Portraits of Philly: Chef Michael Vincent Ferreri of Irwin’s

Clay Williams: What’s making Philly such an exciting city to eat and drink? What makes it stand out to you?

Michael Ferreri: Philly is — and has been for some time — an amazing city to eat and drink for many reasons. There are a lot of options, even within cuisine styles, that make dining out feel fresh and fun. No one likes to go to the same place all the time. My absolute favorite, though, is the influx of real traditional foods like Puebla cuisine and Southeast Asian as well. There are so many smaller spaces doing this food so amazingly well, and most cities in the country don’t have such easy access to this kind of proliferation in those forms of cuisine.

Now that Philly has been established as a food destination, what comes next? How do you want to see the food scene develop and grow? What do you want to stay the same? What does Philly need more of?

I love that Philly is already seeing an influx of smaller, more specific types of restaurants and there are certainly more to come. The big behemoth 150+ seaters are just so archaic to me. It’s hard to get a good quality product with that size (not impossible, just harder) and when you have more smaller spaces, it makes more room for a smaller chef/restaurant group to be able to have a voice instead of the larger stalwarts of the past decade.

I love how the restaurant scene in Philadelphia is very collective. Everyone helps each other out. It’s great to see Philadelphia starting to get more national recognition because that type of praise helps not just one restaurant space but all of us as well. Philly needs more good oyster bars.

Who or what in Philly is inspiring your creativity right now? What are you eating or drinking that you are excited about?

I’m always excited by many things, not just food. As far as food goes, I love the stuff that Drew DiTomo is doing at Meetinghouse Beer in Fishtown. Drew’s style of cooking is so perfect and unpretentious. Every time he puts something out, I crave it. The whole vibe there is amazing, too. It’s a beautiful space with amazing beers and a gracious and kind staff. I love a spot that can do it all and make it look effortless.

Also, I am always in awe of the crew at Cafe Nhan. Andrew [Dinh Vo] and his mom make — hands down — the best Vietnamese food in the city. Everything from the bun bo hue to the barbecue chicken rice to the oxtail congee (if they have it) is exceptional, and the feeling of their restaurant is more like a home, it’s truly magical.

How do people in the Philly hospitality community show up for one another? Do you find it to be more or less than what you hear of in other cities?

People in Philly really help each other out. Whether it’s with sourcing a food item or asking around for some extra hands when needed on a busy night, everyone does so well to help each other, especially in the Bok building where Irwin’s is located. We also have Machine Shop bakery with chef Emily Riddell and StudioKitchen with chef Shola Olunloyo in the building, as well as a trove of other spaces that help a lot with inspiration but also pulling through for each other with the random bone saw, errant cinnamon stick, or box of gloves. I have really only worked professionally in Philadelphia and Rochester, N.Y., so I don’t have a ton of experience outside of that, but a lot of people I know who moved away from Philly to cook tell me how different the culture is.

What are you focusing on right now? Are you working on anything new?

Right now, we are actually starting some fun stuff at Irwin’s so that’s my main focus. Salvatore’s Counter is a two- to four-seat chef’s counter dinner that is 10 courses and cooked by me right in front of the guest. Each experience is a one-of-one dinner. All the dishes will be made that night and then, we won’t ever cook them again. So, each guest gets a different experience, even if they do the dinner a second time later on. The name “Salvatore’s Counter” is named after my father who was also a chef. I used to do these dinners with Michael Solomonov at Zahav a long, long time ago and I always wanted to rebirth the idea at Irwin’s. They were such a great source of joy and inspiration for me, and I love being able to bring it to life at Irwin’s.

Clay Williams is a Brooklyn-based photographer whose work takes him across the country and beyond, documenting stories of food, culture, and community. Follow him at @ultraclay.