“Food, like a loving touch or a glimpse of divine power, has that ability to comfort.”
― Norman Kolpas
spoon. is a pop up restaurant based in Richmond, VA and is the first solo venture of Chef John Maher. Currently we serve dinners once per month at various restaurants in and around the city, usually on Sundays and/or Mondays. In between dinners, we cook at other events and are also available for private functions. Every event will feature an entirely new menu, with no dish being repeated. Our goal is to “redefine what fine dining means.” We want you to throw out all notions of what you think fine dining has come to mean. Come in, enjoy yourself, and let us show you what spoon. is all about.
Chef John Maher
Born and raised in and around Richmond Virginia, Chef John Maher has spent time in some of the nations top kitchens.
After obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Culinary Arts from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI in 2005, John set his sights directly on The French Laundry in Yountville, CA . After learning as much as possible from the best chefs in the country, he left to help open El Dorado Kitchen in Sonoma, with his mentor, Chef Ryan Fancher, where he stayed for nearly three years. After a stint in NYC, he moved to Germany to work at the Michelin starred Wartenberger Mühle under Martin & Peter Scharff.
Wanting to return to the San Francisco Bay Area, he accepted his first Chef de Cuisine position at Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg, California. Shortly after moving to San Francisco, John was hired by Chef Laurent Manrique to be Sous Chef at his Michelin 2 star restaurant, Aqua. When Aqua closed, John then went to head the kitchen at CAV Wine Bar & Kitchen in October 2009 where he earned 3 out of 4 stars from nationally acclaimed San Francisco Chronicle restaurant reviewer Michael Bauer.
Wanting a change of scenery and a new challenge, John accepted an offer to be Executive Sous Chef for Buccament Bay Resort, a newly built 5 Star resort on the island of St. Vincent, part of the Grenadine Islands in the Eastern Caribbean.
After a year of sun and sand, John wanted to finally, after 12 years of traveling and cooking all over the world, return home to Richmond with the aspiration of opening his first restaurant. During this long process, John started a pop up restaurant, spoon., in March of 2012 to introduce Richmond to his unique style of cooking.
In June 2012, John joined 2113 as Consulting Chef to revamp and reinvigorate their food program, relaunching all the menus in July to great press and fanfare.