Dinner at Inn at Little Washington

When our trip to Antarctica was cancelled we made a list of places we might go, looking for something on that mental list of dreams that newly available time and money might finally fulfill. Number one on that list was The Inn at Little Washington. I remember reading about it, way back in its early days; this little place way out in the middle of nowhere where this crazy guy converted an abandoned gas station into a fantastic little inn and cooked the most amazing meals. They said it could never last. Forty four years and a legion of hospitality and culinary awards later proved those early pundits wrong. It seemed impossible that we would be able to get a reservation, but whether it was because of Covid or simple luck, there was a room available in the time range we were looking for which guarantees a dinner reservation. Since it was at the lower end of their price range which goes really, really high, we grabbed it.

There are only 106 Michelin three-star restaurants in the world, thirteen in the United States. The Inn at Little Washington is one. And if that’s not enough, Chef Patrick O’Connell has won just about every other culinary award possible. What does it take to win a Michelin star?

1. Use quality ingredients
2. Mastery of flavors and cooking techniques
3. Ability to showcase the chef’s personality in the food
4. Value for money
5. Consistency of food and dining experience

The food is luxurious, over the top and delicious. The dining room is both elegant and fanciful, with amusing touches like monkeys on the wallpaper and a cheese cart on a rolling cow that save it from the stuffiness of far too many big city establishments. The staff works hard to learn your name from the time you check in. When you arrive for dinner, you are greeted by name, escorted to your table, and presented with a customized menu. The service was professional without being overbearing and the food divine. Each course was a symphony of flavors and textures, and the wine pairings raised the whole taste experience from fantastic to sublime. Yes, it is pricey; but consider this is not just a meal, but the opportunity to experience the work of one of the finest teams of culinary professionals anywhere. The food, the wine, the service, and the ambiance are all carefully orchestrated to deliver the best possible experience to the guest. It was a joy to witness artistry in action, those three Michelin stars are hard earned and well deserved.

Dinner began with several Amuse-Bouche, those lovely little surprises that set the stage for the evening. The first was a tiny potato cannoli – the shell was a house made potato chip. A little crunch to start the night.

Next was a parmesan, garlic egg custard with mushroom and sunchoke (apparently a necessary ingredient for any Micheline star restaurant) presented in the egg. It was ethereal. Creamy, silky, sensuous, just fantastic. And we hadn’t even gotten to any of the dishes on the menu.

The first item on the menu was “Vitello-Tonnato”- Chilled Pan-Seared Ahi Tuna and Braised Tenderloin of Veal with Cognac Cured Foie Gras, Niçoise Olives, and Tuna Puree. It was paired with a French Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley. The taste of the whole was of a bit of sweet balanced by the salt of the olives and the tuna’s umami. The wine cut through the richness and brought out the dish’s subtle sweetness, without tasting at all sweet.

Next up was Carpaccio of Herb-Crusted Baby Lamb Loin with Caesar Salad Ice cream paired with a German Rose of Pinot Noir. This was my favorite wine pairing of the evening. Took a sip of the wine, said, hmm, nice wine, but not sure how this will go. But with the creamy, almost sweet lamb and the garlicy, savory ice cream, it all tasted different. The whole far greater than the sum of the parts. Awesome. And Caesar Salad Ice cream tastes like a creamy bit of, well, the name says it.

Next appeared a Chartreuse of Savoy Cabbage and Maine Lobster with Caviar Beurre Blanc paired with Liquid Farm Chardonnay from California. Tender, sweet, yummy lobster is tightly wrapped in the cabbage (that’s what a Chartreuse is- I had to look it up 😉). The Chardonnay had enough richness to stand up to the lobster and the salty umami of the caviar beurre blanc, but enough acidity to balance the whole.

Next was the entrée- and we had to pick either Pepper-Crusted Duck Breast with Brandy-Glazed Apple, Duck Sausage and Cornbread pain Perdu or pan-Seared Tenderloin of Venison with Huckleberries, Caramelized Endive and Black Truffle Puree. We each picked one so we could try both. Neither duck nor venison are things I typically order, but both were wonderful. No gaminess at all in either dish. The pepper on the duck and the sausage neatly balanced the sweetness of the apples. The Garnacha wine pairing had enough fruit and acidity to balance the richness of the dish. It you had served me the venison and asked me what it was, I doubt I would have gotten it right. Perfectly tender, beautiful, the huckleberries added a sweet balanced by the black truffle umami. There is a lot of oomph to this dish and the Washington State Syrah had enough depth to stand up to it. I liked both entrees, but the Venison was my favorite.

Next came a palate cleanser of Coconut Sorbet with Passionfruit and Ginger Granite’. To end the meal, we had a choice of Chocolate-Hazelnut Mouse Napoleon or a selection from the cheese cart. I love chocolate and hazelnut so went with that. My husband picked the cheese cart which appears along with a moo from the cart itself, a nice touch of whimsy not often found in topflight restaurants. I was stuffed at this point and somehow managed to fit in most of the dessert, but absolutely could not manage even a bite of cheese. As we are finishing, owner and chef Patrick O’Connell appears. I have been to Emeril’s in New Orleans, but assumed, probably correctly, that the great man himself was nowhere near the place. Not the case here. And perhaps because I was in a food coma by then and he appeared seemingly out of thin air, I gushed something about how I had followed this place since the beginning and finally here I am. He laughed and moved on.

Since surely no one can have enough chocolate, a little more appears as you prepare to roll yourself out along with a cardboard replica of the inn containing some candies to tide you over until breakfast.

You may ask- well, was it worth the silly, crazy, ridiculous price tag? I am not sure there is any way to answer that objectively, especially after it’s done, and the bill is paid. I think we all have something we are willing to save up for, something extraordinary we will pass up the ordinary for the chance to experience. If you are an opera lover, what would you pay to see Andrea Bocelli close up? For a sports fan, tickets to the championship game? A theatre person to see Lin Manual Miranda in Hamilton?

But I am a food and wine person, have been for years, and this menu is beyond anything I would have conceived and could not have executed. I know a good deal about wine (at least American wine) but would not have thought up most of these pairings and would not have believed how much of a difference they made to the overall taste and experience of each and every dish. I would not have ordered some of these dishes from a menu, but each and every one was outstanding. I would have said, no I don’t like caviar or foie gras, but both items simply melded into the dish itself, not revealing themselves individually, but enhancing the whole. If I had not had the menu in front of me, I would not have correctly identified many of the ingredients, much less where to get them or what to do with them. So, I am willing to pass up a lot of everyday eating out (the average American spends over $3,000 a year) for the opportunity to experience something so memorable, so magical, so beyond my imagination. I guess I answered the question after all. Yes for me, yes it was worth it, for you, maybe not. But hopefully I have given you enough information to make the choice for yourself.

Next up: A Tale of Two Inns The experience of staying at The Inn at Little Washington and at the Farmhouse at Veritas.