IN CONVERSATION WITH KAREN AKUNOWICZ
interview JANA LETONJA
James Beard Award winner for Best Chef: Northeast, ‘Top Chef’ Season 13 fan favorite, and best-selling cookbook author Chef Karen Akunowicz is known for her bold flavors and deep connection to Italian cuisine. She runs two of the city’s most acclaimed restaurants, Fox & the Knife and Bar Volpe, both inspired by her time in Italy and her love for pasta-making. Beyond her restaurants, Karen produces her own Sicilian olive oil, Bona Futura, available at Whole Foods, and regularly appears as a guest judge and chef on shows like ‘Top Chef’, ‘Tournament of Champions’, and ‘America’s Test Kitchen’. Her cookbook ‘Crave: Bold Recipes That Make You Want Seconds’ has become a must-have for home cooks everywhere.
You trained in Modena, Italy early in your career. What lessons from that time continue to influence your cooking today?
Living and cooking in Modena was the most formative experience of my career. Emilia-Romagna is a region where food is everything — Parmigiano Reggiano, prosciutto di Parma, balsamico, hand-rolled pasta. What I took away is that food there isn’t just sustenance, it’s culture. I spent countless hours making pasta until I could feel the dough change under my hands, and that taught me patience and intuition. I learned that the most extraordinary cooking comes from restraint, honoring just a few perfect ingredients and letting them shine. That lesson is still at the heart of everything I cook today.
After working at Myers + Chang, what inspired you to open your own restaurants, and how did Fox & the Knife come to life?
At Myers + Chang, I learned how to run a kitchen and really grew into my role as executive chef. I worked there for seven years, and while I wasn’t looking to leave, there wasn’t an opportunity for me to grow professionally. Fox & the Knife was my way of bringing a piece of Modena to Boston, an enoteca that feels like the places I spent time in while I lived in Italy. It celebrates aperitivo, pasta and community spaces.
What does winning a James Beard Award mean to you now, a few years later?
Winning the Beard Award was surreal. It’s the thing you dream about as a young cook. Years later, it’s less about the medal and more about what it represents, to be recognized by your colleagues. It was also a moment of visibility, for women, for queer chefs, for anyone who hasn’t always seen themselves represented in this industry. To me, it means responsibility to create space, to mentor, and to keep pushing the industry toward more inclusivity.
Pasta-making is at the heart of your craft. What’s the most important thing people get wrong about fresh pasta?
That it has to be complicated or “perfect.” In Modena, pasta is made every day at someone’s nonna’s table. It’s a living, breathing practice, not a precious art form. Another misconception is that fresh pasta is “better” than dry. Italians know each has its place. Tagliatelle with ragù should always be fresh egg pasta, while spaghetti alle vongole belongs with dry pasta. The wisdom is in knowing which pasta pairs with which sauce. That’s the secret to making it taste authentically Italian.
Your dishes are rooted in Italian tradition but always have your unique spin—how do you balance authenticity with innovation?
I always begin with respect. If I’m making gnocchi fritto, it has to taste like the gnocchi fritto I fell in love with in Emilia-Romagna. Once I’ve honored that foundation, I let my own voice come through. Maybe that’s layering in heat, an unexpected texture, or a bold flavor pairing. I never want to mimic tradition exactly. I want to carry its spirit forward while also cooking food that feels distinctly like me.
Can you tell us about Bona Furtuna olive oil and why producing your own was so important to you?
Olive oil is the backbone of my cooking, it’s the ingredient I use more than any other. Partnering with Bona Furtuna to create my Chef Blend was about making an oil that reflects my style – bold, peppery, and versatile. It’s a single-estate Sicilian oil that I use for everything — finishing crudo, sautéing vegetables, or just drizzling over a bowl of beans. Producing my own was also personal. It’s a way to give guests and home cooks a little piece of my kitchen, something that feels authentically me. Bona Furtuna is a family company that is also certified organic, 1% for the planet and a certified Bcorp. Our values align as much as our dedication to quality olive oil.
What’s one underrated Italian ingredient you think deserves more attention in American kitchens?
Guanciale. People know pancetta, but guanciale — cured pork jowl — is the soul of Roman cooking. You can’t make true carbonara, amatriciana, or alla gricia without it. I’d also say real aged balsamic vinegar from Modena. Not the supermarket stuff, but the thick, syrupy, 12 or 25-year aged aceto balsamico tradizionale. A few drops on Parmigiano Reggiano, strawberries, or even gelato is life-changing.
Running two acclaimed restaurants is no small feat—what’s your leadership style in the kitchen?
I try to lead with empathy and high standards in equal measure. I believe food tastes better when it comes from a happy kitchen, so I try to cultivate an environment that’s collaborative, supportive, and rigorous. I want my teams to feel empowered and respected, because when they do, they create their best work. I strive to be the kind of chef I needed when I was younger, demanding, but also deeply invested in my cooks’ growth and well-being.
What’s been the most rewarding part of running your own restaurants, and what’s been the toughest?
The most rewarding part is watching people connect, guests celebrating milestones over pasta, or cooks who grow into leaders under my mentorship. Those are the moments that make it all worth it. The toughest part is the relentlessness of it all. Restaurants never stop, they don’t have an “off” switch. Balancing creativity with the business side, the financial pressures, the constant staffing challenges, it’s a grind. The industry has always been hard, and it’s not getting any easier. However, I can’t imagine doing anything else.
You’ve been a fan favorite on ‘Top Chef’ and a judge on so many shows. What do you enjoy most about TV cooking competitions?
I love the adrenaline. Cooking under pressure like that is thrilling. I’s like condensing a whole night of service into 30 minutes. But what I love most is the storytelling. Whether I’m competing or judging, food becomes a way to share who you are and where you come from. And as a judge, I especially love championing other chefs, highlighting their creativity, and celebrating the diversity in our industry.
Your book ‘Crave: Bold Recipes That Make You Want Seconds’ is about bold flavors that make people want seconds. What dish from the book best represents you?
Crave is like a greatest hits album, it has all of my favorites. They represent different times in my career, signature dishes, and teaches some of the restaurant magic to home cooks. The scallop piccata is a perfect back pocket recipe that is a great representation of my cooking.
What excites you most about the next chapter for Fox & the Knife, Bar Volpe, and new projects?
I’m excited about growth in every sense. At Fox & the Knife, it’s continuing to celebrate Emilia-Romagna with fresh ideas and flavors. At Bar Volpe, it’s diving deeper into Southern Italy and pushing the boundaries of handmade pasta. Beyond the restaurants, I’m thrilled about expanding KA Chef’s Blend Olive Oil, working on my next cookbook in Italy, and building out media projects that let me share my food and philosophy with a wider audience. The next chapter is about connection, finding new ways to invite people into the world of Italian food and hospitality that I love so much.
CREDITS
photography NINA GALLANT
