December 20, 2021

Zephyr has announced its partnership with Top Chef and James Beard Foundation Award winner, Karen Akunowicz. The Boston-based chef included the Roma Groove Range hood and Presrv Dual Zone Wine Cooler in her home remodel and the Presrv Full-Size Wine Cooler in her new restaurant, Bar Volpe.

The Zephyr Roma Groove range hood helps home chefs find their rhythm in the kitchen with the ability to stream playlists from Bluetooth devices such as mobile phones and tablets. The hood takes center stage in the kitchen and contributes to an upbeat environment that is inviting for family and friends.

Chef Akunowicz lived in Italy working as a chef for a year and has spent time traveling throughout the country. This time abroad provided inspiration for Bar Volpe. The design of the restaurant is modern Italian with a vintage feel and features an in-house pasta room and shop, wood-fired grill, and custom bar. The bar’s beautiful art deco arch frames the Presrv Full-Size Wine Cooler; it is one of the first things guests see when they enter the restaurant.

What do you love about the Roma Groove Range Hood in your own personal kitchen? 

It is a game changer. It replaced my need for a sound system in the downstairs of our home. The sound quality is fantastic, and the hood itself is gorgeous. It is a definite kitchen upgrade with a modest price tag. I love that when I’m testing recipes for my cookbook, I can have all my favorite music playing.

What’s your favorite songs to rock out to while cooking?

I love to listen to Kesha’s “Rainbow” album, as well as Lizzo and Robyn! All of them pump me up and put me in a great mood – and happy chefs make happy food. 

What is your favorite wine varietal? Favorite region?

I love Nebbiolo and Barolo, but I also have a penchant for Ribolla Gialla and Etna Bianco. Stateside, I love Kelly Fox pinot noirs.  

What’s stocked in your Presrv fridge?

Solaris NV Pojer e Sandri, “Zero Infinito;” Valdiguie NV Cruse, Pet nat Rose; Pecorino Cantinarte “COLORI;” Grüner Veltliner Kelly Fox, “Nerthus.” Lots of Nebbiolo, Pinot Noir and some great southern Italian reds. And I now have my own wine! KA is a Sangiovese made for me by an amazing female winemaker in Tuscany. It is the perfect house wine and so delicious.

What was your inspiration behind creating Bar Volpe?

When I was living and working in Modena, Italy, I spent three months working at a pastificio (fresh pasta shop), and I knew that I wanted to incorporate a market and pasta room in my next restaurant. I’ve spent so much time traveling in Italy and have fallen in love over and over again with Sicily, Naples, Apulia and Sardinia. I wanted to celebrate these regions and their cuisine. Finding the space for Bar Volpe sealed the deal. It was big enough to house our pasta room and shop, and with a wood-fired grill already in place I could immediately visualize the cuisine.

What do you love about the Presrv Full-Size Dual Zone Wine Cooler?

The Full-Size Dual Zone Wine Cooler not only keeps our reserve list bottles – whether they are red, white or bubbles – at the perfect temperature but also lends a stylish feel to the corner of our main bar. Anytime I can incorporate style and function together in an element of the restaurant, I jump at the opportunity.

What was it like opening a restaurant during a pandemic?

Challenging. Heartbreaking. Inspiring. We stayed open during the pandemic to keep our staff employed and continue to feed our community. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done but ultimately the most rewarding. I created Fox Pasta during the pandemic and started shipping our pasta nationwide – this also laid the groundwork for Bar Volpe. Our team became incredibly close, and I was inspired by them and their dedication every day. Friends and neighbors still come into the restaurant and tell us how we helped them survive the early days of the pandemic.