The cook is a sensory animal, seeking out new, bold and unexpected experiences. This animal roams about in a realm of excess, moving through a series of volatile and overwhelmingly pleasurable moments that inform the development of his or her identity. The cook relies upon these experiences as they are of an affecting nature, providing for the development of a nuanced character and more focused personal style. Through reading, watching, listening and eating the fare of our culinary idols and peers, the cook finds inspiration and guidance within the personal narrative and mode of these revered chefs. A cook must engage in the dialogue and insert him or herself into this vein of communication by learning the spoken language of cuisine.
This past Tuesday I turned twenty five and went down to Philly to spend a couple days with my family and friends. Those of you who have spent time in New York know it is absolutely essential to spontaneously escape our concrete playground so as to preserve mental clarity and fight fatigue. Through a series of unexpected events, my sister and I found ourselves dining at Marc Vetri's eponymous restaurant on Tuesday. Vetri is the kind of restaurant that makes one understand what it means to be part of the hospitality industry. It is a restaurant that is consumed by the idea of crafting an environment that is both astutely refined and unconscionably professional while individually tailored to the personality of each diner. We had come for the food, but it had never occurred to me that the restaurant's atmosphere would be so exciting and unique as to mimic and augment Chef Vetri's mode of cuisine.
The restaurant is formatted in this small, personalized construct to focus the food and allow each diner to enjoy those elements of Chef Vetri's style that they will best appreciate. Each diner is presented with a menu following the amuse course so that he or she may determine which dishes they may or may not want. Aside from these guidelines for the kitchen, the diner is left in the capable hands of chef de cuisine Adam Leonti to determine how to structure the coursing of the dinner. As we were a two top, my sister and I were presented with a minimum of two dishes for each course, with three dishes coming in each of the two pasta courses. I won't go through the meal itself as this restaurant has been endlessly reviewed by the critics that be, but I will say that a ten hour caramelized onion with white truffle is a revelatory experience well worth the price of admission. What I carry with me from the meal, aside from a week's pay being violently ripped from the confines of my checking account, is an appreciation for this style of un-garnished, highly precise, technique driven cooking with an emphasis on simplicity and flavor. This is not easy cooking and there is no room for error, but it is executed faultlessly and with confidence.
These dinners are expensive and a rarity for those of us humping a line. We save, we pinch pennies, we forgo meals, we ignore impulse buying so that we can attend a dinner that lasts a few hours, but changes our concept of food for the remainder of our career. I might never again dine at Vetri Ristorante, but I will carry with me the consuming warmth of the space and the memory of the exceptional food that is served. The dialect of Chef Vetri's culinary voice is distinct and I feel it's affect upon my own understanding of the greater conversation being conducted between chefs in America and abroad, a gift that is far more valuable than the cost of entry. Immerse yourself in this dialogue and invest in these educational moments, as we are a community of craftsmen who can only grow in concert with one another in order to find our part in the conversation.
Ian Auger
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