Zynodoa Restaurant — Restaurant in Staunton

On a cold evening in January the streets of Staunton are quiet. The architecture of downtown from the early 1900's serves as a backdrop for the experience. Now imagine Edward Hopper's painting "Nighthawks". It shows a backlit bar with golden light spilling over a long counter with green edging. A few patrons sit on one end and the night city buildings are seen through the window. In Zynodoa we felt as if we were in the Hopper painting. Walking into the restaurant we were greeted by soft jazz music and a warm welcome. My partner ordered from the menu while I ordered the 4 course wine pairing dinner. The timing of service was comfortably paced. My meal began with a caesar salad served with a light dry pinot grigio. The lettuce was soft and buttery although I could not discern any anchovy. My partner had the cheese plate with champagne. Although the cheeses were not remarkable the pickled vegetable added a nice kick and the artisan boulard was exceptional. Second course for me was wild mushroom risotto with lobster served with New Zealand sauvignon blanc. The wine was lighter than most sauv blancs- bright, without much citrus. The risotto exceeded my expectations, which for me says something as I am not a fan of most risotto. Big chunks of lobster claw meat rested on creamy, woodsy decadent textures. The wine refreshed the palate after each sip. The third course was a thick beef filet atop mash with broiled brussels served with a lovely red blend. The wine had a smooth smokiness with overtones of whiskey from a barrel process. The steak was perfectly cooked, and the brussels had a candied sweetness that was tantalizing. My partner was served sea scallops on a citrus cream sauce base with roasted vegetables. The scallops were described by my partner as "the thighs of France". The only disappointment for me was the 4th course which was an oatmeal stout cake served with tawny port. The port arrived several minutes prior the cake and was too sweet and raisiny to be enjoyed without its food complement. When the cake arrived it was very cold which frankly was a shock to my palate. I expected the cake to be served warm as the port would indicate. It was difficult to enjoy this pairing but I could sense that if the cake would have been at the correct temperature it would have been delightful as it had a cream sauce drizzle and chunks of buttery toffee that would marry well with the port. Still, overall the meal was well worth the price and portion sizes were large enough to be fully appreciated. If you haven't been to Zynodoa lately (as I haven't) go expecting to splurge but come away with the satisfaction of a remarkable culinary experience. P.S. Don't...

Zynodoa understands the farm-to-table movement and they are rocking it. I went with a group of foodies after an afternoon at the Frontier Culture Museum. These are not the kind of food snobs that never worked in the business, but the kind that have (and do) and who can occasionally suck some of the pleasure out of a merely decent meal by examining every potential flaw ...and we all loved it.

Its details that's make the difference. I selected the oysters on coleslaw as my app had the seared chicken, grits, and greens for an entree. The coleslaw was the first thing that suggested to me this was going to be a great meal. Why the slaw? ..because its a small detail and getting the details right is what separates good food from exquisite meals. The texture suggested it was koshered which is the same technique we used when I was at the Boars Head and it gives the cabbage a mouthfeel like its been fermented. The dressing was obviously homemade (as in lemon, olive oil, and yolks - not mayo) and the seasoning was lightly balanced with dill (fennel maybe?) and celery seed and tiny hint of chive - buts that's it, just that: a lite cool, creamy, and some would say "bland" base. As soon as I tasted the hot, crunchy, velvety Rappahanock oysters, I realized that elegant mildness was intentional. It was just a matter of respecting the ingredients. The oysters had very delicate flavor, but they were buttery and scrumptious; they could have easily been overpowered. The Polyface Farm chicken was brined and seared, it tasted like chicken which something most restaurant bird no longer tastes like. My collards still had some bite, not overcooked, yet the flavor of slow cooking, and the grits were fantastic. All in all, nice work, Zynodoa.

I saw a couple reviews remarking about the prices being high and I kind of agree, but its a still great value when compared to The Local in C-ville and other farm-to-table places. I wonder if these reviewers are comparing their prices verses other restaurants focusing high end (and high food cost?) locally sourced...

Zynodoa is a solid farm-to-table spot in Staunton that is definitely worth stopping by if you're in town.

Was our dinner there amazing? Not really. But it was good, and we would certainly go back again the next time we're visiting the city.

The inside of Zynodoa is quite pretty - very upscale but not stuffy.

The bar program seems solid, although my wife's cocktail was a bit boozy and one-note (overwhelmingly gingery). The beer list was average, at best, with draft selections very much in-line with the bottles and cans one would find in their local supermarket.

But the food is what really matters. And Zynodoa's food is...good-ish.

The cornbread appetizer was quite nice, but suffered a bit from folks trying to get "cute." The cornbread, itself, was a bit dry, but flavorful. And the butter and apple butter it was served with certainly helped add moisture. However, the brulee top was a bit misguided. While it added a nice crunch, it also made the cornbread taste burnt.

The entrees were also mostly okay.

My wife's swordfish was badly under-seasoned, as were the veggies that accompanied it on the plate. She thought it was acceptable, but also liberally utilized the provided salt and pepper shakers on the table to make it so.

My Chicken Curry Captain had some curry flavor, but was bland, watery, and disappointing in contrast to other curry dishes I've had before. Worse, the chicken itself isn't braised in the sauce, so it was dry and relatively flavorless. And the thin, watery sauce just wasn't enough to compensate.

These muted flavors aren't just a problem at Zynodoa. Most "farm-to-table" establishments seem to suffer from them. They get the best ingredients and think that adding a lot of flavor or seasoning is in some way keeping the quality of those ingredients from "shining."

The problem is...even the best, most amazing carrots still taste like carrots. If carrots were delicious, they would cost more than $2.99 a pound.

Season those ingredients, and they'll really shine! Until then...three stars for a nice evening with...