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Bread. Cheese. Prosciutto. These are three things I would like to have with me if I were stranded on a desert island(slash)would save from a burning building(slash)could live solely off of for the rest of my life. Imagine my delight in finding all three of these unlikely scenarios satisfied in one low-key Pizza joint in Miami's Design District.
For a quick snack after a long plane ride (with delays, of course!), I opted for the mozzarella bar, choosing an order of bufala mozzarella with tomatoes and prosciutto and a side of garlic bread. So simple, yet so gratifying, the large portion sated me beyond expectations with fresh tomatoes and soft mozzarella atop a plentiful garden of of arugula and spinach. I could have done with a wee bit less balsamic, but the garlic bread completely distracted me. Imagine a pizza, with no sauce or cheese, smothered in butter and garlic, with just the slightest char. Or imagine carb heaven. Either will work.
I know what you're thinking. How could it possibly get better than this? I will tell you how: They serve Coca-Cola with REAL Sugar.
One of the smartest pizza places in town. Simple. affordable, and delicious. I had a nearby meeting and when we ran late most of us decided to go grab food. The sizes/portions are good, the staff is professional and courteous.
It's a shame that we don't have a place like this in Brickell.
I recommend having them do half/half toppings on your pizza so you can have more variety. The mozzarella is great. If you're avoiding your kitchen stove then their daily take out specials make for an affordable option. Overall though between their specials, their wine, and Sunday $5 pitchers this place is extremely reasonable.
It would be cool if they had an iPod dock where you could choose some of the next songs, think jukebox for our generation. Also I'd love it if they showed more movies.
But they're already doing a pretty great job.
4.5
I want to run back to this place and order a bianca pizza. I loved my experience.
Don't come here…
Read more »
I don't think I have ever updated a review, but I think Volante really deserves it.
While I haven't tried had the lasagna again, I can say that the rest of the specials have been awesome. Last night I had the chicken catchatori, and while a very simple dish, it was delicious.
All of the pizzas that I have had there have been great, and I have yet to have bad service.
It is a real shame that we can't get this great and unpretentious concept on the Beach. If I could get delivery from here I would eat it at least once a week if not more.
It was very slow last night, so I will implore people to go and check it out. This is by far the best pizza in Miami, and Miamians should support people running a restaurant the right way.
I should probably go back again to confirm whether or not they warrant 4 stars, but I would hate to… Read more »
A great little mozarella bar & pizzeria by owner of Pafific Time in the Design District. It has some inconsistency, but their pizza & mix mozarella bar are good. The place has also some of the best wine & beer deals in Miami, nothing wrong with that!
It have to improve a bit but it is a great concept to give it a try.
Oh how I heart Pizza Volante. The food is simply amazing. The staff go out of their way to make sure customers have a great experience and best of all, they are now open on Sundays!!! Simply the best Pizza in Miami. Only problem is I need to learn how to control my urges to go there more than once a week!
Chef Eismann always stops by to chat and make sure everything is running smoothly. Look forward to the opening of his new places (I have heard rumors).
Pizza Volante has become my new favorite Pizza place in Miami (and I eat pizza at least twice a week… Read more »
Oh, burrata, how I love you, with your ooey, gooey mozzarella goodness. Sure, this place has pizza, but it's the burrata you'll want to feast on. It comes with olives and fried zucchini and all sorts of other stuff, but it's so good you can eat it plain. I prefer mine with a squirt of balsamic and a sprinkle of salt.
In addition to the food, I have to say the layout and decor are pretty appetizing, too. It's modern without being over the top and laidback without being diner-y. Plus, they have the most posh high chairs of any restaurant I've ever taken my daughter to.
And now, back to the burrata. Ahhh, trust me, you'll be hooked after just one bite. And at $12, who can resist?
I really like Pizza Volante and found myself eating there more often than I'd like to admit when it first opened. Since the initial rush, I haven't been too much, but I still love it. Starting with the pizzas, they are delicious. From the imported Mozzarella di Buffala DOP to the meats and everything in between, it's a winner. I love the mozzarella bar concept because of all the side dishes you can order from prosciutto to olives to small salads and much more! I'm also a big fan of places that use old wine bottles for water on the table. Not sure why, just think it's cool. Definitely worth a visit if you're in or near the Design District. It's right off I-395 and Miami Avenue.
TIP: I think I remember seeing $1 Budweiser's on the menu. I don't really drink Bud, but that's as good a beer deal as you're going to find anywhere.
