Star chef Ian Boden sent shock waves through Virginia’s gastronomy circles in August when he announced plans to leave The Shack and open a new culinary inn in downtown Staunton. The move comes just months before the acclaimed eatery turns 10.
“In this business, 10 years is a long time to be doing the same thing,” says Boden, 44, a two-time James Beard Foundation Best Chef semi-finalist. “My wife said, ‘Do you want to coast on the success you’ve had, or go all-in and take it to the next level?’”
With Maude & The Bear, Boden guns for the latter. The 24-seat, fine dining restaurant will occupy the ground floor of an immaculately landscaped 2,500-square-foot historic home at 106 N. August Street and boast four luxe guest suites—two upstairs, a standalone cottage, and beautifully revamped two-car garage. Boden plans to double his kitchen staff and quadruple cooking space to expand on the genre-bending, nose-to-tail, pre-fixe cuisine that made him famous.
“It’s a throwback to Glass Haus, where we had permission to try anything,” says Boden, referring to the Charlottesville restaurant that won him his first James Beard nod. “The focus is always going to be local, but if we get inspired by, say, lobster or octopus, we’ll run with it.”
The Shack, meanwhile, will become a high-end burger joint and wood-fired pizzeria helmed by long-time Boden sous chef, Mike Skipper. Both it and the inn are slated to open in January.
Instagram @MaudeAndTheBear
—by Eric J. Wallace
