Best of Boston

With about as many Italian restaurants in Boston as there are pasta types, sometimes it takes a big personality and bold flavor to break through all the noise. Food-TV star Karen Akunowicz is doing just that at Bar Volpe. The restaurant and pastificio is bursting with the colorful flair and attention to detail that the James Beard Award–winning chef is known for (case in point: a fun take on a caviar course that includes ricotta gnocchi with dollops of caviar, chives, and plenty of lemon butter). Regulars know not to skip the snacks — a.k.a. stuzzichini — such as fried ’nduja-and-mortadella-stuffed olives and fritti misti with a spicy Calabrian-pepper spread.