When you think of Bourbon you always think of Italian food, right? Maybe you should when you are looking for something to eat in Louisville, Kentucky. There is a fantastic Bourbon selection and great Italian food all under one roof. It is one of my favorite places to eat and enjoy a Bourbon.

Volare is the pride and joy of Chef Josh Moore. It has been a Louisville fixture for over a decade and a favorite hangout of many local patrons. The bar is well stocked with Bourbons and they have an excellent wine selection. The service is fantastic and they offer free valet parking, which is a necessity on Frankfort Avenue.

Josh Moore also is a local farmer and many of the vegetables on the menu come from his farm. Moore takes advantage of Louisville’s UPS Worldport and brings in fresh seafood daily for the menu. For those that don’t know, Louisville is a great place for seafood because of this hub. If you don’t live on the coast, Louisville is the best place to get fresh seafood from the daily flights bringing it in from the coast. Josh is famous for posting on Facebook images of his weekend fish specials as he holds up huge fish like grouper or sea bass he gets for the Friday night menu. His tomahawk steaks look like the opening scene of the Flintstones and he makes his own pasta. He brings in fantastic ingredients.

The bar is a real gem. They have an excellent Bourbon selection and Moore is a huge Bourbon fan. Volare is on the Urban Bourbon Trail so they have over 50 Bourbons on the menu. Their signature Bourbon Cocktail is a barrel aged Manhattan that Rosemary thinks is the best Manhattan in Louisville. Moore makes his own brandied soaked cherries for the bar and they are very good in the Manhattan.

They offer flights and the prices are reasonable with generous pours. For me the real pleasure is to sit at the bar and order off the bar menu and explore how the Bourbon tastes with the food. They have excellent cheese and Antipasto boards that pair very well with Bourbon. Give it a try and you will not be disappointed.

The atmosphere is great. They often have live music with a singer in the bar. The servers are friendly and willing to talk with patrons and answer question about the menu. Service is excellent and presentation is artistic. Be sure to order a dessert and see a presentation that looks almost too good to eat!

I would rate Volare with 3 points for selection and 1 point for offering flights. The menu is well organized and separates Bourbon from the other whiskey, and I don’t recall any flavored crap so that is worth 2 more points. They could use a better tasting glass for neat pours and would like to see a Volare Glencairn glass. They get 2 points for service and another 2 points for atmosphere.  This gives them 10 points, up there with the best in my opinion. Visit Volare the next time you are in Louisville and you will not be disappointed.

Photos Courtesy of Volare