This magnificent inn, one of America's most renowned country retreats, lies in a romantic village in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. For three decades, Patrick O'Connell and Reinhardt Lynch have welcomed guests with exquisite hospitality.

Patrick O’Connell is often referred to as The Pope of American Cuisine. He is one of the pioneers in the evolution of American cooking over the last quarter century. Patrick, who is entirely self taught, learned to cook by reading cookbooks in a rural public library while living in an unheated farmhouse in Virginia. He spent the day in the library because it had central heat and at night kept warm by baking on an old, wood–burning stove. Since that time, his style has evolved to a cuisine that highlights products from the Virginia countryside and elevates regional ingredients to new heights. Unexpected combinations and unlikely juxtapositions, with a touch of whimsy, are hallmarks of his work.

"I was supposed to have become an actor but soon found the living theater of the restaurant world more compelling than the stage. Running a restaurant allows me to be the producer, director, set designer, and lead player in a wonderfully fractured nightly performance in which the world of complete illusion in the dining room is brilliantly juxtaposed with the blood-and-guts reality of the kitchen. Sometimes it seems like a Broadway show that won’t quit – calamities happen, but somehow the show still opens every night.

Ever since we opened The Inn at Little Washington in 1978 we’ve never really thought of it as a "restaurant" - just a hideaway in the country owned by two people who like to entertain a lot. For over 26 years it has felt as if we’ve been hosting one continuous house party. A successful party, like a great film or work of art, elevates the spirit, makes people feel life is worth living and enhances a guest’s self esteem.

We try to convey a sense of place at The Inn by making use of the abundance of wonderful products from our region, which the French call a “cuisine de terroir.” We try to elevate these fine, earthy ingredients and use them in unique and interesting new ways while still preserving the soulful flavors and memories we associate with them. Most of my favorite dishes are the simplest and depend on a few ingredients of the finest quality. I like food to appear effortless in its presentation – as though it dropped on the plate from the sky or was blown on it by a gentle breeze – never touched by human hands – or stacked and tortured as was the trend for a while.

It has taken me a long time to realize that what I’ve been doing over the last decades at The Inn at Little Washington is evolving and refining many of the dishes I grew up with and making them relevant to a new century while keeping their soul intact — building a sort of culinary bridge between the past and future".