The latest addtion to the Vetri family takes its menu in a surprising new direction: south (in a good way, we promise) hen you think of famous Philadelphia chef Marc Vetri, the virtuoso behind Amis Trattoria, Osteria, Alla Spina, and Pizzeria Vetri, what comes to mind? Fresh ingredients, a reverence for and reference to Italian culinary tradition, and authentic yet inventive takes on the staples—brick oven pizza, brown butter gnocchi, thin sliced prosciutto, and seared octopus, to name a few. The latest addition to the Vetri restaurant family, Lo Spiedo, stays true to the Vetri name, offering all of the above, but with a unique twist. According to Lo Spiedo Chef de Cuisine Scott Calhoun, the secret ingredient behind the concept of the new restaurant is the following: good old-fashioned Texas barbecue. Yes, you heard that right. Texas is where Vetri and his team of chefs found the inspiration for the direction of Lo Spiedo (Italian for “The Spit”), which opened in the Navy Yard last fall and has been churning out the finest, flavor-packed, fire-roasted dishes since. A now well-seasoned chef who started out as a server at Vetri’s Osteria, Calhoun is staying away from complexity in the Lo Spiedo kitchen. “We’re serving simple food, not reinventing the wheel. We want to stay true to the Southern barbecue theme,” Calhoun explained. Expressing the mission of Lo Spiedo as “getting back to the basics of cooking,” Chef Calhoun cooks over wood fire on a six foot, custom-made rotisserie using white and red oak as well as mesquite charcoal in order to create the perfect mouth-watering smoky flavor. The centerpiece of the menu is the simple, savory, and hearty beef brisket, which sizzles above the flame for 12-18 hours. According to Calhoun, the development of the brisket
was a yearlong process, but he finally settled on the perfect recipe. “The brisket is roasted the whole way on the smoker. We wanted it to taste like something you’d get at a place on the side of the road in Texas,” Calhoun divulged. Ultimately, the outdoor smoker is what helps him achieve elusive authenticity. Many of the other items on the menu, including the escarole salad with Calabrian chilis, barbecue rub popcorn with parmigiano butter, and campanelle with peppers and capon sausage ragu, come packed with a punch of heat that pays an homage to the South. Even the more recognizably Italian dishes have a hint of smoke, like the rigatoni which is complemented with wood-fired tomatoes. Just as fascinating as the food itself, the location of the Vetri’s new restaurant introduces another element of intrigue. Situated past a collection of towering retired warships, Lo Spiedo is capitalizing on the Navy Yard’s reputation as an up-and-coming area of Philadelphia. Full of history, the building that houses Lo Spiedo is a reminder of the Navy Yard’s former function. “This building used to be the brig, but after that it was abandoned for about twenty years. It was a complete shell before we started the renovations,” explained Lo Spiedo manager, Mike Falcey. Now, the brig-turnedrestaurant is complete with an industrial-chic bar, Italian-style wall frescos, and a bustling kitchen. The past year has been a busy one for Lo Spiedo staff members who are adjusting to the fast-paced nature of serving up food in this highly populated area. Both manager
Falcey and Chef Calhoun agree that one of the biggest challenges has been feeding the rushes. “There are 12,000 employees in the surrounding complex. We have a lot of regulars during the lunch rush, which we anticipated during the first year of growth. We also get a huge rush after sports games and concerts,” Falcey noted. Now that Falcey and Calhoun have the formula down, what’s in store for the future of Lo Spiedo? Chef Calhoun’s answer is to stick to what works while still being creative. “I plan on continuing to create fun plays on Southern food and keeping traditional Italian ingredients at the center. We’re currently experimenting and testing out different dishes. Right now I’m working on incorporating a squash dish, boiled peanuts, and Carolina gold rice,” Calhoun revealed. If you’re looking to explore a new Philly restaurant Lo Spiedo is an obvious choice. Prepare to be surprised with unexpected flavor combinations that will have your taste buds demanding more. Insider tip: although it’s tempting to fill up on brisket, make sure you leave room for dessert! You won’t want to miss the refined cast iron apple pie with cinnamon semifreddo, the indulgent Boston cream zuccotto with chocolate ganache and corn flake crumble, or the decadent semifreddo sundae complete with a cherry on top. Buon appetito, y’all!