The Charlottesville 29

A dream of award-winning chef Laura Fonner is finally coming true. This fall, the multi-time Food Network winner will open Siren in the former home to The Shebeen. Fonner was the longtime chef of Duner’s before joining Champion Hospitality Group last year, and launching a food truck. A partnership between Champion and Fonner, Siren will feature a seafood-focused menu of what Fonner calls an ever-changing mix of gourmet stoner food, with American and Mediterranean influences. “I am blending my two worlds together to create a unique and approachable menu,” said Fonner.

Check back for further details, but, for now, Fonner is particularly excited about the “red plate special,” a whole fish of the day that Fonner says is a chance to poke fun of herself, having suffered her only ever Food Network loss because she served her final dish on a red plate, instead of a white one.

“Having my own restaurant has been years in the making,” said Fonner, “and I can’t wait to share my passion for food with the community again, in a space that is unique and full of character.”