our “Grand Tasting” earlier in the week, preferences, dislikes and allergies are discussed first. This is also where special requests are appropriately addressed. And, not unlike our “Grand Tasting,” diners may receive different dishes for any given course, so, given a larger party, it is possible that one might see all twelve dishes on the menu at their table.

As a result, our “Grand Tasting” ended up being more of a “chef’s whim” degustazione (as described) – there was more of a surprise element (you had no idea what you were getting) than for the Degustazione, which was largely spelled out on the specially printed menu.

Having returned to Vetri for the Degustazione on the assurance that we would be able to experience an entirely different set of dishes than our “Grand Tasting Menu,” the staff happily accommodated our requests for changes and substitutions – even going off-menu for one in our party – which landed our table with a whole salt-baked branzino.

Our Degustazione presented (Click here to see all of the photos from this meal.):

Antipasti

Arugula Salad

Parmesan, artichoke heart, and extra virgin olive oil

Fluke Crudo

Plum, arugula

Pizza

Tomato, fresh mozzarella

Loredan Gasparini, Prosecco NV

First Course

Stuffed Zucchini Blossom

Cheese-stuffed zucchini with tomato and basil.

Second Course

Aparagus Flan

Quail egg yolk, Parmesan and truffle cream sauce

Pojer e Sandri, Muller Thurgau 2006 “Palai”

Third Course

Basil Tagliatelle

Hen ragu & plum

San Alejandro, Garnacha 2005 “Las Rocas”

Fourth Course

Sweet Corn Agnolotti

Les Cretes Chardonnay, 2007

Fifth Course

Salt-crusted Whole Branzino

Cantina Terlano, Nova Domus Riserva 2003

Supplement

Capretto

Soft polenta

Formaggio

Ubriaco al Prosecco (Veneto)

Testun al Barolo (Piedmont)

Muffato (Veneto)

Brescianella Staglonata (Lombardia)

Giovanni Avanzi, Tocai Friulano 2001 “Notorious”

Intermezzo

Lemon Sorbetto

Limoncello

Dolce

Washington State Berries

Warm sabayon

Local Peach Tart

Vanilla gelato

Castello Banfi Brachetto D’Acqui 2007 “Rose Ragale”

Petits Four

So, what’s this business about a perfect plate of pasta?

Vetri speaks my kind of lingua pasta. In my opinion, not all pasta should be al dente. As a general rule, I prefer my stuffed pastas softer and smoother (perhaps that’s why I liked the lasagna at insieme so much). Sauced pastas - those without fillings – are usually most enjoyable when they protest with a slight resistance, have more bounce, and, given the right sauce, hew with a bit of heft.

And so it goes with Marc Vetri, who makes perfect tortellini. And to think we might have missed it: we were each brought out a bowl of Vetri’s signature Spinach Gnocchi with brown butter and shaved smoked ricotta salata, and the server dropped off a bowl of the Almond Tortellini for us to share. Whether it was an afterthought, a gift, or a part of the meal, I will never know – and I really don’t care.

Unlike most tortellini (see my gripe here - scroll down to the bit about the sweet corn tortellini), which are tough and meager, these soft pockets filled with a creamy risotto of Carnaroli rice (I’m almost positive the risotto was bolstered by an aged cheese) and dusted with crunchy bits of toasted almonds, were fat and happy. These tortellini, lightly bathed in a pungent white truffle sauce, were made even more thrilling by the wine pairing (Bolognani, Teroldego 2006 “Armilo,” Trentino), which, though intended for the spinach gnocchi, married better with the tortellini. The dark red juice, slightly earthy and spicy, picked up the toastiness in the nuts and cheese in an electrifying storm of flavor. This course, especially with the wine, was a good stone’s throw ahead of any other dishes I had at Vetri.

The Tomino Ravioli, which followed on the heels of tortellini and gnocchi, were every bit as perfect. The pasta was soft and silky, and gave way to a creamy, smooth filling of bright, tangy Tomino di Talucco (a goat and cow-milk cheese from the Piedmont), all of which was offset by meaty dices of potatoes and crunchy segments of green beans that were scattered on top of the pasta pillows.

