Vetri Cucina

Vetri Cucina Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant and décor: Chef Marc Vetri needs no more than this intimate 32-seater on Spruce Street to impress guests. From the cozy décor --- walls awash in flaxen gold, assorted wooden chairs and knick-knacks on the wall --- comes a family dining room feel. Tables are arranged close enough to allow for not only a whiff but also a bird's eye view of your neighbor's meal. On the second floor there's a private dining space that doubles as a venue for cooking classes hosted by the restaurant.

About the food: Vetri's food is earthy, eloquent and ambitious. His influences span from his Sicilian grandmother to kitchens in Italy, where he studied for years. A four-course tasting menu is the sole dining offering each evening, with the option of wine pairings at an additional cost. The repertoire has included yellowfin tuna crudo; sweet onion crêpe with Parmigiano and white truffle fondue; delicate spinach gnocchi with ricotta salata and brown butter; and rabbit with fennel sausage. Dessert tempts with a chocolate polenta soufflé with chocolate ganache and vanilla gelato or perhaps pistachio.

About the wine: The 2,500-bottle cellar specializes in regional Italian wines but also accommodates 500 old-world and new-world varietals. Sommelier Jeff Benjamin, Vetri's partner, has been with the restaurant since the beginning in 1998.