Marc Vetri moves from prix fixe to pizzeria.
Pizzeria Vetri, the newest venture from highly–acclaimed chef and Philadelphia native Marc Vetri, occupies a small, prime location in the trendy Art Museum District. The hostess seated us at the communal pizza bar where we could feel the heat of the oven as the deft pizzaioli made our pizzas right in front of us. The restaurant has a varied alcohol selection, distinguishing it from more traditional pizzerias. A large collection of beers can be ordered by the bottle or from the tap, and if wine tickles your fancy, you can order red or white by the glass.Though the atmosphere was warm and inviting, when I looked at the menu, I felt a tinge of disappointment. The menu is compact, with fewer than fifteen total dinner choices, including artisan pizzas, calzones and dinner salads. We ordered the Salsiccia pizza ($16): cheese and tomato sauce, topped with sausage and fennel. The pizzas were small, barely larger than a personal pizza, carved into six slices. After we bit in, we found ourselves with little to write home about. The fennel was very sparse, and the pizza tasted essentially like any other sausage pizza. It wasn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination, but it certainly did not merit the price or live up to man behind the dough.
Although dinner itself was a bit of a letdown, dessert turned out to be a high point. The fried pizza dough ($4), dusted with citrus sugar was a light, sweet and slightly savory end to the meal.
If you’re looking for a highbrow pizza parlor, Pizzeria Vetri is the place for you. But if you’d rather pay less for the same pizza payoff, skip the pricier pies and find a more down–to–earth pizza joint. For the name, Pizzeria Vetri is worth one visit, but on a student’s budget it certainly doesn’t merit a second.
Pizzeria Vetri 1838 Callowhill Street @PizzeriaVetri (215) 800-2828
Don't Miss: Fried Pizza Dough Skip: Margherita Pizza $$$
