VOLT - Frederick, MD

August 30, 2008


I've been excited about the opening of VOLT since I first heard about it in the spring. A sophisticated, modern menu that features local ingredients by a young chef with an impressive resume (Charlie Palmer Steak in DC, Aureole in NYC, graduate of the Culinary Institute of America), right in Frederick sounded almost too good to be true. Some of the courses at VOLT were easily the best I've had in a Frederick restaurant in my nearly 11 years living in the area. The meal, however, was marred by some amateurish flaws.

The beginning of the evening was both unfortunate and unacceptable. I booked reservations for the Chef's Dining Room, where patrons choose between a five-course or seven-course tasting menu (the four-course a la carte menu is served in the main dining room). Our reservation was for 7:30pm. We were not seated until 8:15pm. Then we were given cocktail menus - as if we hadn't had ample time to explore the selection (some of us were on drink number two). Later, I had to ask if we could place our order. Our table chose the seven-course tasting menu ($89, wine pairings extra). It was nearly 9:00pm before our server brought out the bread and canapes before the first course.

The breads were good and interesting: A knot roll and a bacon and rosemary bread. The canapes were bite size and came on spoons and included one of the highlights of the meal. The creamy red pepper custard with trout roe and ginger was absolutely phenomenal.

The first course was a selection of heirloom tomatoes with olive oil and tomato sorbet. I'm not a big fan of (nearly) plain raw tomatoes in the first place but even the tomato lovers failed to rave at this one. The tomato sorbet was intense in a unpleasant way: One of our friends at our table compared the flavor to Campbell's tomato soup.

The second course was shiitake veloute with pine nut sabayon, chili oil, and flowering basil. I thought it was intriguing, original, or tasty. My wife loved it.

Course number three was a fine, if uneventful, halibut dish.

The fourth course, however, was a stunner: Foie gras with melons and vanilla salt. I prefer my foie gras warm (preferably seared) but this was the finest cold foie gras I've had. Foie gras is often paired with a sweet ingredient such as fruit but I had never had it with melons, which worked in a unique way. The vanilla salt added an appropriate "sweet spice" to the fruit, which contrasted nicely with the savory richness of the foie gras. My wife does not like foie gras so I had this excellent, decadent course twice.

If any of the seven courses were "the main course," the traditionalist in me would say that it would be the beef and potato dish. And this course was easily the most disappointing part of the meal since the 45-minute late start. For all of the excellent flavors and concepts of the previous courses, this course failed due to fundamentals: Both the beef and potato puree were very over salted.

The sixth course breathed life into a normally staid course: Cheese. The raw cocoa and chopped pistachios elevated the cheese course to a level that exceeded my expectations.

The seventh and final course ended the meal with my preferred dessert of choice: Something involving chocolate. The chocolate and hazelnut pave was delicious, and like most of the other courses, the presentation was modern and inviting.

Despite the lengthy initial wait, the staff in the bar and restaurant were, as one of my friends later wrote, "friendly and intelligent about their craft." I ordered the wine pairings and enjoyed them, as well as the descriptions by the sommelier, who sought to educate but not condescend. And as a beer aficionado, I loved the pairing of the cheese course with not a wine but with Brooklyn Brown Ale. Well done.

The Chef's Dining Room was popular with most of our table, described as "very comfortable yet very classy." My only complaint is that half of the guests have their backs to the open kitchen.

If VOLT was in DC, the distance and desire to try some other restaurants, along with the problems described above and the price tag, would make a return trip prohibitive. Yet because the culinary highs were so high, and the restaurant is so close, I can see myself returning in about six months, hoping to see if the kinks were all worked out.