Sweet Corn Agnolotti presented supple rectangular thimbles filled with a sweet corn puree and coated with a simple sweet corn sauce vierge (I’m injecting French because I don’t know how to describe it) – a slightly chunky puree of sweet corn.

Rusticity found its home in Basil Tagliatelle, a tangle of bright green ribbons laden with a chunky hen ragu so rich and flavorful it could have doubled for bolognese, and Fazzoletti, frilly-edged squares – the angled cousin of the round corzetti - glistening with duck ragu with salty black olives and torn planks of dark duck meat tucked throughout. Both were good, but lagged behind the filled-pastas.

What made both of these dishes stand out were their respective wine pairings - San Alejandro Garnacha 2005 ‘Los Rocas’ for the Basil Taglietelle and Cantina Santadi, Shardana 2001 from Sardegna for the Fazzoletti. By itself, that Garnacha was my favorite wine of the fourteen I tried over the course of my two visits to Vetri.

Two things about the Spinach Gnocchi struck me as odd: first, they were soggy and mushy (two words that aren’t in my pasta lexicon); second, they large and round – more spinach balls than gnocchi. Upon further inquiry, I discovered that these “gnocchi” weren’t pasta at all. I asked the server what the binding agent was – Ricotta? Potato? Flour? Assolutamente niente: just spinach puree and a touch of egg. That explained the texture, which even after the explanation, I’m not sure I could get over enough to enjoy the otherwise brilliant marriage of flavors.

As for the rest of the food, it was all very good, but as always, some appealed more than others. Here were the highlights:

House-cured Salumi: I always get excited when I see salumi. We ordered this as a supplement to our Grand Tasting. A wooden paddle bore an accomplished assortment of bresaolo, soppressata, coppa, prosciutto, calabrasa, and black pepper-cured salami, these thinly sliced meats were accompanied with fried fennel, roasted Brussels sprouts, and pickled cucumbers.

Capretto: It was love from first read. I had to have it, and thankfully, my companions didn’t object. The pulled pieces of grilled goat, smoky with Mesquite, which helped temper the natural muskiness (which, I love but beyond what most can tolerate) of the meat, sat on a bed of soft polenta. I enjoyed it so much the first night that I asked for it supplemented into my degustazione the following night. I suspect they grill and entire goat since the first night, I had wedges of interior meat and at the second meal, I got part of the rib rack and plenty of crackling.

Crispy Sweetbreads: This was exciting even though the result didn’t live up to its name. These nuggets were molten and creamy on the inside, but what flaky crust had encased the sweetbreads had been sauced with a sweet and sour cherry agro dolce, which I fell in love with. Think sweet and sour pork done with cherries and lamb.

Formaggio: The puny cheese cart sits, awkwardly, in the dark entryway to the restaurant. But don’t let its situation or size deter you from ordering the cheese at Vetri.

Vetri demonstrates that you don’t have to have a well-stocked trolley to make a success out of a cheese course. A small but interesting selection will always impress me more than a large one with mostly usual suspects. All four of the cheese we had at the Vetri were artisanal and imported from Italy. Not surprisingly, my favorite of the four was the stinky Brascianella Stagionata, a wash rind cow’s milk that was buttery, slightly sweet, and very pungent. As a friend of mine once put it, it’s a cheese that keeps on giving. The Testun al Barolo, a sheep’s (sometimes goat) milk cheese whose coating of pressed Nebbiolo grapes (whence Barolo wine) perfumed the creamy interior with a grape-like sweetness, was also memorable.

Foie Gras Pastrami: An antipasti on our first meal, this wedge of silken foie gras pâté, served on toasted brioche, tasted *just like pastrami.* It was topped with a tart and spicy rhubarb mostarda.

Golden Sweet Onion Crêpe: This, perhaps more than any of the pastas, is Vetri’s best known dish. I can certainly see why. It was amazing.

It’s not a crêpe in the traditional sense. Caramelized sweet onions are stuffed into a rolled crêpe, sliced, topped with grated cheese, and baked (I’m supposing it’s baked). The gratinee round is plated on top of a creamy truffled fondue. It’s salty, it’s sweet, it’s creamy, it’s soft, and it’s crispy. It’s intense.

Asparagus Flan: This is another one of Vetri’s signature dishes. I mention it as a highlight only because it was perfectly executed and because anything with a runny egg yolk tucked inside deserves a spotlight.

