DINING: Volt proves a special destination

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By Corinna Lothar

Destination dining is ordinary in Europe, where gourmets travel distances to savor the specialties cooked by an outstanding chef. In the United States, we think of such places as Thomas Keller's French Laundry in Yountville, Calif., and Patrick O'Connell's Inn at Little Washington in Virginia. Worthy of that company is Volt, which Bryan Voltaggio opened in a late 19th-century brick house in Frederick, Md., an hour's drive on Interstate 270 from Washington.

Mr. Voltaggio ran the kitchen at Charlie Palmer Steak in Washington for several years before returning to his Frederick roots. Volt occupies the lower floor of a house built by two sisters on Market Street.

His dishes are elegant and perfectly executed, and his flights of culinary fancy are rooted in solid cooking principles. Whimsical touches delight but do not overwhelm; complexity appears simple. Ingredients retain fresh flavors. Best of all, everything we tasted was delicious.

A salad of beets, goat cheese and a few greens is a delectable composition of tiny quarters of golden, red and white beets; the goat cheese is whipped, light as a feather. The dish is decorated with a tubular, slightly chewy purplish meringue of beet juice and egg white.

Delicate corn ravioli arrives in a creamy, silken, yellow sauce, topped with a spoonful of sauteed chanterelle mushrooms. Adding crunch to the dish are slices of tiny baby corn, barely cooked. It's a luscious combination.

A main course of Arctic char, a fish that resembles salmon and trout, arrived on a risotto of faro, a robust grain with a subtle nutty flavor. The fish was cooked as ordered, the flesh fresh and moist, the skin crisp and crackly. The sorrel and foie gras emulsion sauce added complexity.

Even the humble cheeseburger — made of Angus beef with aged cheddar — is prepared with respect. The bun is fresh, the burger topped with a large lettuce leaf and a juicy slice of green tomato. The paper-thin kettle chips are airy and crisp.

Mr. Voltaggio's menu is varied: His first courses include a sampling of heirloom tomatoes; tuna tartare; foie gras served on melon slices; and roast squab with braised Belgian endive and Concord grapes.

Main courses run the table from Columbia River sturgeon with lentils, roasted butternut squash and smoked bacon to duck with black mission figs; a cassoulet of rabbit; grilled hanger steak with Brussels sprouts; and lamb with a confit of eggplant and white bean puree.

Mr. Voltaggio relies on local farmers and purveyors for his produce, fish and meat, and the menu changes according to what is fresh and in season. The farms are listed on the menu.

Desserts are not to be missed. A vacherin of local berries is served with raspberry sorbet. Buttermilk panna cotta is surrounded by cantaloupe soup, and a sinfully delicious slice of chocolate and hazelnut pave is decorated with pastilles of frozen hazelnut custard.

On one side of Volt's front hall is a large bar and lounge; on the other side is the elegant dining room, decorated in stylish cool gray and white. Diners may choose the dining room or one of four tables in the kitchen where they can watch the kitchen staff hard at work, but where only the tasting menus are served. The glass-enclosed conservatory opposite the kitchen is a private dining room.

At lunch, Volt offers a three-course prix fixe menu. The tasting menus (five courses at lunch and five or seven courses at dinner) can be ordered with wine pairings. Most of the dishes on the tasting menus can be ordered a la carte. The wine list is extensive and well-selected, with a number of excellent wines by the glass from around the world.

Service is attentive and professional, with waitresses attired in trim gray pantsuits and sneakers; the decor is attractive and relaxing, and Mr. Voltaggio's expertise shines.

RESTAURANT: Volt, 228 N. Market St., Frederick, Md. 301/696-8658

HOURS: Lunch noon to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; dinner 5:30 to 10 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday; brunch 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday

PRICES: Starters $6 to $18 ; main courses $10 to $29 (lunch), $21 to $32 (dinner); desserts $7 and $8; tasting menus $28 and $45 (lunch); $69 and $89 (dinner)

CREDIT CARDS: All major cards

PARKING: Street parking

ACCESS: Wheelchair accessible through the back entrance