Vetri Family - Joseph Phelps Vineyards Food and Wine Dinner

Vetri Family - Joseph Phelps Vineyards
Food and Wine Dinner
Thursday, July 14, 2016
About Chef Brad Daniels - Culinary Director, Vetri Family
Brad grew up in a once rural suburb of Philadelphia, surrounded by farms and orchards that were an integral part of
his family's kitchen. Inspired his mom and "mom mom's" passion for cooking and entertaining, he decided to
become a chef shortly after graduating from University of Albany, which he attended on a baseball scholarship.
After graduation, Brad moved to the Catskill Mountains and began cooking at Harvest Cafe, a New American farm to
table restaurant. In 2008, Brad enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America, completed an extended internship at
Del Posto in New York City, and graduated in 2011 with the esteemed Achievement of Excellence Award. Nine years
later, Brad returned home to Philadelphia and landed a job as a pasta cook at Osteria Philly, where he mastered the
art of regional Italian cooking alongside James Beard Award winning chefs Marc Vetri and Jeff Michaud. He
progressed quickly to sous chef and chef de cuisine, and is currently the culinary director for the Vetri Family's fine
dining restaurants in Philadelphia.
About Scott Calhoun - Chef De Cuisine, Lo Spiedo
Scott Calhoun’s entry into the culinary world began humbly at a sandwich shop in his hometown of Lancaster, PA,
where he worked as a short-order cook to earn money to buy his first car at 16. Following high school, Scott spent a
year at an automotive trade school before the draw of cooking and family brought him back home. At age 23, after
years of toiling in local bars and eateries he matriculated to the prestigious Culinary Institute of America (CIA),
graduating in 2009.
After the CIA, Scott landed on the line at three Michelin-starred Jean-Georges in New York City. He spent two years
at the prestigious restaurant working his way around various stations in the kitchen, before once again the desire to
be closer to home drew him to Philadelphia, a city his family frequented often through the years. While staging in
various kitchens in the city, Scott became inspired by Chef Marc Vetri’s first cookbook, Il Viaggio Di Vetri, and
focused his efforts on joining one of the chef’s award-winning restaurants. He eventually earned a line cook position
at the critically acclaimed Osteria, and within a month was promoted to Sous Chef.
After spending two years at Osteria, Scott was tapped to be the opening Chef de Cuisine of the Vetri Family’s
restaurant, Lo Spiedo, which has been open since October 27, 2014, in Philadelphia’s Navy Yard.
The Vetri Family
The Vetri Family began in 1998 as Chef Marc Vetri opened Vetri in an intimate, jewel box townhouse that was once
home to the lauded Le Bec Fin. In the early days, the kitchen staff consisted of just Marc and one other cook, with
his business partner, sommelier Jeff Benjamin, manning the front of the house. It proved to be a stunning debut, as
Vetri—with its outstanding rustic fare, handcrafted pastas, innovative flavor combinations and artful presentations—
gained a fast following amongst diners, critics and fellow chefs alike.
Since then Vetri and Benjamin orchestrated an array of Italian concepts including the larger and more casual Osteria
in 2007, the Roman neighborhood inspired trattoria Amis in 2010, the Italian gastropub Alla Spina in 2012, the
lauded Pizzeria Vetri concept in 2013 and the Italian wood fired rotisserie Lo Spiedo in 2014. After joining URBN, the
existing Terrain cafes and Herald Square cafe became a part of the Vetri Family.
About Joseph Phelps Vineyards
Joseph Phelps Vineyards is a family-owned winery committed to crafting world class, estate-grown wines. Founded in
1973 when Joe Phelps purchased a former cattle ranch near St. Helena, the winery now controls and farms 390
acres of vines in Napa Valley on eight estate vineyards in St. Helena, the Stags Leap District, Oakville, Rutherford,
Oak Knoll District, Carneros and South Napa. In pursuit of an ideal location to grow Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, in
1999 the Phelps family purchased land near the town of Freestone on the western Sonoma Coast, planted 100 acres
of vineyards, and built a dedicated winery. Phelps is best known for its flagship wine, Insignia, a Napa Valley blend of
red Bordeaux varieties first produced in 1974.