First Light welcomes renowned Chef Marc Vetri to Austin for an evening of culinary conversation.

He will be joined by Chef Fiore Tedesco of L'Oca D'Oro to discuss Marc's cookbook The Pasta Book: Recipes, Techniques, Inspiration.

The event will begin with a brief reception, followed by a seated conversation (5:00pm), and wrap up with a book signing. Tickets include a copy of the cookbook and a reserved seat. Unreserved seats are available on a first come, first served basis. "Free" RSVPs are encouraged.​

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ABOUT THE BOOK

In The Pasta Book, acclaimed chef Marc Vetri presents a wide range of easy to impressive pasta dinners using both dried and fresh pastas. With a dish for every shape, sauce, mood, and timeline, Vetri demystifies the process of “marrying” pasta and sauce into one harmonious dish, creating your own flavor combinations, and pairing different pastas and sauces. Vetri shares both weeknight classics and popular pastas from his restaurants, adapting his methods so home cooks can experience these acclaimed dishes in their own kitchens.

Vetri guides you through the foundations of making fresh pasta with a chapter devoted to pasta doughs and shapes like pappardelle and orecchiette, including QR codes that link to easy-to-follow technique videos. With 90 stunning photographs, The Pasta Book includes ideas to level up or simplify every recipe, so you can choose the pasta adventure you crave.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR​

Marc Vetri is the chef and founder of Philadelphia’s acclaimed Vetri Cucina. A Philadelphia native, he opened the storied restaurant in 1998 with partner Jeff Benjamin. Within two years, Marc was named one of Food & Wine’s “Best New Chefs” and earned the Philadelphia

Inquirer’s highest restaurant rating. In 2005, he received the prestigious James Beard Award for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic.

Building on the success of Vetri Cucina, Marc and Jeff went on to open a collection of celebrated restaurants—including Osteria, Amis, Pizzeria Vetri, Lo Spiedo, and Alla Spina—that helped spark Philadelphia’s restaurant renaissance. In 2015, Urban Outfitters Inc. partnered with several Vetri Family restaurants, after which Marc returned his focus to advancing culinary creativity at Vetri Cucina. The restaurant continued to garner top honors, maintaining its coveted

Four-Bell rating from the Philadelphia Inquirer and earning a place on AAA’s Five Diamond list.

Marc’s restaurant group has since expanded nationally and internationally. In 2020, he opened Fiorella, a pasta-focused bar in Philadelphia’s Italian Market; Mr. Maurice’s Italian at Ace Hotel Kyoto in Japan, honoring his grandfather Maurice Rotenberg; and Osteria Fiorella at Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa in Las Vegas, which transitioned from a pop-up into a permanent fixture.

In 2022, Marc debuted Pizzeria Salvy in Philadelphia’s Xfinity Mobile Arena, later opening a flagship location in the Comcast Technology Center in 2023, celebrating his father Sal’s legacy with perfected pizzas, signature meatballs, and classic Italian fare.

Beyond the kitchen, Marc leads the Vetri Community Partnership, a nonprofit dedicated to nutrition education. He is also the author of five award-winning cookbooks. His latest, The Pasta Book, features more than 75 inspired recipes along with interactive QR codes linking to step-by-step video tutorials.

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Marc will be joined in conversation by Fiore Tedesco III, a Chef, restaurateur and writer. Fiore’s fascination with food began rolling meatballs with his grandmother in her kitchen at age three. The time spent in his family’s kitchens provide as much inspiration and backdrop to his career as anything else. His path to becoming a chef has been anything but linear. After spending a decade traveling the world playing drums in punk bands, Fiore returned home intent on making food & hospitality the mediums of his professional life. He did this under the tutelage of Michael Anthony at Gramercy Tavern, Carlo Mirachi at Roberta’s and with Aaron Franklin at Franklin BBQ. Fiore is the executive chef and co-owner of L’Oca d’Oro and Bambino.​