Menu
June 12 - 18, 2022
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Max Group Size: 10 - Sold Out
Taste of Puglia & Basilicata with Chef Karen Akunowicz
tasting notes
A HERITAGE BOUNTY FROM GARDEN & VINE
Join Chef/Owner of Boston’s acclaimed Fox & the Knife and 2018 James Beard Foundation Award winner, Karen Akunowicz, for a gastronomic voyage through the heirloom recipes and fabled food culture of Puglia and Basilicata. Together we will savor the handmade legacy of each region from orecchiette crafted in the backstreets of Bari and expertly cured capocollo in the Val d’Itria to the sweet sun
dried peppers and antique hearth baked breads of Basilicata. We’ll appreciate rare nectars of the vine like Bombino Nero and Susumaniello in boutique estates of the Castel Del Monte DOC and Salento before discerning the fine aromatics of a legendary Lucanian amaro and Aglianico del Vulture, all while savoring an agrarian bounty from flaxen olive oils and sun ripened figs to luscious burrata.
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amuse-bouche
June 12 – 18, 2022
7 Days / 6 Nights
Limited to 10 spots
$5,990/per person, based on double occupancy*
$6,990/per person, based on single occupancy *
*Airfare not included
A taste of what we'll be savoring
To view full tour details and book your spot on this exclusive culinary expedition, inquire to join The Palatum.
Day 1: Stroll through the Verdeca vineyards of an 18th masseria and sip rare single varietals made from Bianco d'Alessano and Minutolo, while admiring the emerald landscapes of the Valle d’Itria.
Day 2: Uncover Puglia’s ancestral pasta making traditions while shaping orecchiette by hand in the antique backstreets of Bari Vecchia.
Day 3: Relish a wealth of heritage flavors from luscious burrata and expertly crafted Capocollo to sun ripened figs grown in a unique botanical setting, before appreciating a Michelin star ode to the materia prima of Puglia.
Day 4: Delve into the divine bounty of the Apulian terra while savoring the organic olive oils of a fabled frantoio, taste the Salento terroir in the fine Susumaniello vintages of an esteemed masseria & learn how to cook classic Pugliese fare in Lecce.
Day 5: Discover the heirloom farming culture of ancient Lucania from sundried cruschi peppers to hearth baked Pane di Matera IGP made from Grano Duro, before mixing up signature cocktails with the storied amaro of a fourth generation distillery.
Day 6: Appreciate the antique vines of the Aglianico del Vulture DOC with an award winning winemaker whose coveted cru wines reflect the volcanic lands of her ancestors & explore the 17th century stone aging caves of a seventh generation wine family.
Day 7: Utterly enchanted by the cornucopia of culinary riches we’ve savored together, we will depart our regal Matera stay and conclude our epicurean adventure.
What's Included
- Elegant handpicked stays with gourmet spirit, including four-star Borgo Canonica & five-star Palazzo Gattini
- Full-time assistance of a Palatum Host
- All ground transportation from start to finish
- Select touring with local guides & epicurean experts
- Daily breakfast
- Seasonally inspired lunches & dinners showcasing regional wines
- Exclusive dining at awarded gastronomic restaurants
- Hands-on cooking experiences highlighting heritage recipes
- Signature winery visits & tastings at storied producers
- Culinary immersions with acclaimed food artisans & organic farmers
- Tastings of local delicacies unique to each region
- Engaging cultural activities & all associated tickets/entrance fees
- Palatum Welcome Package in advance of departure
meet the tastemaker
meet the tastemaker
CHEF & OWNER KAREN AKUNOWICZ
Karen Akunowicz is the 2018 James Beard Foundation Award winner for Best Chef: Northeast and the 2020 James Beard Award finalist for Best New Restaurant. She is the Chef/Owner of Fox & the Knife enoteca in South Boston, recently named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Restaurants in America 2019.
Chef Akunowicz became a fan favorite when she competed on Bravo’s Emmy-nominated show, “Top Chef” season 13. She has also appeared as a judge on Top Chef Season 16, Top Chef Canada and came back to compete on Season 17 of Top Chef: All-Stars L.A.
Named one of the “21 Badass Women Changing the Food World” by Marie Claire Magazine, she is the Co-Author of the cookbook: Myers+Chang at Home (Houghton Mifflin; 2017) and is currently working on her second cookbook “Crave” (Countryman/Norton) due out in the Fall of 2023.
In 2019 Karen opened Fox & the Knife, inspired by her time spent living and cooking in Modena, Italy. Fox & the Knife is a casual and contemporary homage to the food, wine, culture and spirit of that city, all presented with a warm welcome in a high energy atmosphere. Fox & the Knife menu highlights Akunowicz’s flair for the soul-satisfying, graceful Italian food that she honed while working in Italy as a pasta maker and Chef of L’Avian Blu Enoteca. At Fox & the Knife, the bold flavors of exceptional ingredients are expressed through both traditional and modern techniques to introduce new versions of beloved classics.
She created a fresh pasta company, called Fox Pasta that now ships sauces and her handmade pasta Nationwide. Her second restaurant “Bar Volpe” is in the works, a restaurant and pastificio focused on wood-fired Southern Italian cuisine.
She has been profiled on CBS Saturday Morning’s “The Dish” series, “The Today Show” and Hallmark Home & Family. Akunowicz has also been featured in national publications such as The New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, People Magazine, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Forbes and Wall Street Journal Magazine.
sumptuous stays
BORGO CANONICA
Former 19th century hamlet turned four-star countryside stay, Borgo Canonica is a Valle d’Itria dream featuring original Apulian trulli dwellings restored to polished perfection.
PALAZZO GATTINI
A resplendent 18th century palazzo elegantly echoing a bygone era, today Palazzo Gattini is a chic five-star retreat nestled within the very heart of ancient Matera.
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