At an event a couple weeks ago in New York, I happened to spot Patrick O’Connell, chef & owner of The Inn at Little Washington, along with some of his staff. I’d heard about the Inn for years, and as I walked up to introduce myself, they interrupted me:
“We’ve seen your videos and would absolutely love to have you and your family come visit!”
It’s always a treat to meet someone who follows along here or on social media. Sharing this journey has opened doors I could’ve never even knocked on. But these folks weren’t just anybody.
Patrick O’Connell is widely recognized as one of the most celebrated chefs in the world.
As it turned out, I was heading to Virginia the following week for a friend’s wedding, so Helen and I made plans to drive over to the tiny town of Washington, Virginia, an hour and a half west of Washington D.C., and spend a night at The Inn.
The town’s official population is 87. It was laid out by a young land surveyor named George Washington. But in the late 1970s, it was not exactly a going-somewhere place to start one of the world’s great restaurants.
Patrick had been catering events around DC for years, largely self-taught, when he found an old auto garage about to collapse (familiar?), and rented half of the building for $200 a month. The night the restaurant opened was the largest blizzard in Virginia history, but a few loyal customers from his catering days made the drive out anyway.
There were obvious problems.
Not only was the restaurant’s remoteness a concern for business (especially at the price point Patrick planned to charge), he couldn’t even get groceries delivered. So he used that constraint to his advantage.
He built relationships with local farmers and created a menu around what could actually be grown and raised nearby. This became the distinctive regional American cuisine the Inn is famous for.
And he discovered something else that left the naysayers scratching their heads. Guests actually enjoyed the long drive out of the city, leaving behind their frenzied lives for the fresh mountain air and lush scenery of the Shenandoahs. The meal was the reward, but the journey itself became part of what made the whole experience so memorable.
Within weeks of opening, the most feared and influential restaurant critic at the Washington Post made the drive out, unannounced. After dinner, he pulled Patrick aside. In a low, grave voice, he said:
“I never do this, but I need to ask you something. Are you ready to be totally overwhelmed with people if I publish this review? I am pretty concerned that you won’t be able to keep up, so I want to warn you in advance.”
Enthusiastically, Patrick said he was.
The next evening, he understood the concern. As 5:00 approached, a line of hungry guests stretched down the porch and the street seemingly without end. The phone had been ringing without a break all day long. The critic had written it was one of the best meals of his life.
The Inn had its moments, though.
There were huge challenges that came from opening such a restaurant in such a small town. Some of the locals became vehemently opposed (see last week’s story). There was a nasty split with his 50/50 business partner. Most of his first employees had never even seen the inside of any restaurant, much less a world-class one.
Ever the workaholic, Patrick channeled his passion for food, beauty, and excellence into the meager constraints of that building. Slowly, it became spectacular. The cavernous space above the kitchen and dining room became the first guest rooms, so guests could stay the night instead of driving the distance back to the city.
Over time, he acquired the old buildings and lots nearby, meticulously restoring each one, and added new pieces for the deeply loyal following:
art galleries
a “field of dreams” complete with farm animals and a small lake
an organic farm where almost all of the food served is grown
more posh accommodations
a casual cafe across the street in the old tavern
an exquisite gift shop and ballroom in the building next door that George and Martha Washington once danced in
Today, the Inn boasts 38 spectacular accommodations, with eight more underway, along with an Irish pub, a library, and an underground wine cellar. The restaurant has held two to three Michelin stars for years, and received the only perfect score ever given by the Zagat Guide. Patrick has served the Queen of England, numerous presidents, dignitaries, and celebrities.
Helen and I were astounded by the entire experience (I only wish I’d had more of it without having to film), which I briefly showed in this short video tour.
But my favorite part of the whole place was the kitchen, which was shown to me almost as an afterthought. A kitchen is essential to every restaurant, and yet usually treated as pure utility. Chef Patrick approached his like every other corner of the property: like part of a movie. The design was inspired by none other than Windsor Castle. Here’s a short tour I shot.
“The way you do one thing is the way you do everything.”
Don’t give up on rural America. And don’t give up on your dreams. Oftentimes, the biggest constraints end up being the biggest success factors - if you follow the north star of beauty, genuine hospitality, and the belief that everything, literally everything, is art.