The liquid gold gushed out, mingling with the rich Parmesan truffle cream sauce on the plate, as soon as my fork broached the impossibly fluffy green dome almost too delicate to hold its own weight. Visually seductive and dramatic, it was otherwise rather forgettable. The asparagus in the flan would have been completely overwhelmed by all of the other elements had it not been rescued by an intensely flavored swatch of asparagus puree.

Although Jeffrey Benjamin is listed as the wine director, I’m fairly certain that he’s gone off to oversee Vetri’s newest restaurant, Osteria, which Vetri co-owns with Benjamin and Jeff Michaud. (Osteria was nominated this year (2008) for Best New Restaurant). While Vetri has yet to name a new wine director on its website, I will nominate Steve Wildly, who served us both evenings. His wine pairings were excellent. Most of his couplings were weighty. Wildly’s approach goes for the throat: bold, gutsy and aggressive on their own, these were the type of wines that wrap themselves around the food its paired with.

Save gelato, which I was getting more than my fair share of at Capogiro, Italian desserts, for the most part, have always struck me as slightly less exciting versions of desserts from other cultures. That’s probably not a fair statement, given that I’m not exactly an Italian food scholar. But I’ve rarely encountered an Italian dessert for which there is not a cultural counterpart that I don’t like better (geez, if that’s *not* a grammatical nightmare).

Vetri excels at simplicity, and for the most part, the desserts that we saw were simple, and therefore tended to be good. But none were thrilling.

Fresh Washington State Berries smothered with a velvety blanket of warm sabayon heady with alcohol, ladled table-sided, was particularly memorable. So was the Local Honey Ice Cream, which featured two scoops nested in a tall martini glass topped with grainy blueberry granita and a garnish of fresh mint and tart red currants.

But the rest of our desserts - “Strawberry Shortcake” (notable only for its black pepper gelato which didn’t taste very peppery), “Chocolate Polenta Budino“; (your standard-issue molten chocolate cake colored Italian with a gritty polenta crumb), and a “Local Peach Tart” - all very good but not particularly special. However, the silver dish of “Piccola Pasticceria” (small sweets - mignardises) were truly wonderful - an assortment of pâtés des fruits, cannelés, polenta cookies, and wonderfully decadent layered dark chocolate cakes that were the love child of tiramisu and opera cake.

Judging by our service, Vetri was deserving of its nomination this year (2008) for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Service Award. The staff was warm and gracious. They fit together so comfortably and were so coordinated, that Vetri felt like a family operation. We were never in want of anything.

Vetri is not the first top toque to inhabit 1312 Spruce. This narrow townhouse was the original situs of Georges Perrier’s fabled Le Bec Fin, which moved a few blocks over and up. The restaurant is textbook cozy – a little too much to be comfortably American. Two tops can be tight, although both of our four tops had plenty of elbow room and ear cushion. But the butter yellow walls, dark wooden floor boards, and simple austere slat-back chairs all could have walked straight out of an Italian home – a far cry from the restaurant’s frilly and pink predecessor.

Marc Vetri strikes me as the type of chef who keeps his head down and works. It shows and pays off. Vetri Ristorante was everything I hoped it would be. It’s self-assured. It’s stable. It’s imbued with personality. The experience creates a dialogue. It has a soul: the setting, place, and food. And the execution is spotless.

Like so many of the restaurants that I’m blessed to be able visit, Vetri is one that I’ll look forward to returning to.

[Capaneus]

Reviewed in the Financial Times:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/f205b94e-465c-11...144feabdc0.html

Not what they would have hoped for, I'm sure.

[ulterior epicure]

Reviewed in the Financial Times:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/f205b94e-465c-11...144feabdc0.html

Not what they would have hoped for, I'm sure.

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I can't comment on the overcooked halibut or the "meagre" veal. But, I would tend to agree that Vetri's famous spinach gnocchi dish is not his best. I think that calling these wet balls of spinach puree "gnocchi" might be misleading, even if they are technically gnocchi.

[Holly Moore]

Steinberger in the FT:

As America’s sixth largest city, Philadelphia cannot exactly be called a small pond. But its restaurant scene has always been relatively quiet and its close proximity to New York has only reinforced Philadelphia’s image as a culinary backwater

Now there's an original observation.

