Nestled in the Art Museum section of Philadelphia, Pizzeria Vetri has turned the process of making pizza into an art form.
It takes four days for John Sidoti, Pizzeria Vetri’s executive chef, to make the dough for each pie and get it just right.
“We use a percentage of fresh milled whole wheat flour from Castle Valley Mills, milled every two or three days before we receive it,” Sidoti said. “There’s room for creativity, but it’s also technique driven.”
The menu changes seasonally and is mainly farm-to-table.
“We don’t have a freezer,” Sidoti said. “There’s no fridge in the house.”
Pizzeria Vetri offers signature pies such as the Margherita and the Melanzana, priced from $12 to $34.
Want greens with that? Try an Italian Caesar Salad or an Arugula Salad. Dessert options include cannolis and affogato.
In addition to carrying non-alcoholic beverages, Pizzeria Vetri offers an extensive beer list, specialty cocktails and wine on tap and by the bottle.
The atmosphere at Pizzeria Vetri is both laid back and chic, with an aesthetic that’s a marriage of industrial and repurposed functionality.
In good weather, wrought-iron sidewalk tables allow for people-watching with the Philadelphia skyline as a backdrop.
The nucleus of Pizzeria Vetri is the chef’s counter. Behind it is a wood-fired oven that staff keep at a constant 700 to 800 degrees, hot enough to cook a pie in about three minutes.
If you’re lucky enough to score a stool at the chef’s counter, you can see how it all goes down.
“You’re able to see the chefs in action from any angle,” said Salvatore Mannino, the assistant manager.
So what inspires Sidoti?
“People,” he said.
That works for Tony Coplin of Philadelphia, who wandered into Pizzeria Vetri for the first time earlier this year.
“I loved it,” Coplin said. “Even the wait staff was on point. I’d definitely come back.”
Pizzeria Vetri has three locations in the Philadelphia area and one in Washington, D.C.
The Art Museum restaurant is located at 1939 Callowhill St. and is open Sunday, Monday and Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
