Vetri is moving up

A simple thing, really:

Seating a party of eight people.

Georges Perrier couldn't do it at the old Le Bec-Fin at 1312 Spruce St. Neither could Philippe Chin at Chanterelles.

And now, 15 years into their time at one of Philadelphia's most storied restaurant addresses, Marc Vetri and Jeff Benjamin and chef Adam Leonti can accomplish this feat at Vetri.

Their solution: Going up - taking over the second-floor apartment and building out two gorgeous spaces - a dining room and a kitchen. The rooms will not be used concurrently.

The project, nearly three months in the making, is just about finished. The first events are a few weeks away, and the move allows Vetri to open on Sundays for the first time. (In fact, it's open downstairs on Sundays right now, and the upstairs will open in June.)

As you walk in, instead of turning right to enter Vetri's pint-size dining room, you head straight up the stairs.

In front is a richly appointed room with a 16-seat wooden table created by Bausman, a handsome sideboard, and a custom wine cabinet made of acacia, all topped by a red Murano fixture.

In the back is a fully tricked-out kitchen with bamboo floor, a communal table, also seating about 16 people, inset with an induction cooktop.

The programming has not been announced, but I'm told that wine classes and tastings are in the works.