CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Laura Fonner had only been to Staunton one time, when her daughter had gotten into a car accident. So, when she first interviewed at Zynodoa her first impressions of the small town were not the most positive.

“I went over there at the first interview, and I’m like, ‘Oh, God, the roads are all uphill and they’re tiny,'” Fonner told Cville Right Now.

Those feelings would not last, though.

“As soon as I stepped into this space itself, I just felt comfortable,” Fonner said of the restaurant.

Fonner has earned a reputation as one of the top chefs in Charlottesville, with many in the area first encountering her work when she began her career in the kitchen at Duner’s on Ivy Road at the age of 19.

“Duner’s, for me, was a beautiful place. There was a lot of creative culinary freedom,” said Fonner. “I grew a lot professionally, personally, and then when I decided to walk away from that, there was this hole left.”

Fonner left Duner’s in 2021 and had an opportunity to run her own restaurant at Siren in Charlottesville, but financial troubles and an ensuing conflict with Hunter Smith of Champion Hospitality Group forced its closure not long after opening. 

She would stay involved in the Charlottesville food scene, though, working in the kitchens Beer Run and Common House before it closed, but after learning more about Zynodoa, the Staunton restaurant seemed ideal for what Fonner called her “next adventure.”

“It is farm to table, which is something that I feel like is very important because the community is a huge, huge part of my world,” she said. “They are thoughtful about everything they do from design aspects on the menu to really absolutely everything they do, so my meticulous brain fit in perfect there.”

Lovers of the Food Network have also become familiar with Laura Fonner’s work from her numerous appearances on the competition show Guy’s Grocery Games hosted by Guy Fieri. Contestants compete in themed challenges making a dish from ingredients they pull from aisles in a set that recreates a conventional grocery store.

Recently in August, Fonner competed for the ninth time on the program in what was dubbed “GGG Callouts” allowing former contestants who previously lost compete against judges who were had critiques of their work. Fonner got a second chance against celebrity chef judge Aarti Sequeira, who took points away from Fonner’s tournament finale dish because of its presentation on a red plate. (At Siren, Fonner made reference to Sequeira’s comments with her weekly ‘red plate special.’) This time, though, Fonner won a head-to-head matchup against Sequeira serving tuna with a chili crunch rice ball and raspberry red bell pepper sweet and sour sauce (on a white plate).

“The redemption on this one was massive. I could see the professional and personal growth just on camera from the last couple times I’ve competed to this one which was really a really special thing for me to be able to see,” said Fonner.

Though Fonner has earned recognition for her work locally and is a multiple time winner on competition television, she still takes her own approach when it comes to her work.

“Do I think I’m like the best chef in the area? Absolutely not. I’m the best at what I do, right? And that is called Fonner Dining,” she said.

Described as a cross between gourmet cuisine and creative comfort food, ‘Fonner Dining’ is not meant for one specific palate.

“It’s in the middle of fine dining and like a diner. It’s just exploring the creativity of food, making thoughtful dishes that people think about when they eat it,” she explained. “Like, wow, why would she put this together?”

While Fonner may not be as familiar with Staunton as Charlottesville, she said she’s found a great environment in the Zynodoa kitchen by trying to assimilate with the staff already in place.

“I don’t start a new job and like, ‘Hey, I’m Laura Fonner this is what we’re doing today,” she said. “I see what happens and observe for about a month before I really start making any changes. And then I build my own community and my own culture within a kitchen once I get comfortable.”

It may be difficult to know just what dish excites Fonner next with the menu changing daily at the farm to table restaurant, but those that try will get to taste a dish that could only come from her.

“I change the menu like some people change their underwear,” she said. “You’ll be able to taste my mood that day.”