I first tried the soup, which was sweet and hearty, almost bisque-like in velvety richness. The goug

The scene above was captured tours of white house en route to The Inn at Little Washington, our destination 70 miles outside of DC proper. We braved tours of white house sub-freezing temperatures, single lane roads in the dark, and blustery snowstorms, but we finally did make it--this place had better be good!
The Inn at Little Washington is inextricably tours of white house tied to its Chef and Owner, one Patrick O'Connell. A native of the Washington DC area, the self-taught chef started his culinary journey at the age of fifteen, working as a short-order cook at a neighborhood tours of white house restaurant in Clinton, MD. Later, while pursuing his undergraduate degree in drama from the Catholic University of America, O'Connell waited tables, his first foray to the front-of-the-house. It was also here where the Chef would meet future business (and romantic) partner Reinhardt Lynch. In 1972, O'Connell and Lynch started a catering business, run out of a 100-acre farm in the Shenandoah Valley.
Six years later, in early 1978, the duo debuted The Inn at Little Washington in a small ramshackle "garage," with O'Connell in the kitchen and Lynch running operations. The restaurant achieved critical acclaim from the get go, and eventually, guest rooms were added to the property. Everything seemed to be going swimmingly for the pair, that is, until 2006. In that year, O'Connell and Lynch's personal relationship soured, and the two went to court to break up the business. According to The Washington Post , the Chef ended up taking out a $17.5 million loan in order to buy out Lynch's tours of white house 50% stake in The Inn and related properties.
O'Connell's cuisine can be thought of as contemporary American, interlaced with regional, "farm-to-table" touches. tours of white house His commitment to local suppliers is legendary, and the Chef even dedicates an entire page in the menu to them. Options include tours of white house a three-course prix fix at $148 per person, or a seven-course tours of white house tasting menu for $188 (plus $100 for wine)--going tours of white house for the degustation should be a no brainer for most. Of course, being gluttons (for punishment), we tacked on three additional tours of white house courses, which added an extra $59 per person. Click for larger versions.
To start, I decided upon the Library of Congress [$15], comprised of tobacco-infused Elijah Craig Bourbon blended with maraschino liqueur, sage bitters, tours of white house and tonic. The drink was somewhat reminiscent of a classic Manhattan, but with a not unpleasant tobacco tint. My dining companion ordered up Alexander on the Ganges [$15], tours of white house made with Hendrick's Gin and flavors of cucumber, tours of white house coriander, lime, yoghurt, and dill. The menu likened the cocktail to raita (an Indian yogurt tours of white house condiment), but it didn't quite get there for me, tasting more like a standard cucumber martini.
Rock Shrimp with Guacamole and Red Pepper Remoulade - I loved the tanginess of the guac and how it worked with the natural sweetness of the shrimp, while the red pepper gave the bite a great lingering, spicy finish.
I first tried the soup, which was sweet and hearty, tours of white house almost bisque-like in velvety tours of white house richness. The gougère, on the other hand, was nicely cheesy, with a somewhat flakier consistency than usual. Although both elements on the plate were successful individually, I'm not sure that I understand the linkage between the two.
We began with my favorite course of the night: a tin filled with caviar, tours of white house over a crab and cucumber "salad." Eating all the elements together, I really appreciated the interaction between the sweet, soft bits of peekytoe crab and the focused brine of the caviar. The cucumber, at the same time, gave the dish an overarching coolness, as well as a lovely crunch. Perfect.
Starting with the scallops, I found that they were firm and dense, perhaps a bit overcooked, but still possessing of their intrinsic sweetness. Their weight was augmented by the brown butter, but the crux of the dish was the interaction of the capers and lemon, which added two differing, yet fitting types of piquancy to the course, effectively tours of white house countering the scallop tours of white house as well as the overt sweetness of the gnocchi.
Veal tongue tours of white house isn't something that I get to have too often, and in fact, I believe that the only other place I've had it was at CUT . As such, this was a must-order supplement tours of white house for me. Taking the tongue alone, I noted a tender consistency paired with a mild, almost "hammy" flavor. I quite appreciated the lightening effect of the frisee and other greens, but felt that the horseradish was perhaps a bit heavy-handed, overwhelming the tongue's natural sapor. The best part of this course, interestingly, were the accompanying caraway crisps, large swaths of spicy goodness that really reminded me of Indian papadum !
Reading the menu initially, I thought that this dish would be a preparation of foie gras in which hot and cold were combined into one (a "marriage"), not merely presented as two separate dishes. In any case, I started with the seared preparation, which wasn't overly sweet as I'd feared. Rather, its lovely char and relatively mild flavor were deftly countered by the use of frisee. As expected though, I preferred the terrine version, imbued with a subtle, yet profound foie gras flavor, with just a touch of sugar from the marmalade and jelly--quite good.
