Pedestrians in downtown Frederick curious about the brownstone Victorian mansion at 228 North Market St. can soon enjoy the inside.
Volt restaurant, with four dining sections each with its distinct ambience, is to open in July on the first floor of the four-story 9,720-square-foot building, with many of the original 1890s details preserved, co-owners Bryan Voltaggio and Hilda Staples said Monday.
‘‘The concept of the restaurant is to keep the traditional, but be hip and up-to-date,” Staples said. ‘‘A little bit of the old, and a little bit of the new.”
The historic landmark, called the Houck mansion, has been undergoing major renovations – from power upgrades to sanding floors to expose original hardwood — for several months. Per Frederick City’s historic district code, the exterior has been preserved and appears nearly identical when it was constructed in 1893.
‘‘What’s really special is that we’re opening it up to the public to walk in,” Staples said from the building’s foyer, which has its original marble mosaic floor in shades of brown, green, orange and rose. The new eatery’s gentle color scheme is based on the original floor tiling. ‘‘People just want to see inside.”
Of the roughly 20 investors in the project, many are Frederick residents eager to see another high-end restaurant downtown. Others are Washington, D.C., investors who wanted Voltaggio, former executive chef and general manager of Charlie Palmer Steak in Washington and sous chef at Aureole in New York City, to thrive in the region’s restaurant industry.
A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York, Voltaggio plans to offer modern American cuisine that will be tailored to each of the four sections. Platter food will be served at the bar and lounge, with four-course meals in the formal area, made-to-order menus for private seating groups and courses paired with wine for guests overlooking the kitchen area.
Staples and Voltaggio have been networking for months with Frederick County farmers to try to secure as much local produce as possible. So far, many farmers have been receptive to the restaurant connection, Staples said.
‘‘In season, we’re going to have a bounty of produce, but we have to reach out to [the farmers]” Staples said. ‘‘With the food, we’re going local, organic or sustainable.”
Colby Ferguson, agriculture specialist for the county’s Office of Economic Development, said while he knows of only a few restaurants that have linked with local farmers, the agriculture industry would be eager for more of these arrangements. Ferguson said he sent an e-mail blast to the roughly 135 farms on Frederick County’s Virtual Farmer’s Market alerting them to Volt’s goal to go local.
‘‘Farmers definitely want to go that route,” Ferguson said. ‘‘It’s like forward contracting, guaranteeing sales of a product. It’s easier for a farmer to know what they’ll need to grow and pick. ... The restaurant has to have some ability to look forward. There’s very little way for a farmer to get it in the afternoon in time for next day’s lunch.”
David D’amore, owner of contractor D’amore Construction of Mount Airy, said major renovations are on track, with workers sanding down hardwood floors, wiring lighting and installing appliances
‘‘It’s all good,” he says to everyone who asks about the construction status.
Carrie DeLente, who owns the building with her husband, Eric, said they had wanted to lease the first floor to public business such as a store or restaurant so passers-by could enjoy the mansion’s interior.
‘‘To have people be able to come in and see is something we really wanted,” Delente said. ‘‘You can start to really feel the vibe. It’s been exciting seeing it come to life.”
The building was designed a century ago by J.A. Dempwolf, the York, Pa., architectural firm that also designed the Hendrickson building that houses Isabella’s restaurant two blocks south, said Scott Grove of Grove Public Relations in Frederick, who is writing the building’s history for the restaurant’s Web site.
‘‘If you look at it, the buildings are from the same era,” Grove said, comparing Isabella’s building to the Houck mansion. ‘‘They were prolific in terms of architecture. Everybody who lives in the downtown area has a real special interest in that building. It’s one of our gems.”
Six sisters constructed the building as private residence, Grove said. When the last sister died, the mansion was sold to a medical professionals group, which operated a practice there. In 2006, the building was sold to the Delentes, who now operate a Web-based company in the upper levels.
Volt’s staff of 32 will include a sommelier who will develop wine pairings and a local artisan coffee roaster to create signature blends of coffee.
‘‘It’s going to be grand, it’s going to be really grand,” Grove said. ‘‘It’s going to put Frederick on the restaurant map and raise it to a whole new level.”
Upscale downtown
Volt is expected to open in July on the first floor of the Houck mansion at 228 N. Market St., Frederick, serving lunch and dinner Tuesdays through Sundays.
Cuisine: Modern American, with menu varying in restaurant’s four sections.
Features: Formal dining, lounge and bar area, tasting-kitchen overlook, private party sunroom.
Going local: Owners will buy produce from local farmers and furniture from a downtown boutique.
Owners: Bryan Voltaggio, a Washington, D.C.-area chef, and Hilda Staples of Frederick, who formerly worked for Ogilvy Public Relations in Washington.
Contractor: D’amore Construction Inc. of Mount Airy
Architect: DMS⁄Perla of Washington, D.C.
Seats: About 100
