The Restaurant Reporter: Summer's Hot Spots

By Andrew Knowlton
Bon Appetit Magazine

Tiny, chef-driven restaurants certainly have charm, but they also come with a challenge: getting a reservation. Such is the case with Marc Vetri's 35-seat Italian jewel, Vetri, located in Center City. Thankfully, he has opened a casual joint, Osteria, that doubles your chances of trying his soulful Italian cooking. The comfy, brick-walled restaurant offers table and bar seating with prime views of the open kitchen. Perfectly charred pizzas arrive piping hot from the wood-burning oven (the standout Lombarda comes topped with mozzarella, cotechino, and a sunny-side-up egg). There's also house-made charcuterie (including fantastic porchetta), pastas, and Vetri's classic spaghetti lobster that, with any luck, will inspire imitators across the country. Throw in a bargain, all-Italian wine list and house-made gelato, and you've got Philadelphia's hottest ticket.

HOT DISH: Casoeula - braised pork ribs and sausage with cabbage.