Photograph By Jason Varney

More than any other chef in the city, Marc Vetri has the magic. Not only does he run our most charming restaurant (Osteria) and our most nationally acclaimed one (Vetri); he does so with remarkably little pomp, wooing devotees almost solely with his beautiful Italian dishes — dishes that are thoughtful and complex, never overwrought, and always, always memorable. This month, the magician reveals his secrets in gorgeous, glossy Il Viaggio di Vetri: A Culinary Journey, a compendium of recipes for his greatest hits — including, among other things, the pudgy, half-moon-shaped casoncelli pasta, stuffed with ground meat, raisins and crushed almond cookies (pictured), he learned to make in Bergamo — and a lovely look into the world of an Abington boy with Italian roots who grew into the symbol of great food in Philadelphia.