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 Award winning Inn nestled between the Blue Ridge Mountains and
farmlands of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.
When Patrick O’Connell and Reinhardt Lynch opened the Inn at Little Washington in the
shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains of western Virginia in 1979, the locals didn’t exactly
welcome them with open arms. Once the last stop for gas before Shenandoah National
Park, this town of less than 200 souls was literally bypassed when Highway 211 was expanded in the
early 1960s. The gas stations closed and that was pretty much that. Then, here come two gay men
from the other Washington—D.C.—with the hare brained idea of opening a restaurant, literally in
the middle of nowhere. The fact that O’Connell and Lynch have built the Inn into one of the most
lauded dining and hospitality experiences, not just in America, but in the world, speaks volumes
about the couple’s passion and commitment to their dream.
“The town was at least 30 years behind the times,” said O’Connell, a self-taught naturally intuitive
chef whose vision and prowess in the kitchen has elevated him to the loftiest of culinary heights.
“Television reception was nonexistent, the town was cut off from the rest of the world by the
mountains.” There was no middle class, said O’Connell, locals “either had land or chopped wood.
When we were getting ready to open, all we heard was ‘who’s comin’?,” recalled O’Connell.
O’Connell and Lynch put every cent they’d saved into opening the Inn 28 years ago, fi rst as a
restaurant that shared space with a local “ladies” craft shop, then later buying the building and
adding 14 rooms to create what has become a spectacular country retreat, America’s only five
diamond inn and restaurant. There isn’t an honor that the Inn hasn’t won, including fi ve James
Beard Awards, a Wine Spectator Grand Award for its 15,000–bottle cellar, and fi ve stars from the
Mobil Guide. As soon as the fi rst review hit the Washington Post, the “outsiders,” as they were
called locally, started arriving in droves. Soon the likes of New York Times’s Craig Claiborne and
Julia Child came to call. Warren Beatty, who has property nearby, Annette Bening, Paul Newman,
Barbara Streisand and other Hollywood stars also took notice. Allen Greenspan and Andrea
Mitchell were married at the Inn.
As the Inn’s star continued to rise, so did the town’s. Real estate prices spiraled, and the less, shall
we say, progressive elements in town cashed in and moved on. In the late 80s, a 2.5 percent meals
and lodging tax was levied, which now accounts for 80 percent of the town budget. And 90 percent
of that total number is generated from the inn. B&Bs sprung up, fed by the Inn’s overflow.
“Anybody who thinks this town would be doing as well as it is without the Inn is kidding
themselves,” said Gary Schwartz, who along with his wife Michelle run Heritage House B&B, one
of three of the local B&Bs to which the Inn refers its clientele. “We’re on the map because of the
Inn,” agreed John MacPherson, who runs another well regarded B&B, Foster Harris, in town. The
MacPhersons left their corporate jobs and moved from Laguna Beach to Washington a few years
ago, after selecting the area over Napa for their B&B and cycling tour business. “We wanted to be
in a vitaculture area with a good climate that would attract a certain type of person.” With the
addition of their son Finn (the town’s 187th resident and first baby born in 2006), Washington now
feels like home. “
While people usually come for the Inn, both Washington and the surrounding Rappahanhock
County has much to offer. The only one of the 30+ Washingtons in the United State that was
surveyed by the founding father, (in 1749 when he was 17), Washington was the site of a confederate
hospital during the Civil War. Civil War history is one draw, another is the wine trail in the county,
along with a small but respectable arts scene, local working farms and antique shops. Virginia’s
wine industry has flourished in recent years. In 1979, six wineries (producing wine that wasn’t
famous for its high quality) operated in the state. Today, some 100 wineries dot the landscape,
and Virginia is the fi fth-largest wine producer in the country. From the passionate small family
winery that focuses on handcrafted wines, to the talented French, South African, and Italian
winemakers who have relocated in Virginia to take advantage of the area’s amenable climate, the
Virginia winemaking community now garners respect, with many wines earning high marks in
Wine Spectator.
At The Inn at Little Washington, fine dining is an equal opportunity
experience. Whether you
opt to stay in one of the Inn’s dramatic guest rooms, each exquisitely
turned out in antiques,
artwork, and layers of fabric by London set designer Joyce Evans, or
overnight at a comfortable, less expensive alternative a block away in
town, dinner is the main
event. O’Connell’s menus are simply sumptuous, an imaginative take on
American cuisine that is anchored by the best ingredients, many locally
sourced. Best of all, this is luxury that doesn’t take itself too
seriously –
O’Connell is a firm believer that dining well shouldn’t be an
intimidating
experience. Hence the menu’s many little surprises, including signature
dishes like Pennsylvania rabbit braised in local cider and served with
grits
soufflé and wild mushrooms and pepper crusted tuna “pretending to be
a filet mignon”. The cheese course arrives in a cow-shaped cart named
Faira—nothing stuffy about that.
The level of service is stunning, the epitome of soigner, French for “to
take good care of something.” Servers aren’t allowed to say no, and each
guest is assigned a mood number, from one, (dreadful), to 10, ecstatic,
with the goal to get everybody in the nine zone before the evening’s end.
Three courses are $138 per person, an eight course tasting is $178, add
$75 for the perfect wine pairing. A big night out, but as guests leave the
dining room, it’s not uncommon to hear them scheming on when they
can come back. In a world where little is what it seems, how refreshing
that the Inn truly does live up to its reputation.
Another thing you’re likely to overhear in the bar is, “Isn’t it incredible
how these guys made it big in the middle of nowhere?” Yes it is. And they
don’t know the half of it.
When asked when he felt truly been accepted by the locals, Lynch
didn’t hesitate. “In 2002,” he said. “Only a few years ago when we were
named Citizens of the Year of Rappahannock County.” The honor, which
included a salutation by the then-governor Mark Warner, lauded the pair
for their contributions to the community, the region and the state. “It
hasn’t been easy,” said O’Connell, “but that award is the one that means
the most to us.”
Beth D'Addono lives in PA.
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