Fox & the Knife Boston brings Modena-inspired Italian cooking to 28 West Broadway in South Boston, where chef-owner Karen Akunowicz’s handmade pastas, antipasti, and amaro program pack a lively enoteca room. Opened in 2019, the restaurant remains one of Southie’s most booked neighborhood destinations for tagliatelle, focaccia, and whole fish.
Menu highlights at Fox & the Knife Boston
The kitchen leans Italian enoteca: bright antipasti, rotating handmade pastas, and a few steadfast secondi. Signature draws called out by the chef and frequent diners include fried chili chickpeas from the aperitivo list; taleggio-and-mozzarella stuffed focaccia meant for the table; panzanella di finocchio brightened with pomegranate and sumac; and a wild-boar tagliatelle Bolognese that Akunowicz has described as a personal signature. Larger plates often include pollo al mattone (brick chicken with sumac and rosemary brown butter) and a whole branzino—pesce fritto—with salsa verde and pickled lemons that the restaurant has kept on the menu for devoted fans. Pasta and antipasti selections rotate with the season, so confirm the day’s board on the official Fox & the Knife dinner menu before you go. Price range is upscale-casual Italian (roughly $$$), with pastas and shared plates typically in the mid-twenties and up on recent published menus.
Atmosphere: Southie enoteca energy
Fox & the Knife Boston is designed as a high-energy homage to Modena’s wine-bar culture rather than a quiet white-tablecloth room. An amaro-forward bar anchors the space; the dining room stays lively on weekends, when reservations are hardest to land. The restaurant says it always saves room for walk-ins, and the bar runs first-come, first-served with the full menu—useful if you miss the rolling 30-day booking window. For a different Italian angle across the city, compare the South Boston pasta focus here with rooftop Italian at Contessa Boston on Newbury.
South Boston location and neighborhood context
The address is 28 West Broadway, Boston, MA 02127, near the corner with Dorchester Avenue in South Boston. On-street parking is available, and the restaurant notes valet through the Cambria Hotel at 6 West Broadway. Akunowicz’s sister spot Bar Volpe sits a few blocks away for a wood-fired Southern Italian follow-up; for a nearby South End tapas night the same week, see our coverage of Toro Boston on Washington Street. If your weekend also includes Back Bay seafood, Saltie Girl Boston on Dartmouth is a short ride north.
Hours, reservations, and practical info
According to the restaurant’s published site footer, hours run Wednesday–Thursday 4–10 p.m., Friday–Saturday 4–11 p.m., and Sunday 4–10 p.m., with Monday and Tuesday closed (the homepage also lists a general dining window of 4:30–10 p.m.—verify before you book). Reservations release on a rolling 30-day basis via the restaurant’s booking page; walk-ins and bar seating remain options. Phone: 617-766-8630. Email: foxandtheknife@gmail.com. Book through the official Fox & the Knife reservation page or Resy listing for Fox & the Knife, and double-check hours on the official Fox & the Knife website.
Address: 28 West Broadway, Boston, MA 02127
Phone: 617-766-8630
Cuisine / price: Italian enoteca—handmade pasta, antipasti, amaro; upscale-casual ($$$)
Chef / owner: Karen Akunowicz (2018 James Beard Best Chef: Northeast)
Opened: 2019
Neighborhood: South Boston (West Broadway)
For anyone searching Fox & the Knife Boston as a Southie Italian plan, the lasting draw is the Modena-rooted pasta program, the amaro bar, and a reservation—or a well-timed walk-in—before the West Broadway dinner rush.