09/10/2026
We couldn’t be prouder of Chef Anna Crossman! 🥂
We’re thrilled to share that Anna has been named Best Chef in the Fauquier Times Readers’ Choice Awards!
We had the chance to sit down with Chef Anna and ask her a few questions about what this recognition means to her, what inspires her in the kitchen, and a few things you might not know about the chef behind the food at Claire’s. ❤️
When we asked Anna what the recognition meant to her, she said she was “thrilled and honored” — and, as you might expect from Anna, she was quick to turn the spotlight toward her kitchen team:
> “It’s great to be recognized, not just for myself, but for the whole kitchen team.”
For Anna, cooking is about so much more than what arrives on the plate. It’s about quality ingredients, attention to detail, creativity, learning every day, and, most importantly, the people she gets to work with.
She calls her kitchen team her “working family,” and says she is incredibly proud of the people she gets to work with every day.
Anna has been part of the Claire’s family for many years, growing from a line cook into our Executive Chef. Along the way, she’s learned from some wonderful chefs who have been through our kitchen, from Claire herself, and from the countless experiences that come with being in a kitchen every day.
Her cooking style? Traditional American with a Southern flair.
Her inspiration? The ingredients themselves, different regions, and the changing seasons.
Her go-to meal when she isn’t cooking at Claire’s? Breakfast for dinner. 🍳
One of Anna’s favorite childhood food memories is enjoying fresh peaches in the summer with her mom and grandmother.
And if she could sit down to one meal made by anyone, it would be her grandmother Doris’ fried shrimp and coleslaw — a pretty wonderful reminder that some of the best cooking memories start at home. Heart❤️
We are so lucky to have Anna leading our kitchen, and even prouder of the incredible team she has helped build here.
Congratulations, Chef Anna! This recognition is so well deserved. 🥂
And while we were celebrating Anna, we almost forgot to mention that Claire’s at the Depot was also voted Best Date Restaurant Fauquier Times Readers. ❤️
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who voted and continues to support Claire’s at the Depot. We truly couldn’t do any of this without our loyal customers, and we are incredibly grateful for each and every one of you.
— Claire & the entire Claire’s at the Depot team
