Rising Star Chef Ian Boden of The Shack - Biography

At the ripe old age of 13, Ian Boden struck out on his culinary journey, picking up a job with Master French Chef Marc Fusilier in Manassas, Virginia. This early experience in the industry sealed his fate as a chef. After high school, Boden decided to further his cooking education by heading north and attending the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vermont. After graduating, he made his way to New York City to hone his skills at Payard Patisserie and Bistro, Judson Grill, and Home Restaurant.

Returning to his home state, Boden opened his first restaurant, The Staunton Grocery in 2007. His contemporary Virginian cuisine received regional and national recognition from publications including Southern Living, The New York Times, and The Washingtonian, as well as receiving the Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence.

Boden closed The Grocery in December 2011, accepting the executive chef position at Glass Haus Kitchen in Charlottesville in early 2012. He continued to earn acclaim during his tenure there, including a James Beard nomination for the “Best Chef Mid-Atlantic.” In 2013, Boden returned to Staunton to open his community spirited, causal, 26-seat restaurant, The Shack, where he cooks with rip-roaring originality. Boden’s ambitious tasting menu has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Esquire, and Garden & Gun.