Marc Vetri on Why the Best Chefs Don’t Just Cook — They Care

In today’s episode, we chat with Marc Vetri, an award-winning chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author who helped put Philadelphia on the national culinary map.

Marc is the founder of Vetri Cucina and the force behind acclaimed restaurants like Osteria, Pizzeria Vetri, and Fiorella. His journey began in a South Philly kitchen alongside his Sicilian grandmother, and took him from dishwashing as a teen to working under Wolfgang Puck in Los Angeles — before buying a one-way ticket to Northern Italy that would cement his path. Beyond the kitchen, Marc is a passionate mentor, musician, and founder of the Vetri Community Partnership, a nonprofit helping kids and families discover the power of cooking and nutrition.

Join us as Marc shares the origin story behind his culinary empire — and why the best chefs don’t just cook, they care.

You can listen to and find any resources mentioned in this podcast on our official page: https://www.escoffier.edu/podcast/129...

—About Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts—
⭐️RANKED #1 CULINARY SCHOOL IN THE WORLD*
⭐️100% ONLINE WITH HANDS-ON INDUSTRY EXTERNSHIP
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Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction
04:32 - A Wedding Celebration in Boulder
07:18 - Falling in Love with Food
11:10 - A Shared Musical Experience
15:12 - A Free Education
21:09 - Doing it all Wrong
23:52 - A Partnership with Urban Outfitters
29:41 - Managing Candidate Expectations
31:53 - Excited about Learning and a Passion for Pasta
36:32 - Nourishing People Through Food Education
41:31 - Show Up and Work
46:17 - Marc Vetri's Ultimate Dish

*Chef’s Pencil
**Based on comparable student population data for Austin and Boulder as reported in Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)