In Charlottesville food lore, some experiences seem so great and improbable that we eventually wonder: did that really happen? Add Laura Fonner’s dumplings at the Beer Run bar to the list.
After a fifteen-month stint at Beer Run, Fonner has accepted the head chef job at Zynodoa. Since opening in 2007, the Staunton post for refined Southern cuisine has won acclaim from national outlets like USA Today, Forbes, and Vogue. Its next chapter will be led by possibly the Charlottesville area’s most famous chef, who gained acclaim at Duner’s and on the Food Network.
“Beer Run has been amazing, and they are my favorite people I have ever had the opportunity to work for,” said Fonner. Owner John Woodriff in particular, she says, is a rare find in the industry: a genuine caring human being. “The things I have learned working there are priceless, and have made me a better chef and leader, and I am forever grateful.”
While the casual Beer Run and upscale Zynodoa seem worlds apart, Fonner says in a beautiful way they have much in common. They both feel like home, and Zynodoa’s level of food is like an elevated version of the farm-to-table food she has been cooking at Beer Run. That said, it was the siren call of fine dining that Fonner couldn’t resist. “I’m regaining a part of myself that I haven’t had since I left Duner’s,” said Fonner. “I have so many beautiful moments from my life that I can’t wait to express in a culinary atmosphere like Zynodoa. I am thrilled with the opportunity.”
Fonner’s last day at Beer Run is December 7, and she starts at Zynodoa the following day.
