Volterra Kirkland Begins Serving Lunch and Launches its Happy Hour

The newest addition to Kirkland’s dining scene -- Volterra on Kirkland Avenue -- expanded its hours to begin serving lunch Monday and last week launched its happy hour.

Kirkland Patch stopped in Monday in to find Chef Don Curtiss and Managing Partner Michelle Quisenberry busy with the lunch opening. But Curtiss found a moment to show us Volterra's Polenta and Wild Mushrooms (Polenta con Funghi), a Fontina-filled polenta custard with a truffle scented wild mushroom ragu.

Curtiss said the happy hour launch went well. “We launched the first week of October without fanfare, but we did quite well,” he said. “Thursday and Friday we were pretty much full.”

Happy hour is from 3-6 p.m. Monday through Friday, featuring three cocktails by Kathy Casey's Liquid Kitchen, each $6. House red or white wine is $5 per glass, and the happy hour menu features a rotating selection sharable plates. Lunch hours are Monday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Kirkland location of the highly acclaimed Ballard restaurant, which features Tuscan cuisine with a splash of Sicilian -- Curtiss grandmother was from Sicily -- opened at 121 Kirkland Avenue on Sept. 6.

For previous Patch coverage of Volterra Kirkland, click here.