One of my all-time favorite advertising campaigns shows people of various cultures enjoying rye bread, with the tag line: "You don’t have to be Jewish to love Levy’s." I was reminded of it after recent visits to Volare, where, evidently, you don’t have to be Italian to run a good Italian restaurant.
When it opened in 2004 as the satellite of an established Chicago restaurant, Volare brought in a chef who was born in Bologna. But the Frankfort Avenue establishment seems to be taking off anew with a cast less tied to the Mediterranean homeland: most importantly, chef Dallas McGarity, promoted from sous chef, and uber-host Majid Ghavami, who owns Saffron’s downtown and is now a partner at Volare. Ghavami and associate general manager Tarek Ahmada place a premium on charming, seemingly effortless service, and I was impressed by how well their attitude rubs off on the staff.
The restaurant’s sections — a bi-level dining area, a separate bar with a brace of flat-screen TVs, and an outdoor patio — create different moods. For example, after work on a late Indian summer afternoon groups of friends could casually gather for a plate of antipasto ($11) or Carpaccio di Manzo ($11) and a bottle of wine on the patio. When I ordered it, the antipasto platter was a tasty array of meats, cheeses and pickled vegetables, including mortadella, fresh mozzarella, Gorgonzola, salami and Parmesan. The tart, plump caper berries were particularly enjoyable, as were the pickled peppers stuffed with herbed cheese. I thought the carpaccio was one of the best dishes on the entire menu, with thin slices of raw beef arranged as rosettes around a bedding of greens and Parmesan shavings attractively sprinkled with capers. The tender greens meshed with the soft beef; both were enlivened by the salty cheese and lemony capers.
The same casual air can be found inside at the bar, where patrons can order up Gnocchi alla Vodka ($8) and check out a football game. When I had them, however, the gnocchi were tender but slightly gummy, and I felt the sweet, creamy tomato sauce would have been better balanced with the addition of a little salty Parmesan cheese. In its main dining areas, Volare presents white tablecloths, dark wood and a feeling that’s a bit more upscale. Near the wall-sized mural of Venice, I enjoyed an excellent Rotollini di Melanzane ($8). A sweet, sparkling marinara sauce surrounded thin slices of eggplant, lightly fried and then wrapped around ricotta and baked. The sweet cheese didn’t overpower the delicate eggplant flavor; instead, it enhanced it and, with the sauce, produced what may be the most elevated enchilada-esque dish I’ve ever eaten. 
Volare head chef Dallas McGarity (left) and sous chef Joshua Moore.
I had a daily seafood special, corvina (a member of the drum family) with curry and red pepper sauce ($26). Accompanied by roasted Roma tomatoes and baby greens, the firm fish was expertly cooked and went well with the accompanying subtle curry flavor. I wished the mashed potatoes used as a presentation platform were less salty because they had the potential to overpower the other flavors, but that’s a minor quibble.
The Strangozzi alla Tartufo ($19) featured tasty house-made strings of pasta with peas and delicately seared scallops in a truffle cream sauce that went a bit overboard on both the truffle oil and the ratio of sauce to pasta. Veal Limone ($19) and Osso Buco Milanese ($29) were both better choices — well-presented versions of classic dishes. My Limone, its scalloped veal gently sauteed and served with pan juices deglazed with wine and lemon, captured the flavors of this simple yet satisfying method. And the highlight of my osso buco was the marrow fork almost hidden by a rosemary sprig garnish — a sign the kitchen understands that a slow-cooked, tender veal shank is good down to the center of the bone.
The standout dessert was zabaglione with fresh peaches ($7). The flavor of this traditional custard made with Marsala wine was made even better by the wine-laced fresh peaches buried underneath the cream. Volare’s warmth, its welcome atmosphere and the well-trained wait staff bring forth more of the true spirit of Italian cuisine than many a checked-tablecloth, Chianti-candleholder trattoria. Indeed, you don’t have to be Italian to catch the feel of Little Italy on Frankfort Avenue.
If You Go
Volare Italian Ristorante, 2300 Frankfort Ave., 894-4446. Open Sunday through Thursday, 5-10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 5-11 p.m. Sunday brunch, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