Was excited about finally getting to Volante. Since we had to try the pizza, we figured we would pair it as I think most people do with a salad. Sadly, not that many "exciting" options with salads. We also had wanted a side dish of the roasted fennel, sadly they didn't have it that night. Pizza was good, we had their signature Volante pizza. Wanted to try their mozzarella plate, however after a not so great experience with it at Casale with the runner dropping the plate on the table and leaving without a description, we figured the same would happen here and passed on it not wanting to take a chance. While good cheese is good cheese, you like to be pointed out what you are about to eat.
We will be back to give it another try and especially get to try the small plates and maybe a panini, but have had better pizza in the past.
Pizza Volante is probably the best pizza you can land in Miami..
However, everything else on the menu is amazing! The service is on par, lots of great (cheap) wine selections, all the daily specials are excellent, and the pasta is fresh, authentic and cheap!
I highly recomend this place to anyone looking for a great meal without spending lots of money...
I went to Pizza Volante last night for a pizzatweetup meeting, they closed the place down just for the pizzatweet up. The staff was great, always asking what you wanted to drink and if you wanted more pizza. They had about 3 types I believe. The margarita pizza, one that had pepperoni, and another that was just DELISH, White mozzarella cheese with spinach leaves on top (no sauce). This was my favorite of all three. I give the place a 4 simply for this one pizza. The other two were a little to greasy for my taste, yet still good. The crust was thin and crunchy and they also serve wine and beer here which was really nice.
If I'm in the area, I would definitely try this pizza again, they also have other stuff on their menu, pastas and more.
It did get a little warm inside when there were too many people, but it's Miami and I assume they don't expect that many people to be inside all at once. Again great service, good pizza, good wine and good company = GOOD TIMES!
You've gotta get in there on Fridays for the daily special - Eggplant Parmigiana! For a mere $9.00 you are presented with a large round shallow bowl, bubbling with a light and well-seasoned tomato sauce crusted with golden mozzarella - straight from the wood-burning oven. The eggplant within is breaded nicely and also seasoned very well. Unless you have a huge appetite, this dish could easily be split between two people or you could take half home for your next meal. With one of their $4-5 glasses of wine this is a delicious bargain.
I went around lunch my 2nd day in Miami and had an overall great experience. I sat at one of the shared tables, ordered a pizza Bianca and a glass of wine. As I was there the lunch crowd came in. My food was great and surprisingly quick. I thought the cheese was excellent & I will definitely be back. They also deliver, which we do take advantage of, since we live so close. Their pasta dishes are amazing! I had the stuffed shells, with such rich cheese inside - it melts in your mouth!
Still have not taken advantage of the mozzarella bar, but hope to soon!
I've rounded up to 3 stars, but I think 2.5 would be more accurate. (This review is based solely on the tastes of the pizzas.)
I tried a margherita pizza and a cacciatorini pizza the other night.
First: I really hated the crusts of the pizzas. I'm usually pretty lenient when it comes to crust -- I can be happy with crusts that are very flavorful in their own right, as well as with crusts that just stand back and let the toppings do all the work. All I ask is that the crust not be burnt and not have any unpleasant tastes. Volante's crusts failed on both points.
The pizzaiolo had left the cacciatorini in the oven just a little too long. You couldn't tell this from the appearance of the pie -- it had just a few char points on the crust and some of the meat, but the predominant aroma coming up from the pie was of something having burnt, which marred the flavors. Just as bad, the other flavor from the crusts of both pies strongly reminded me of a saltine cracker -- without the salt. Very, very bland dry baked dough. The taste of the crust detracted from enjoyment of the rest of the ingredients.
The margherita was otherwise ok, but nothing to write home about. Given what I'd read about Volante's mozzarella bar offerings, I was expecting something much tastier. Still, I might order another margherita if I were to return to Volante. The cacciatorini, on the other hand, was way too salty. Too much salt is a common problem for pizzas topped with dried sausages, but this was one of the worst examples I've had in a long while. I would not order another cacciatorini pie.
Overall, I'd rate Volante's pizzas as just middling, relative to other pizzas in the Miami area.
(The night I went, there were about 5 parties dining inside and out. The staff were friendly and very efficient. The pizzas were ready less than 10 minutes after the order was placed.)
Dear Pizza Volante,
After a full day of getting my art on, I came here for a late evening dinner with a friend. What a great decision!!! I had never been before, and as we were driving around the crowded Beach realizing that we would not find food there, I was glad she pulled the trigger to take me here!