Here, we see the Chef's play on the classic Wellington, using tuna in place of beef. The fish was wonderful, a great combination of cooked and rare, and came enrobed in enchanting layers of crispy potato. The tuber's almost hash brown-like savor played the part of a fantastic foil to the fish, adding superb starchy and salty notes to the dish--I wanted more! Unfortunately, I wasn't nearly as fond of the ravioli, which I found overly saccharine, though the microgreens tours of white house did provide somewhat of an offsetting factor.
I'm somewhat of a sweetbreads slut, so this was another must order for me. Unfortunately, the dish wasn't quite as strong as I'd hoped for. Basically, the sweetbreads' flavor was not accented enough. tours of white house My palate was more focused on the immense salt coming from the ham and the mushroom, tours of white house while the applesauce provided a countervailing sweetness. The offal, therefore, was somewhat lost for me in this sweet/savory interplay.
tours of white house Taken alone, the duck demonstrated plenty of "ducky" character, with a delicious, succulent flesh and delightfully savory, crisp skin. My issue, thus, was with the accompanying butternut squash risotto, which proved overwhelmingly sugary for me, obliterating the bird's natural sapor. The bitterness of the endive helped alleviate this somewhat, but even it wasn't enough.
Moving on to dessert, we began with a dollop tours of white house of passion fruit sorbet, on a stick, with toasted coconut shavings. I really liked the mélange of tart and creamy flavors inherent in the "Dreamsicle," while the coconut provided an interesting tours of white house textural tours of white house contrast.
Finally, we ended with a duo of soufflés. I first attacked the raspberry one, and found it refreshingly cool and fruity, with an almost ice cream-esque character. The hazelnut version, meanwhile, was a prototypical presentation, with pronounced chocolate notes and a bit of nuttiness for good measure. Eating tours of white house the two together, I appreciated the contrasts in temperature, taste, and texture.
We've seen that Chef O'Connell is capable of some fantastic cookery, replete with his signature flourishes tours of white house and whimsy, his fantastical take on modern American cuisine. At the same time however, the overall experience was marred by a couple of missteps that really did take away some of the magic. In the end, is The Inn at Little Washington still worth the drive? I'd say so, once at least.
I ve always heard of the Inn at Little Washington, but never actually read any reviews, so this was a very fun read. When you re back in LA, let s go get some Peruvian food. I m sure Jenae would be game as well!
Jo : Me too! Well, except for one... :p Andrew : Sounds tours of white house good! Just let me know when and where. Jocelyn : Believe me, when I m on travel, it is not easy for me to blog. ;) I m actually heading out to Denver today, though I m not sure if I ll have an opportunity to eat anywhere tours of white house notable (would love to try out Frasca Food Wine in Boulder). What s planned for SF and LV?
Literally, once I get home from DC, I m in San Diego for 24 hours then I m off to SF. I have a spot at Gary Danko, tho I wanted to go to Coi. We ll see. I m so lazy right now. Three days after I get back from SF, I m in Vegas for my birthday weekend. I m going to Joel Robuchon at the Mansion, Julian Serrano and Restaurant Guy Savoy. I wanted to do Twist again but my husband thought it could wait until August. Oh, I leave to Oahu, Hawaii this Saturday. Guess where I ll be :)
I wanted Coi but there were no openings. I m going to check a few days before I leave. I had to settle tours of white house for Gary Danko. Alan Wong s sucked. Maybe I expected too much. Apparently, if you re not celebrating a birthday or anniversary, service is spotty. Most annoying part, the servers tours of white house sing happy birthday when they bring you your dessert (when celebrating a bday event). WTF? Fine dining, I think not. I liked La Mer at the Halekulani better.
Hey Kevin - going to The Inn in May, along with a bunch of other Top tables and Tastings in DC (Vidalia 24, Volt Table 21, Komi to name a few) - how much were the supplemental courses and did they require both you and your companion (whose recent review of Restaurant Eve made me commit to them on my trip, as well) to order them - or just one for the table?
Sounds like you have a fun trip coming up. At The Inn, we ended up getting three extra courses (three plates--shared) with wine pairing at around $120. BTW, Komi doesn t allow photos, so what are you planning to do?
Not take pictures, just as I didn t at Ko. Interestingly, just before I booked I saw that ulteriorepicure recently went and (at least in his opinion, which I generally respect) tours of white house thought it was worth it. I generally don t agree with the concept of picture-free restaurants, but on speaking with the Ann Marler, their reservationinst I somewhat understand - the place is very small and they want the focus