Bar Volpe — Restaurant in Boston

Ever head out in search of an authentic, high-end Italian dinner only to end up rolling your eyes at a menu full of “Chicken Parm,” “Mama’s Meatballs,” or “Seafood Aldredo?” Want to know how the other half of Italy (south of Rome) eats? Head to Bar Volpe in South Boston, where you’ll find a ton of dishes you’ll never see in the North End. The restaurant’s wood-fired ovens provide a rustic, smoke-infused flavor into each dish. No piles of Parmesean cheese, cream, or red meat here … just solid plates of rustic, agrarian and seafood-inspired meals that will change the way you think about what “Italian food” means. I started with a Boulevardier cocktail (Four Roses bourbon, Cinzano, Campari, and bitters). Appetizers were Fagioli (pole beans) with garlic, red flake, and cherry pepper vinaigrette and a spinach and artichoke panzerotti with a sugo tomato sauce. On to a bottle of Sicilian white which was very crisp and clean and reminded me of the no-label bottles which appear at your table on the Amalfi Coast. My wife ordered the smoked eggplant raviolis for her primi. A highlight for me was my Rigatoni All’Amatricanna – the late summer tomatoes combined with the wood smoke from the oven tossed with with the amazingly fresh pasta provided a depth of flavor and texture which was simply amazing. We split the grilled whole-fish Branzino for our main. This dish took us right back to Campania. The mixture of a the delicate white fish, the briney castelvetrano olives, and sweet acidity of pepperonata was just the best plate I’ve had in a long time. A strawberry and toasted hazelnut semifreddo brought a close to a wonderful...

Beware Dine Out Boston pricing!

At $55 per person, the Dine Out Boston menu is a way to get you in the door, but doesn't offer much value, and can sometimes make your dinner cost more. Everyone at the table is required to participate in Dine Out Boston if one person wishes to.

We participated in Dine Out Boston and were immediately disappointed as we received 1 arancino per person at the table. (The plural for arancino is arancini, suggesting at least 2... if you come in alone). The normal order for arancini at Bar Volpe is 5 for $8. The rest of the food was great, though it came a little bit slow, and our server seemed disappointed we questioned the lacking arancini!

But, keep in mind: depending on your order, you may be paying more for what should be a discounted restaurant week. For example, my order was:

Arancini: Normally $8 ($1.6 each) - Received 1 Chopped Salad: Normally $15 Orecchiette: Normally $25 Gelato: Normally $8

The total "value" was $49.60 and I paid $55 for Dine Out Boston - I would have been better ordering each item individually on the main menu, and paying $1 more for 4 more arancini! This would be further exacerbated had I got my second choice, a less cost-effective entree, the Rigatoni All'amatriciana, which would have left me paying $55 for $43.60 in value on their own main menu.

Dine Out Boston has grown to be unsustainable for the city, as restaurants have upped their prices and not returned on the value Dine Out Boston should bring customers - I was disappointed in Bar Volpe's approach to portion sizes and...

Very good experience at bar volpe. Service was friendly and prompt and had great suggestions. Can defiantly get on the noisy side once 7PM hits, so be aware.Food was very good. I will definitely be coming by again to try other items on the menu. 5/5

Tuna crudo- acqua pazza, sungold tomato, chives. A citrus water base combined well with yellow tomatoes and basil- although the tuna was drowned in it. It would have made the tuna soggy if I didn't eat it quickly. That being said, The tuna was fresh and good quality. Good taste a slightly flawed execution 3.5/5

Salted cod fritters- za'atar, pepperoncini aioli. Nice and crunchy on the outside with a nice zest. Inside you get a slight brineness with a healthy amount of cod. The aioli add a nice sharpness to the dish. Rather yummy 4.5/5

Roasted truffle chicken black truffle, tuscan kale, fingerling potatoes. I was told this was the dish they are known for and that it usually sells out. I can see why people like. The chicken skin is nice and caramelized and bursting with real truffle flavor. This soaks into the meat of the chicken, which was perfectly juicy and tender. The kale added a nice bitterness and the potatoes were potatoes. One of the better chicken dishes I've had 5/5

Chocolate Peanut Butter Semifreddo pretzel brittle, candied peanuts, valrhona satilia, cocoa nibs. Great way to end the night . Decadent semi sweet chocolate paired well with the salted pretzels. I added a scoop of hazelnut icecream ,because...