Given Steinberger's poor opinion of Philadelphia restaurants in general, it is telling that his review opens and closes on Vetri's reputation. Sir Steinberger heroically slays a backwater dragon to defend his beloved preconceived notions.

When a reviewer writes:

One arrives at Vetri with lofty expectations.

you just know he plans to be disappointed.

Edited May 28, 2009 by Holly Moore (log)

[andanand]

I'm no FT reviewer, but a few Fridays ago my family and I returned to Vetri after one good experience and one with good food and bad service. This visit was pitch perfect from start to finish.

We managed to eat everything listed on the painted menu except the veal dish, hitting some classics (crepe, gnocchi, goat) and some awesome new dishes. The foie pastrami showed up as a canape on brioche with pineapple mostarda, salmon was served with red onions and oil, fluke was served with citrus, and all of it was wonderful. The highlights of the remaining new dishes were a ridiculously good grilled octopus (charred but soft with just the right resistance) with fennel sausage and a "salsa rossa," which tasted like roasted red pepper purée to me. It was delicious, and paired with Sangre de Toro, a strong ale from an Italian brewer (Beba) whose malts elevated the dish to transcendent.

Another seafood dish we had was swordfish with eggplant and tomato andbasil. I usually avoid swordfish because it's texture doesn't really do it for me, but man this dish was amazing. I've never had the "steaky" fish so wonderfully soft and yielding, and its pairing (Ciró from Calabria) had a cool minty finish that totally worked with the dish.

Actually all the pairings were fantastic, particularly when we got a sweet pea/mint ravioli paired with a Teroldego (a varietal I'd never heard of before) from Alto Adige that had a weird flowery finish that was kind of weird on it's own, yet tasted exactly like peas when eaten with the dish.

One thing that was strange is that this is the second time I've participated in a tasting night, but this was the first time (the other time was 2 years ago) that I received canapes, a copy of the painted menu, and little muffins to take home for breakfast the next day. I didn't complain, obviously, but I wonder why there was inconsistency.

[Rich Pawlak]

Steinberger in the FT:

As America’s sixth largest city, Philadelphia cannot exactly be called a small pond. But its restaurant scene has always been relatively quiet and its close proximity to New York has only reinforced Philadelphia’s image as a culinary backwater

Now there's an original observation.

Given Steinberger's poor opinion of Philadelphia restaurants in general, it is telling that his review opens and closes on Vetri's reputation. Sir Steinberger heroically slays a backwater dragon to defend his beloved preconceived notions.

When a reviewer writes:

One arrives at Vetri with lofty expectations.

you just know he plans to be disappointed.

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yeah like I'm going to read a British publication to read about good food.

[Mano]

Steinberger in the FT:

As America’s sixth largest city, Philadelphia cannot exactly be called a small pond. But its restaurant scene has always been relatively quiet and its close proximity to New York has only reinforced Philadelphia’s image as a culinary backwater

Now there's an original observation.

Given Steinberger's poor opinion of Philadelphia restaurants in general, it is telling that his review opens and closes on Vetri's reputation. Sir Steinberger heroically slays a backwater dragon to defend his beloved preconceived notions.

When a reviewer writes:

One arrives at Vetri with lofty expectations.

you just know he plans to be disappointed.

←

yeah like I'm going to read a British publication to read about good food.

←

Obviously, he hasn't gotten over the fact that it was in Philly that the first Continental Congress was convened and the Declaration of Independence was signed, followed by the British getting their asses whupped.

[tim e]

One thing that was strange is that this is the second time I've participated in a tasting night, but this was the first time (the other time was 2 years ago) that I received canapes, a copy of the painted menu, and little muffins to take home for breakfast the next day. I didn't complain, obviously, but I wonder why there was inconsistency.

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We were there a few weeks ago and the canapes were new to us too. We do the tasting menu once or twice a year and May 2008 was the first time we got the muffins and menu copies. I think it's nice that they've added those little gestures to the tasting nights.

[lfabio2007]

It is true that the FT columnist may have been a manhattanite with an axe to grind, but I will say this: we used to go to Vetris quite frequently. We've been the last time in October, IIRC, and we haven't been back.