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Robin Garr

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Redecorated Volare brings its top game to Italian delights

by Robin Garr » Wed Oct 18, 2017 9:31 am

Redecorated Volare brings its top game to Italian delights

LEO's Eats with Robin Garr

Chicken marsala at Volare.
Image

I hate to be a whiner, so before I get to my one complaint, let me tell you all the things that I love about freshly renovated Volare:

• It looks classier than ever, thanks to a light but effective makeover.
• Chef Joshua Moore’s menu is better than ever.
• Its impressive selection of pasta dishes has been kicked up by a fancy new Italian-made pasta machine.
• The bar’s comfortable vibe is not diminished by sophisticated live music Wednesdays through Saturdays. Volare scores as both a neighborhood hangout and a city-wide destination.

But first we had to get our table. Let’s talk about that. When Mary and I and Don and Anne arrived to take up our 7 p.m. reservation, we learned that the previous party at our table was lingering. They’d be leaving soon, the host said, hopefully.

Okay, that’s fair. Even with a reservation, I get it that restaurants operate on tight margins, and if you can squeeze in another between 5:30 and 7 p.m., you’re going to do it. I can’t expect you to hold a table open just for me. But it took 30 long minutes to be seated, hungry and frankly just a little cranky about waiting that long with a reservation on a week night.

It’s a problem. Giving the dilatory group the bum’s rush just isn’t done. But at some point, a little polite conversation is in order, perhaps inviting them to wrap up their evening at a table in the bar. I understand the goal of keeping customers happy, but that’s all the customers, both the departing party and the arriving party.

Once seated, beverages from Volare’s first-rate bar program quickly adjusted our attitudes - an Oregon Deschutes IPA ($6.50) for Don, and a sweet, smoky Volare Manhattan ($10) barrel-aged in-house for me. Volare’s made-over scene retains its familiar mural of Venice’s San Marco Plaza and floor-to-ceiling wine rack, yet seems a bit more casually upscale in black and beige tones, with a new art-glass fixture.

Fortified with our drinks, warm Italian bread and a crock of roasted garlic in olive oil, we studied the menu. ...

Read the full review on LouisvilleHotBytes,
http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/volar ... n-delights

You'll also find this review in LEO Weekly’s Food & Drink section today.
http://www.leoweekly.com/category/food-drink/

Volare Italian Ristorante
2300 Frankfort Ave.
894-4446
http://volare-restaurant.com
https://facebook.com/VolareLou
https://instagram.com/volare_italian_restaurant
Robin Garr’s rating: 90 points
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Heather L

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Re: Redecorated Volare brings its top game to Italian deligh

by Heather L » Thu Oct 19, 2017 9:50 am

I'm just curious - how did you know that there was a vegetarian/gluten free menu available upon request? I've never been to Volare, even though it's practically at the end of my street. It definitely falls under the special occasion category for us due to budget but when I look at their menu online, there is no indication of other options and it wouldn't have ever occurred to me to ask honestly.
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Re: Redecorated Volare brings its top game to Italian deligh

by Robin Garr » Thu Oct 19, 2017 11:32 am

Heather, the server told us. I had asked what the ravioli with vodka sauce was stuffed with, and he said ricotta, then mentioned that they have a vegetarian and gluten-free menu. Naturally, in information-gathering mode, I asked for a look. I thought it was kind of uninspiring, though. Here, I'll post a copy of the vegetarian page. If anyone wants to see the gluten-free, I'll post it. It's basically just dishes without any pasta or bread, though. :)

Volare-vegetarian-menu.jpg
Volare Vegetarian Menu
Volare-vegetarian-menu.jpg (471.73 KiB) Viewed 5381 times
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Re: Redecorated Volare brings its top game to Italian deligh

by Heather L » Thu Oct 19, 2017 11:52 am

Thanks Robin! And I agree..... :wink:
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Never buy far off
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Re: Redecorated Volare brings its top game to Italian deligh

by Robin Garr » Thu Oct 19, 2017 11:56 am

Heather L wrote:Thanks Robin! And I agree..... :wink:

:lol:

The ravioli vodka is really good, though. It must have a huge amount of butter and cream in it ... it's very rich. But good.
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Re: Redecorated Volare brings its top game to Italian deligh

by TimT » Sun Oct 22, 2017 8:49 am

I was in town visiting a couple of weeks ago and could not resist stopping in after dinner for a bourbon gelato and coffee. Love Volare.
"I dined at my favorite restaurant last night. It was like Heaven, only better. They let me in".
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Re: Redecorated Volare brings its top game to Italian deligh

by Nathaniel C » Wed Mar 09, 2022 11:27 pm

Bringing this thread back from the dead. I dined here tonight for the first time and was extremely impressed. We had a 7:00 reservation and were immediately seated in the main dining area near the bar. We quickly received water, bread, and a ramekin of olive oil with roasted garlic cloves. I ordered a boulevardier cocktail, which was delicious, and we got the bruschetta appetizer, which arrived with four generous sized pieces of light, fluffy bread, which had been perfectly grilled and topped with whipped goat cheese, red peppers, and greens. We both agreed this was the best bruschetta we'd ever had.

I ordered the roasted duck, which was also very good. The glaze lacked the excessive orange flavor you often find accompanying duck. The meat was juicy and tender, and the spinach and potatoes which accompanied it were nice. My dining companion ordered the salmon, cooked medium, which also got a rave review.

The wait staff was extremely attentive in keeping water topped off and making sure our needs were seen to. I was only able to eat about half of the roasted duck, and they whisked it away to be boxed up, leaving me a claim check to pick it up on the way out, perfectly boxed and bagged. I assume this is to minimize the distraction of boxes and bags in the somewhat cramped dining room. Speaking of distractions, I found the televisions above the bar to be a little off-putting in what I consider to be a nicer restaurant, and the noise level was rather high, making it difficult to converse. That said, my dining companion and I had endured a disappointing visit to Ruth's Chris a few weeks ago, and before I could even mention it, she said, "this is way better than Ruth's Chris!" :lol:

Overall, I'd rate it a five out of five. I'd love to sample one of the pasta dishes or the bar bites menu on my next visit.
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Re: Redecorated Volare brings its top game to Italian deligh

by Robin Garr » Thu Mar 10, 2022 7:50 am

Thanks for the review, Nathaniel. Volare kind of flies under the radar sometimes, but it's definitely one of the city's top tables.
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Re: Redecorated Volare brings its top game to Italian deligh

by Mark R. » Thu Mar 10, 2022 10:55 pm

I keep hoping they will get rid of the televisions around the Bar area! It used to be so much more until they did that. Still great food but the atmosphere is now lacking something. :x
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Re: Redecorated Volare brings its top game to Italian deligh

by Ron Johnson » Wed Mar 23, 2022 11:43 am

Currently the best restaurant in town if you consider service, ambience, food, winelist, etc. Tarullo has done a great job with front of the house.
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Re: Redecorated Volare brings its top game to Italian deligh

by Steve Shade » Wed Mar 30, 2022 10:44 pm

Ron Johnson wrote:Currently the best restaurant in town if you consider service, ambience, food, winelist, etc. Tarullo has done a great job with front of the house.



Agree .... Go there often and always done well from the guys in the valet parking to leaving. Servers always friendly and food great.
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