Oh, Pizza Volante, how I enjoyed thee!!! I was very happy and surprised to find Burrata on the menu, so that was our starter. We chose to have it with Prosciutto, which was the perfect complement. Drizzled with balsamic vinegar, Mr. Eismann, you knocked my socks off!
This was followed up by the Pizza Bianca, which is one of my all time favorite pizzas in general... But HERE?!? Y-U-M-MY! It was so good and delicious!!! It was perfect white pizza and we totally devoured it, saving only a piece for midnight snacking.
We also had an order of meatballs to try, which I thought were really tasty as well. Not too much sauce, but just enough, and perfectly seasoned. A nice touch as a side with the white pizza.
We completed this feast with some dessert of chocolate chip cannolis. :) Perfectly creamy, with the hint of cocoa, and of course a perfect crust for the tube. I might just have to come back JUST for dessert. By the time we reached this course, I was sooo stuffed I couldn't really eat much, which was a total shame!
The service was ok overall. Nothing too bad or great. I was a bit surprised that it took a few minutes just to get some attention, especially since Mr. Eismann himself was there that evening... Maybe you wanna work on the service aspect a bit?
After our meal was over, we stayed chatting for abit, and I appreciated that you didn't kick us out right away. I knew it was close to quitting time for them, but at no point did you rush us out. Kudos and thanks!
I can't wait to come back and try other items from the menu, as I saw so many delightful dishes. :) So, til the next time!!
Regards,
SabrinaAnna*
4.5 stars
So I went to Pizza Volante last night for the first time with a degree of hesitation. I had read some decent reviews, but nothing glowing and various complaints of slow service. I am happy to report that I was pleasantly surprised with my dining experience.
The first item thing you will notice about Volante walking in is the very cool industrial decor. Minimalist yet warm and inviting at the same time. They also have community style seating which is very inviting for large parties to come and share dishes and drinks. It has a bit of European feel to it all. The best part though is that they have an incredibly inexpensive wine list that makes it easy to splurge on a random weekday. We had a nice bottle of Prosecco for a measly $16. Yeah, exactly!
The food was much better than had been previously touted. We ordered the caprese salad which had an amazing mozzarella and extremely fresh tomatoes and basil. My only gripe was that they do not seem to offer bread for dipping in the olive oil. Next we ordered some sides such as the eggplant w/ tomato (forgot the name) and prosciutto. Both were delicious and extremely fresh. For the main course we split a capriocciosa pizza which has olives, speck (ham), artichoke and shitake mushrooms. Can you say delicious? Just how I like my pizza crust, thin and crunchy. The cheese and the sauce were in perfect combination.
The service ended up being fairly decent, nothing extraordinary but the she was fairly attentive and made sure to check up on us regularly. I highly recommend Volante as a place to come with a group of friends and share a little of everything. The appetizer plates start at $2 which makes it easy to try a bit of everything.
In these trying times it's become more difficult to splurge on dining out, but Pizza Volante is here to the rescue. Way to go Mr. Eismann!
The thought of another spot offering gourmet pizzas in Midtown was almost too much to bear. But with Jonathan Eismann behind it, it had to be on my "places to eat" list.
I came in for lunch when I decided to brave the rain on a recent weekday. I guess the rain kept many people away, cause the place was dead. So service was great (since there was only one other party there)!
I opted for the standard margarita pizza, and it came out speedily. It was very good - cheesy, with very fresh-tasting tomato sauce tucked underneath. The basil on top was pretty sparse, but I can forgive them that. The crust was thin, with a good chewy-to-crunchy ratio.
I definitely need to return to check out all the other pizza options. The pizzas are pretty large for the price - more than enough for 2 people, I'd say. The fresh mozzarella options also looked enticing.
The prices are very reasonablem, particularly their wine selection of bottles under $18. They also offer delivery, which I'll be sure to take advantage of, since I work in the area.
5 things I love about Pizza Volante:
1. Best pizza in Miami without the Sobe crowd
2. Great location in the Design District
3. You can eat well with 10-15 bucks
5. The burratas and salads
6. Pepperoni pizza is yummi!
We went there on Sunday afternoon, around 4ish for a late lunch-the area was pretty desolate, but it certainly made parking easy! There was one other group in there at this time. It's very small-maybe seating for 30 at long family style type tables. We looked at the deli and chalkboard menus quick and then a server came out and we grabbed a seat. They have a great menu, quite a few pizzas and daily specials-the gnocchis and lasagna stood out as options that I would go back for. We went with the Bianca and Pepperoni Pizza. I loved both. Very different choices, but both were equally delicious. We had a couple beers also-one was originally brewed in Ft. Lauderdale (the name escapes me) and I don't remember the other dark beer we had-both bottled. I liked them both-they also offer the standards-Peroni, Amstel, etc. To me, this is the best pizza I've had down here. The vibe was great, the food was good, the ingredients were fresh-overall a great experience for a Sunday afternoon. I will definitely go back.
