Dish

BACK WITH BIG PLANS: Is Frederick ready for fine dining? That's the question chef Bryan Voltaggio has been asked over and over since he left Washington's Charlie Palmer Steak to open a new restaurant in his home town.

He'll soon know the answer. On July 18, Voltaggio will open Volt (228 N. Market St., Frederick, 301-696-8658), an upscale establishment featuring dressed-up local, sustainable and organic ingredients. "Frederick already has a pretty cool dining scene," says Voltaggio, who spent 10 years cooking with Palmer, first at Aureole in New York and then in Washington.

Volt will have 38 seats in the a la carte dining room and space for 16 to 20 in the chef's dining room, which will offer five- and seven-course tasting menus at dinner and three- and five-course tasting menus when lunch service begins July 29.

Freed from the steakhouse formula, Voltaggio will serve intricately composed plates such as pan-roasted wild striped bass over ruby quinoa with cauliflower and petite red ribbon sorrel. Dinner entrees will run between $20 and $32, and tasting menus will be $69 and $89. The wine list will be overseen by Aaron Schifferle , a former sommelier at the Inn at Little Washington.

-- Jane Black

Tom Sietsema will return July 2.