Wanted to try a new Italian restaurant (typically dine at Trattoria Contadina) while in town. Walked all around North Beach perusing menus and chose Trattoria Volare because of the cauliflower soup with white truffle oil that was posted on the specials chalkboard and the charming doorman. Although the decor is a bit ""cheesy"", the ambience is fun with all the Italian being spoken by the restaurant staff. The waitstaff was attentive, but not overbearing, the menu offerings were interesting & the complimentary olives are TO DIE FOR. We ordered the cauliflower soup...it came out a bit room temp, but was heating to our liking when we mentioned it to our waiter. It was velvet in texture, and the cauliflower flavor was wonderful and the truffle oil was a wonderful enhancement. My partner had the pasta with the salmon and ""rosy"" cream sauce and I ordered the veal ravioli with porcini cream sauce. Both were rich, but delicate and the pasta and the salmon were cooked perfectly. My porcini could have been hydrated a bit more as most were a little on the chewy side. We finished off our meal with the lightest tiramisu we have ever had. Overall we were very pleased with the entire dining experience, would highly recommend it to others and will definitely return. An added plus is the cast of characters both working and dining at the trattoria!
Pros: menu offerings, attentive waitstaff, food quality and value
Cons: no full bar, decor
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