After reading the reviews, I think that I must have went on an AMAZING day. We ordered a platter from the Mozzarella bar, and it came out with olives, peppers, fried zucchini, eggplant and of course the Mozzarella. Generally, I don't like anything friend, but the zucchini was divine. The entire platter was exceptional. A pizza came out after, and we were really too full to eat any, but we tried it and it was delicious....very thin, fresh and authentic.
I love that there is a restaurant in Miami where I can wear flip-flops, eat something spectacular and wash it down with a glass or two of red.
I have been eagerly waiting for a return trip, and I hope that all of these glitches I am reading about have long been remedied....
Decent prices, $1 Buds a good idea (if you order food), and loved the idea of a mozzarella bar and fried zucchini.
Margherita di bufala pizza was okay, the sauce (vodka pink) was different. It changed the taste of the pizza so it didn't taste like a margherita that I'm used to.
The cacciatorini pizza was too salty for me.
The other pizzas (volante 100 and bianca) both had arugula and maybe too much of it that the flavors didn't really meld. I was tasting bitter arugula more so than the pizza.
This place has a lot going for it though - organic, fresh local produce and ingredients. Good location. Well-known chef. Comfy locale. But I'd rather go to Joey's for the pizza and get something else here.
Love this place! I have been a fan since they opened, and it never fails. Owner-chef Jonathan knows what's up. Before all other copy cats open their gourmet pizza places (Sosta, Casale ..etc), Pizza Volante knew what the people wanted. Good quality, Fresh Imported Mozzarella cheese, Mouth watering pasta and Pizza, Good choice of wine under $20. Service is good, but that non-stop Coldplay music has to go.
Jonathan Eismann had most folks at "Hello" when he announced his upscale pizza and mozzarella bar would open in the Design District this week. The shiny stainless kitchen, ultra mod interiors and cutting edge design are a great backdrop for "designer" pies topped with trendy Vito Volpe (you name dropper you) mozzarella, Niman Ranch meats and freaky good sausage we were told came from "wild boar..." (whatEVER - it tasted good).
Good news for the laid off hipsters who seem to be EVERYWHERE in MidTown right now are the reasonable wine prices (bottles under $20) and the gimmicky good Bud for a Buck. This makes it possible for even the most (ahem) professionally-challenged amongst us to hang out and look cool at the cheese bar without need of a maxXxXxxed out credit card. Bring business cards, you never know who you might meet at Pizza Volante (aka PizzaTime)!
AG
The mozzarella and the pizza bianca were delicious. Everything else though was not. The margherita was made with a lot of tomato sauce and just cheese. There were no fresh tomatoes or basil! The meatballs and chicken cacciatore were cold. And the stuffed shells and the pasta with bechamel and brocolli rabe were just not something I'd ever order again . For $100 for four people including tip I expected a lot more. The decor is of a simple lunch spot and I really don't know how they are going to survive. I would never go back when there are a plethora of great lunch and dinner places in the design district.
Not horrible, but it'll be a while before I go back (if I go back). My GF and I went in and were pretty psyched- it was a small place, cool setup, very reasonably priced wine/beer, etc...., but were pretty disappointed thereafter. The service was backwards- we ordered a bianca pie, some mozzarella, and a caesar salad. The pizza cam out ten minutes BEFORE the salad of mozzarella. That is simply retarded. The pizza was okay, not great (I actually think it was a matter of personal taste.) The mozzarella though, too left something to be desired- I've gotten better from Fresh Market, and it was advertised as coming with Florida tomatoes- for someone that has experienced the magic that is an in-season Jersey tomato, that is like telling someone who owns a Lexus they could have the opportunity to drive a Yugoslavian-engineered car. The caesar, on the other hand, was good.
The service, in addition to being backwards, was pretty slow. Though I'll give the waitress a break since she was working alone, the manager (or whoever he was) wasn't stepping up to lend a hand, or take care of anyone, or make people feel welcome, as you would expect one in a new restaurant to bend over backwards to do- he was far too busy texting to do any of that.
We had tiramisu, and though I don't typically enjoy dessert, it was phenomenal.
Bottom line is that Andiamo is only a few minutes away, the pizza is way better, and even factoring in the cost of beer or wine, its not much more expensive. Unless Volante gets their act together, it's worth skipping, which it pains me to say a little bit, because I love the area, and want reasonably priced places there to succeed.
