After years spent helming the kitchen at Myers + Chang, Karen Akunowicz chose South Boston for Fox & the Knife, her first solo restaurant. The fare—inspired by a year Akunowicz spent living in Modena, Italy—includes flavorful house-made pastas; a cheesy, herby focaccia; and a charred broccoli “Caesar” salad that may forever change your relationship with vegetables. Should you find yourself overindulging, don’t worry—a well-curated amaro cart is on call to provide whatever digestif you require.

Housed in a former department store, cavernous Lincoln Tavern & Restaurant is precisely where you want to bring a large group in search of wood-fired pizzas and Ritz cracker-topped Truffle Mac & Cheese. Its popular brunch runs seven days a week and includes a Friday-only “brunch test kitchen” menu with over-the-top, Instagram-worthy experiments like Fruity Pebble Pancakes. While the atmosphere is always a bit keyed-up, things get livelier still on Thursday and Sunday nights when live music acts perform.

Neither a Dunkin’ nor one of Boston’s new-wave donut shops, Doughboy Donuts & Deli is the rare mom-and-pop. Here you’ll find racks of freshly baked Boston Cream donuts aside oversized coffee rolls and humongous bear claws. But this 24-hour carb paradise isn’t content serving pastries alone; there are also pizzas (including an intense Loaded Baked Potato version) and hot subs, like the fan-favorite Chicken Parmesan.

South Boston dwellers struck by Formaggio Kitchen-envy can cure themselves with a trip to American Provisions, where they’ll find a wide-ranging yet tightly edited selection of cheeses, charcuterie, and specialty food items with an emphasis on local makers. That’s not to say all delights are take-home only; satiate immediate hunger by ordering from the sandwich menu. We love the Italian made with salami, prosciutto, mortadella, and hots, and vegetarian-friendly The Pear ‘Wich with fig jam, sliced pears, and brie wedged into a ficelle. The wine selection here is also worth a trip—and now that construction on a wine bar has begun, you might soon be able to sip while you shop.