Today, chef/owner Karen Akunowicz of the highly acclaimed restaurant Fox & the Knife, the 2018 James Beard Foundation Award winner for Best Chef: Northeast and a 2020 James Beard finalist for “Best New Restaurant,” announced the opening of her second restaurant, Bar Volpe (170 West Broadway, South Boston, MA 02127), late summer/early fall 2021 in South Boston.
Opening in the former Backyard Betty space, Bar Volpe is a restaurant and pastificio (pasta shop) where guests will be able to either dine in or purchase fresh pasta (i.e., bucatini, rigatoni, et al), sauces, ricotta and mozzarella to prepare at home. Bar Volpe will bring Southern Italy to South Boston, celebrating the vibrant flavors of regions from Puglia to Sardinia, Campania and Basilicata, Naples and Sicily. Inspired by the Chef’s extensive travels throughout Italy, the menu will feature wood-fired seafood, fresh, house-made pastas, classic Italian cocktails and wine, and warm hospitality in a casual setting. Dishes on both the restaurant and pastificio menus will highlight Akunowicz’s talents as a pastaiolo, and her flair for creating soul-satisfying, Italian fare, introducing new versions of beloved classics updated from a modern point of view including signatures such as Sardinian Paella, Culurgiones, and Orecchiette.
“I love Boston, it’s my home. The success I’ve been privileged to enjoy is largely due to this great city and the people who live here,” says Chef Akunowicz. “We love our neighbors and really wanted to open another restaurant in the area, to give back to a community that has given so much to us. The idea of offering a Southern counterpart to the Northern Italian fare we serve at Fox & the Knife has been in my head and heart for so long, and I’m excited to be making this a reality.”
Designed by Jessica Haley of RODE Architects, Bar Volpe is situated in a 5,200 square-foot location, offering 110 dining room seats and a 25-seat bar. Marble bar tops, stained oak paneling, cream-colored plaster walls, and simple glazed ceramic tile around the open kitchen and market bar will all contribute to the Bar Volpe’s timeless, airy, and inviting aesthetic. The bar area has expansive floor to ceiling windows and buttery yellow, oversized booths, and guests will have a full view of the kitchen and wood-fired grill. The pastificio is the centerpiece of the restaurant, encased in glass, and in addition to a step-up counter where freshly-made pastas and sauces may be purchased, the area will also seat 10 guests. Located adjacent to the entry, the pastificio is visible both from the street and the dining room so onlookers can watch the pastaiolo at work.