This is Italian "comfort food". Pizza well cooked & freshly sourced. Mix it up or order straight from the menu. Mozzarella in several versions. A cool, honest staff that can handle any whack requests. Oh & tiramisu to die for. Give it a shot at lunch or dinner. Pssst pizza joynts used to be this way (well not so 2009) but quality of ingredient-wise. And, if you really want to taste the divine ... Visit Jonathan's Pacific Time around the corner (formerly of Lincoln Road)
this place gets 2 stars for one reason and one reason only - the bianca pizza was good. everything else was just alright.
my fil's chicken cacciatore was flavorless and not warm, not even room temp even
fresh mozzarella was good but steer clear of the vegetable mostarda. (so strange)
the penne gratine was weird. just tomato sauce and brocolli rabe (which was really kind of more just regular brocolli)
meatballs - nothing exciting. at all....
margarita pizza - i've always had it w/ fresh tomatoes basil and mozzarella. this was a regular pizza, tomato sauce NO fresh scrumptious basil and mozz.
overall, this place is def. more of a pizza joint. that being said, there are def. better spots to fix your pizza hankering.
our server was a cutie but an abysmal waiter. he had no clue what was going on.
went to the grand opening today.
cute fiat parked out front -- shoulda been red.
was flooded with families (they only have communal tables and some window stools)
mozzarella parlor (and accompaniments) may be the way to go because I wasn't super impressed with the brick oven pizza (i've got high expectations -- maybe Eismann should stay focused on Pacific Time)
had the cacciatorini pizza with tomato, mozzarella, oily pepperoni, and guanciale
decently priced, wait time short
high marks for using local organic ingredients and importing some nice cheese
I felt the weekday special (braised short ribs with potato gnocchi) was not good because it seemed to be pre-cooked, meat little dry not super soft nor gnoccchi melty, it did have the hint of truffle oil
decor didn't stand out for a DD location
I just ordered delivery from Pizza Volante and it was a frustrating experience. The delivery arrived alright and the food was ok but I was paying cash and the delivery guy DIDN'T HAVE ANY CHANGE. I was forced to give him a 30% tip for lack of a better option. That sucked.
Eismann (who made his fortune with Pacific Time Restaurant) has balls the size of Cantaloupes to open a gourmet pizza restaurant a stone's throw from Andiamo. On my first visit I was disappointed to find out that they did not serve mushrooms. They had no fresh or canned mushrooms available as a topping and only 5 pizzas on the menu. The first time I had the premium margarita pizza (with all imported from Italy ingredients and Buffalo Mozzarella) which I would give a 4 star rating. The second time I had the standard margarita to go. When I got the pizza home is was just bread and cheese I could not find more than a speck of sauce on an isolated portion of the pizza. No fresh tomatoes. It was a fancy cheese sandwich and a disappointment.
Also disappointing is that they serve fruity passion fruit flavored tea (as crappy as the currant flavored tea at Andaiamo) why can't anyone serve straight up unflavored ice tea with a caffeine kick... if you are serving tea iced Lipton is all you need). Volante does not have fountain drinks just coke in tiny 8oz bottles ... again insufficient to satisfy caffeine addicts like me. Thankfully they charge only about $1.50 for the bottle not the $4.00 some places gouge for the retro nostalgia of Coke in a bottle. I was expecting more. In my book Anthony's Coal fired pizza still holds the South Florida Pizza crown.
I visited Pizza Volante for lunch on a weekday. It was crowded, so I can excuse the somewhat slow service; the waiter was quite friendly and attentive. Inside the restaurant is small, clean and uncluttered.
I love margherita pizzas, so I ordered the Margherita de Bufala. But it just didn't impress me; I guess I was expecting something more. The ingredients seemed fresh, but the crust had an odd texture - very flat, but not at all crispy - and the overall flavour was lacking.
We went on a gloomy day but decided to enjoy the fresh air at the outdoor tables. The waitress came to great us fairly quickly but never mentioned the great wine & beer specials that happened to be found on the chalkboard inside. (Luckily I was nosey and turned around). We ordered a calzone to start, which was quite tasty. We were going to order more but the waitress took SO long we decided to just finish up. When the waitress realized we were leaving instead of ordering more mentioned "She HATES when people sit outside"
The pizza here has got nothing to do with the real italian pizza. Go to Fratelli La Bufala in South Beach and taste the difference. That's the only real Neapolitan pizza in all of Florida.
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