Ian Boden

Maude and the Bear breakfast, Staunton, VA., 4/16-18/26

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house – 1106 N. Augusta St., Staunton, VA 24401

Maude and the Bear is in a 1926 Montgomery Ward kit house and run by Chef Ian Boden and a marvelous team.   They offer a 5 course tasting menu in the main dining rooms but hold out until you can get one of the 4 seats for the Kitchen Table (posted a couple days ago) , where you’ll enjoy 12-20 courses in a blind tasting.  The place has a full bar which also serves food, so I’ve included the menu from the regular tasting as well as the bar here.  Staunton is a small town but it had a surprising number of fun attractions a few minutes from the place and if you want to venture futher, there’s the Blue Ridge Parkway to ride.  You only can get their 3-course breakfast if you stay there (except on Sunday when there’s more).  Our first breakfast was prepared and served by Chef Boden and our second one was by Chef de Cuisine Matthew Beck.  Both were wonderful and creative compared to what you get at most B & Bs.  Boden’s wife Leslie decorated the 3 guest rooms and equips them with lots of ammenities, snacks and beverages.  The Boden’s are delightful hosts and I know you’d enjoy this as a weekend getaway, I sure did. Continue reading →

Maude & the Bear, Staunton, VA., 4/18/26

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house – 1106 N. Augusta St., Staunton, VA 24401

Chef Ian Boden helmed The Shack restaurant for almost 10 years, garnishing two semi-finalist nominations for Best Chef mid-Atlantic.  In 2022 he and his wife Leslie decided to take it to the next level and open a more upscale culinary venue with attached guest suites.  They chose a 1926 Montgomery Ward kit house and redecorated as well as modernized the kitchen.  They chose the name in honor of Chef Boden’s and his wife Leslie’s daughter’s middle name and son’s nickname.  After a year of work they opened in March of 2024 and serve a 5 course tasting  menu ($120) for 20 guests Thursday through Saturday and a longer Kitchen table tasting ($300) menu for 4 guests.  For the shorter menu there are two seatings and optional dishes you can add to your menu,  while the Kitchen is one time a night and is a 3 hour extravaganza.  There is a bar with a few seats and an a la carte menu.  The menu changes regularly with seasonal variations but many ingredients are preserved at their peak and brought out to integrate into current dishes.  In additon Leslie decorated 3 guest suites and those that stay are treated to a 3 course breakfast while on Sunday the breakfast is open to the public.  We were thrilled to book a room and try the former and new restaurants.  It makes a fabulous weekend getaway and one I suggest you try – you can roll from your kitchen seat up a short flight of stairs to a most pleasant room and then venture down in the morning and eat more of their cooking.  It’s a place I would certainly endorse and go again. Continue reading →

The Shack, Staunton, VA., 4/16/26

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exterior – 105 S Coalter St, Staunton, VA 24401-4340

The Shack, a tiny former doughnut shop,  barbecue joint, and bar (and the list goes on) is just outside of downtown Staunton in a small building with a changing menu.  For the last several years it has been under the kitchen of Chef Michael Skipper but it was started by Chef Ian Boden in 2014..   Boden retained ownership but now runs Maude and the Bear.  The Shack has just 26 seats in its 400 square feet and is named for Chef Boden’s wife’s grandmother’s home.   Some of her best memories are from that time and the current Shack is doing the same for diners today.  A very casual place with the walls decorated by photos from Leslie’s past.  Chef Skipper was the longtime sous chef when Boden was running the kitchen.  The place features small sharable plates of handmade pastas and wood-fired pizzas, Thursday through Sunday.  They don’t have a website but post the week’s menu on their Facebook page.   There are some prix fixe options, wine pairings and the pastas come in a two sizes.  We chose our own wine and assortment of dishes to share.  It was outstanding with tons of flavor and interesting combinations of ingredients.  This place won a Beard award for best new restaurant under Boden and Skipper is living up to its heritage.  Put this on your list of places to go as soon as you can. Continue reading →