“It was a big shock to us. We didn’t see it coming,” says Misty Williams of chef David Dunlap‘s departure from Ashby Inn & Restaurant.
Williams, of L-n-L Hospitality Group, the company that owns Ashby Inn and other local inns (including a new one slated for Haymarket this December, Berkeley Manor at Evergreen Country Club) is looking to hire a replacement before Dunlap’s last day at the end of this month.
Dunlap, 33, who has led the Paris kitchen for the last year-and-a-half, is moving to Richmond. “I was given a new opportunity that I can’t turn down,” says Dunlap, who gave his notice about three weeks ago.
Shy on releasing details for the new venture in Richmond, Dunlap says, “I get to design a restaurant around what I want to do.” He hinted at a lower price point, though still food that is delicately constructed, and deconstructed, like some of his dishes at Ashby Inn.
“I get job offers three to six times a week,” Dunlap says. And for this offer, he was finally ready to take it.
