me and my girlfriend were really looking forward to heading up there to check out the place, but once we saw the pictures of the various plates they have (before even reading your review), and how small the portions looked compared to the price...our interest in going probably got cut in half.

we aren't afraid to spend some coin on a great dinner but it just doesn't seem like the cost would be worth it.

maybe we'll head up for a special occasion, but considering we would have to drive 45 minutes each way i would almost just rather consider going somewhere closer and spend the same amount. (and be able to have some wine/beer without having to worry about driving back)

that said...it doesn't sound like they're hurting for business, and it's nice to see another maryland place getting accolades.

On a whim, the wife and I decided to actually head out for our anniversary (although she's about 20 months pregnant). We actually thought about going to Volt but the only table was available at 9pm. I doubt we'll have the chance to go for a while now, but maybe we can coerce one of our friends into babysitting & skip out to Frederick...

BTW, we went to Cinghiale instead for their "casual" Sunday enoteca dinner. We hadn't been there before & it was terrific. All-you-can-eat antipasti, choice of 2 entrees (a tremendous pork dish and a very tasty fontina & cauliflower pasta), and the best chocolate pudding I've had in my entire life. Really really amazing dessert. The meal is only $25/person and we were pleasantly full upon leaving. Terrific service. We'll absolutely be going back for another Sunday dinner there.

A word of warning - if they offer you the sparkling water, opt for ice water instead. The $2 Pellegrino bottle adds about $7 to the bill. The wine flights, however, are very cool - I opted for the northern reds (about $12).

Here's a pdf of the menu.

We ate there several weeks ago and overall very happy. We did have to wait about four weeks to get a Saturday night reservation, not surprised given the reviews and that Top Chef is mid-season. I had done my homework checking out Volt's website, menu and reading reviews. I found portions to be very adequate given the propensity for a four course meal. I'm not a fan of the doggy bag, if you are you may be disappointed. I was a bit overwhelmed ordering all four courses together, in hindsight I loved the lack of interruption and flow of the food. The amuse to start the meal was delightful surprise, as was the chef's gift at the end of the meal, in-between everything worked well.

I didn't mention is that we unknowingly made reservations on the same Saturday as Frederick's Street Festival. Downtown Frederick was closed to traffic, the streets were still packed at 7pm with people enjoying the start of autumn. The hostess shared that Volt had been jammed all day both in the dining room and the attached beer garden. Our wait staff of maybe four different servers looked a bit on auto-pilot. My goat cheese ravioli had been sitting in the kitchen and could have been warmer. They were out all beers except one. The restaurant was loud, very loud. There was a general lag between courses. But the food was good, very good and creative. I'd love to go back and try it again, maybe when Frederick was more on the cozy side than the chaotic side. And maybe when the season change to try some other local treats.

By the way, did any other Top Chef viewers notice that in the Restaurant Wars episode, the team that the Voltaggio's were on was called Revolt? Aside from it being a somewhat odd name for a place to eat, very similar to Volt.

sounds like everyone who went didn't seem bothered by the portions, so will have to reconsider my reconsideration.

Ate there last month; we were in the Chef's dining room. Had the six-course tasting menu. The food was exquisite, in both presentation and taste.

But I'm in agreement with the comments that the portions were tiny; while I didn't expect to bring things home in a doggie bag, I also didn't expect to leave a six-course meal looking for the nearest Five Guys....

Also, note the accompanying wine pours were also tiny - very small samples of each of the six wines. Which was perhaps just as well, since we had a long drive in front of us.

I enjoyed the experience and am glad we went. However, next time we're in line for a special meal out, we'll go to one of the places closer by that serve reasonable portions.

Ooh, the October 29th Edgar Allan Poe dinner menu looks good!

My wife and I had dinner at Volt and very much enjoyed it. It is true portions are small but we had the tasting menu. By the time we reached the end, we had enough. Sure portions are small but they give you a chance sampling more dishes. The quality and preparation were impeccable. This is not a cheap place but when you look at the labor required to prepare the dishes, the ingredients quality and the recipe creativity, I think the price was about justified.

The team in Top Chef containing the Volt Bros. was named Revolt for its team members:
R(obin)E(li)Volt (Bros.)

I know, I just thought it was interesting how similar the name was. I guess with a last name like Voltaggio, you're almost obligated to use "volt" in a restaurant name.

I think, though, a name like Revolt sets yourself up for a terrific review if the food is bad.

"Revolt? Revolting."

Clearly, that wasn't the case. But still. Reminds me of a proposed review I read in the City Paper a few years back for a Yes concert:

"Yes? No."

Shocking!

Electrifying, Sam. You've always seemed well grounded. I found your one-word review both positive and negative.

Point to jl.

My husband and I had four courses at Volt a couple weeks ago, and with the amuse and the mignardises, we were quite full. And we have hearty appetites. True, hubby's portion of lamb could have been bigger for the price, but my halibut was plenty generous, as was his appetizer salad.

We've unfortunately gotten used to oversized portions in most restaurants, so something more reasonable seems skimpy.

Went to Volt a few weekends back and did their 'Table 21', 21 course chef's table. It was truly amazing and really quite fun. The staff was great, food was fantastic, can't wait to go back - when I have some cash saved.

4 of us went there for a special occasion on Friday night 11/6 and it was wonderful. Great service, excellent food. Pricey, yes, but worth it. One of our 4 was a young man with quite an appetitie and after all 4 courses pronounced himself "stuffed". (I can see if you only get one dish you might feel as though you did not have enough, but my spouse said the goatcheese ravioli was a meal to her in itself.) Tuna Ahi Tartare, exquisite. Goat cheese ravioli: awesome; Haibut and Striped Bass, wonderful. Lamb: wonderful. (Here was our only real complaint, the sauce on the plate got a little baked on but our server quickly brought over a separate helping.); Lobster was marvelous. Every dish was explained in detail. And we got to meet Bryan. A wonderful evening! Curiously, we got a reservation just a week in advance. I hope other comments aren't driving people away. It really is a great restaurant. The wine steward said they had a number of cancellations lately due to the "swine flu" in the Frederick and DC areas, and I hope that's not true as well. Nice complimentary touches at beginning and end were a taste of a kind of Halibut puree, mini-ice cream sandwiches and muffins to take home, which we almost forgot but the wait staff chased us down. AND we got to meet Bryan V who was most charming! (Btw, at 9 p.m. on Friday night the bar was PACKED!) In closing, I had to balance out my blast at Woodberry Kitchen with this comment - the difference was night and day.