Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Gourmet Inns & Resorts
69
Inn at Little Washington
The Little Inn That Could
Washington, Virginia
dish is designed so that a few clear flavors
play off each other, often recombining
classics in subtle, revelatory new ways.
You might start, for example, with some-
thing as deeply American as macaroni and
cheese with Virginia country ham, aged
Gouda, and shaved black summer truffle;
the next course might be a witty reinven-
tion of veal Parmesan, a prosciutto-
wrapped pan-roasted loin of veal with tiny
spinach ravioli dunked in an intensely
cheesy Parmesan broth. Dessert might
contrast the textures of three different
chocolate puddings, or the summery
sweetness of three different fruit cob-
blers. The fixed-price menu changes daily;
you simply sit back and let the courses
keep on arriving at your table. The wine list
is beyond impressive, from a 14,000-bottle
wine cellar. For a real treat, reserve one of
Set tantalizingly close to Washington, D.C.,
in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Moun-
tains, the Inn at Little Washington is one of
the East Coast's most coveted places for a
romantic special occasion dinner. Almost
since the day Patrick O'Connell started
serving food here in 1978, this intimate
30-table restaurant has been the sort of
reservation you scheme to get. (Although
you can book up to a year in advance for
weeknights, the mad scramble for Sat and
Sun officially opens only 30 days in
advance.) If you're able to snag a table, the
67-mile (108km) drive from the nation's
capital will seem like nothing.
O'Connell's cooking goes by all the
buzzwords—regional products, farm-fresh
produce, classical French techniques—
but those don't adequately convey the
brilliance of what his kitchen can do. Each
The food and decor are sumptuous at the Inn at Little Washington.
