Vetri Is The Best Italian Restaurant In America (According To Time Out)

Time Out has been hard at work recently, rounding a whole bunch of lists of the best stuff in America. And now that they’ve gotten around to Italian food, it seems that they’ve dropped in on Philly to give us a little love.

A few days ago, they dropped their list of the 20 Best Italian Restaurants In America, and guess who was right on top of that list? Marc Vetri and his eponymous flagship (and currently the only restaurant in the Vetri family that remains under his command). Here’s what Time Out had to say:

What can be said about Marc Vetri’s hall-of-fame flagship that hasn’t already been said? Well, at the time of this writing, the national restaurant industry was abuzz with the news that the illustrious chef-restaurateur had sold much of his empire to Urban Outfitters. So there’s that. But its cornerstone, Vetri, remains intact—and what a cornerstone it is. A stately yet intimate Washington Square West townhouse sets the stage for an eight-course meal that, being painstakingly tailored to each guest, is truly once-in-a-lifetime, ranging perhaps from a seasonal crudo and the renowned sweet-onion crepe with truffle fondue to a raviolo stuffed with squash confited in honey butter, salt-baked branzino, and pistachio flan or chocolate-polenta souffle. The caliber of the wine list goes without saying; rare beer pairings, however, are a revelation.

Nice, right? Vetri bested such other luminaries as Carbone and Del Posto in New York, San Francisco’s SPQR and Frasca in Boulder. But Philly bracketed the list (kinda) by also taking the #20 spot. Chef Joey Baldino’s Zeppoli (which, yes, is in Collingswood, but we’re claiming it anyway) took the final spot on the Time Out list, earning a nod for (among other things) “Platters of antipasti spilling forth like jewels and coniglio alla pizzaiola (rabbit stewed with tomatoes and herbs) count among his most beloved staples, although nightly specials charm and wow by turns, from baccalà mantecato (whipped salt cod) with artichokes to the ever-popular spaghetti con seppie.”

You can check out the full list by clicking on the link below.

The 20 Best Italian Restaurants In America [Time Out]