Tuscany Coming To Kirkland

Ballard’s critically-acclaimed Volterra restaurant is opening a location in Kirkland. Come fall, the new 2,500 square foot space at 121 Kirkland Avenue will be serving Tuscan fare to happy customers.

Chef Don Curtiss and Managing Partner Michelle Quisenberry have had a successful partnership both on and off the clock. The married couple combined forces seven years ago opening Volterra.

Quisenberry brings considerable business savvy, having been named one of the “Top 40 Business Executives Under 40” by Puget Sound Business Journal; while Chef Curtiss draws on Sicilian roots and nearly 20 years of cooking experience in local Italian restaurants like Il Fornaio, Assaggio and Andaluca in Seattle.

Volterra staff offered a taste bud teaser last week to Seattle International Film Festival ticket holders at the . The menu at Volterra is Tuscan food cooked with local ingredients, a popular concept in the Northwest. Though Italian cuisine is purported to be one of America’s favorites, Kirkland only has two major Italian restaurants -  and  - following the closure of the southern Italian restaurant Calabria. (A third restaurant, Lucia, is more Italian-esque in nature.)

In a recent press release, Chef Curtiss commented on the move saying, “We have many loyal customers who live on the Eastside, and with the opening of our Kirkland location, our guests will be able to receive the same Volterra experience without the hassle of dealing with traffic and bridges.” Add tolls to that list.

The Ballard restaurant and staff have received high praise from the likes of Rachael Ray who calls it, “One of my favorite restaurants in the world,”; Wine Spectator says Chef Curtiss is, “One of America’s most innovative chefs.” Clearly, we can expect great Italian flavors this fall in Kirkland.