Karen Akunowicz

Karen Akunowicz (born September 17, 1978)[1] is an American chef, cookbook author, and television personality. Karen Akunowicz is a Top Chef television alum and won the 2018 James Beard Award, for "Best Chef: Northeast".[2] She is based in Boston, Massachusetts.

Karen Akunowicz
Born (1978-09-17) September 17, 1978
Kearny, New Jersey, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst,
Cambridge School of Culinary Arts
Culinary career
Current restaurant(s)
      • Fox & the Knife Boston (2019–present)
        * Bar Volpe, Boston (2021–present)
Previous restaurant(s)
  • Myers + Chang, Oleana, Via Matta
Television show(s)
Award(s) won

Frontrunner for Season 13 of Top Chef Karen Akunowicz is the chef and proprietor of Fox & the Knife enoteca in Boston, which was named one of FOOD & WINE magazine's, Eater National's, Condé Nast Traveler's, and Thrillist's best new restaurants in America for 2019. Karen won a 2018 James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Northeast and was awarded Boston Magazine's Best Chef after participating on the California season. She earned international job experience as the chef at L'Avian Blu in Modena, Italy, after earning degrees from the University of Massachusetts and the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts.[3]

Early life and education

Akunowicz was born and raised in Kearny, New Jersey. She graduated from Kearny High School in 1996.[4]


After graduating from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, she moved to Boston. While waiting tables, Akunowicz considered applying to graduate school for social work, but she decided to go to culinary school instead, attending the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts.[5][6]

Career

Akunowicz worked at Boston restaurants Via Matta and Oleana before becoming the executive chef and a partner at Joanne Chang's Myers+Chang.[2] She was nominated for a James Beard Award in 2015, and she won the title of Best Chef: Northeast in 2018.[7]

Akunowicz co-authored a cookbook published in 2017, Myers+Chang at Home: Recipes from the Beloved Boston Eatery.[8]

In 2019, Akunowicz opened her own restaurant, Fox & the Knife, an Italian restaurant in South Boston.[9] In 2019, Fox and the Knife was named Best New Restaurant in America by Food and Wine Magazine and Eater International.[10][2] In 2020, it was given the same honor by USA Today.[11] Fox & the Knife was also nominated for the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant in America in 2019 and 2020.[12]

In November 2021, Akunowicz opened her second restaurant, Bar Volpe, in South Boston.[13] It focuses on Southern Italian cuisine.[14][15]

In January 2022, The Boston Globe published an article about an outbreak of COVID-19 cases that spread between Akunowicz's two South Boston restaurants, Fox & the Knife and the newly opened Bar Volpe.[16]

Television appearances

In 2015, Akunowicz was a contestant on season 13 of Top Chef.[1]

Akunowicz was a guest judge on Season 6 of Top Chef Canada in 2019.[6] In 2020, Akunowicz competed on Top Chef: All-Stars L.A.[17]

In 2022, Akunowicz competed in Season 3 of Guy Fieri's Tournament of Champions.[18]

Personal life

Akunowicz identifies as a queer femme.[19] In 2014, she married her partner, LJ Johnson.[20] In late July 2022, Akunowicz announced she was pregnant with her first child due in September 2022.[21] Her daughter Rogue Marie was born in October 2022.[22]

References
  1. "Meet Top Chef Season 13's Cheftestants: Part 1". Top Chef. Bravo TV. November 25, 2015. Birthday: September 17, 1978
  2. Blumenthal, Rachel Leah (2019-07-10). "A South Boston Enoteca Is Among Eater's Best New Restaurants of 2019". Eater Boston. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  3. "Cambridge Culinary – Ignite your Passion". Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  4. Canessa Jr., Kevin A. (December 15, 2015). "Kearny native competing for 'Top Chef'". The Observer. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  5. Canessa, Kevin (December 15, 2015). "Kearny native competing for 'Top Chef'". The Observer.
  6. Baskin, Kara (February 11, 2019). "A conversation with Karen Akunowicz of Fox & the Knife". Boston Globe.
  7. Cain, Jacqueline (May 7, 2018). "Karen Akunowicz Is the James Beard 2018 Best Chef: Northeast". Boston Magazine.
  8. Chang, Joanne; Akunowicz, Karen (2017). Myers+Chang at Home: Recipes from the Beloved Boston Eatery. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 9780544836730.
  9. Hatic, Dana (2019-05-31). "Chef Karen Akunowicz Runs a 'Damn Good Restaurant,' Says One Critic". Eater Boston. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  10. "Food & Wine Names Fox & the Knife a Best New Restaurant". Boston Magazine. 2019-05-21. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  11. "USA Today readers named Fox & the Knife as one of America's Best New Restaurants". www.boston.com. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  12. "Fox & the Knife: James Beard Semi-Finalist for Best New Restaurant". Caught in Southie. February 27, 2020. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  13. "After Tumultuous Year, Karen Akunowicz Announces New Restaurant Devoted to Southern Italy". Food & Wine. May 25, 2021. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  14. Kearnan, Scott (November 4, 2021). "First Look: Top Chef All Stars' Karen Akunowicz Opens Bar Volpe in South Boston This Weekend". Boston Magazine.
  15. Blumenthal, Rachel Leah (2021-05-27). "Fox & the Knife's Karen Akunowicz Will Open Another South Boston Restaurant". Eater Boston. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  16. Koh, Elizabeth (January 4, 2022). "Already battered by pandemic, restaurants wrestle with Omicron outbreaks". Boston Globe.
  17. "Karen Akunowicz". Top Chef. Bravo TV. 19 October 2015. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  18. Rosario, Alexandra Del (18 January 2022). "Guy Fieri's 'Tournament Of Champions' Renewed For Season 3 At Food Network". Deadline.com. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  19. "Gay Travel to Boston: Queer Top Chef Star Karen Akunowicz Opens New Restaurant". Gaytravel.com. 20 February 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  20. "Karen Akunowicz on Instagram: "Now and then 💜8 years ago we said I do at Boston City Hall, just the two of us, without telling anyone (except my sister). Thank you for holding my hand and heart through eight years of the best and worst times. You are my hero and I love you more than I have the eloquence to express. Being with you feels like sunshine on my face ☀️ Two days later we got married "again" on a lavender farm in Maine in front of everyone we love. Thanks for marrying me twice, and loving me forever."". Instagram. Retrieved 2022-07-30.
  21. "Karen Akunowicz on Instagram: "September 2022 ✨ We're officially a three top ✨ #rainbowbaby #doublerainbowbaby🌈🌈 #virgo 📷: @bellawangphotography"". Instagram. Retrieved 2022-07-30.
  22. Rajkarnikar, Preeta (March 15, 2023). "Top Chef Karen Akunowicz Baby Rogue Marie Akunowicz Johnson With Wife LJ Johnson". The Family Nation. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
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