With Patrick O’Connell
Patrick is the chef, proprietor and the cofounder of The Inn at Little Washington, considered one of the top 10 restaurants of the Planet by the International Herald Tribune. It became America’s first 5 Star country house hotel.
Usually we refer to the Italian, Spanish, French, Chinese or Japanese cuisine. How would you define American Cuisine?
Every country’s cuisine is a reflection of its history, culture and geography. America is no exception. Even though our country is often referred to as “melting pot” of nationalities and ethnic sub-cultures, our cuisine is still identifiable and unmistakably unique. It tells the story of a land conquered by Spanish, French and English explorers who vanquished the Native American Indians and moved west as pioneers in covered wagons during the gold rush to settle the new frontier. Like a vintage photograph, every one of our cherished recipes documents a moment and place in time connecting us to our ancestors.
It has taken me a long time to realize that what I’ve been doing over the last quarter century at The Inn at Little Washington is evolving and refining many of the dishes I grew up with, making them relevant to a new century while keeping their soul intact—building a sort of culinary bridge between the past and the future.
In France a distinction has always been drawn between everyday home cooking and “haute cuisine”. Finally American cuisine has evolved to the point that we also have two distinct levels of cooking and our own equivalent to la grande cuisine of France. I refer to this as “Refined American Cuisine”.
Being a Chef is hard work and long hours. What are your most rewarding moments?
Every day is rewarding in its own way. There is always some aspect of growth or newness. Every day is a fresh canvas where a new miracle can be created. I am satisfied and happy if I can see some tangible improvement in any aspect of our work each day. This way there is always a new challenge and nothing feels stale. A chef’s work, like any artist must reflect his present state of mind and evolution in order to feel authentic to an audience. Therefore, as I evolve, so does my cuisine.
The Inn in Washington is located in Virginia, far from the traditional finest restaurants and customers spots. How do you deal with this?
There are both advantages and disadvantages in our country location. We are much closer to nature and to our products. We raise many of our crops and have a network of local farmers who supply us with some of the greatest materials in the world. On the other hand we sometimes feel a bit detached from the mainstream and in a sort of timeless bubble. Thankfully, our remote location seems to help keep us immune from silly trends or fads.
What is the next big thing for American cuisine?
The next big challenge is to convince the media that beauty and luxury are essential components to our well-being and that an exquisite meal in wonderful surroundings can be therapeutic and enhance a person’s self esteem. At the moment, we seem to be experiencing a new Puritanism fostered by the economic downturn. The public needs to realize that sometimes the best value can be found in the most expensive restaurants.
In the future the guest experience will become more interactive. For example, at The Inn at Little Washington we invite our clients to take a walk to the chicken house and choose their own eggs for breakfast. They can stroll through the herb garden and pick the herbs they want in their omelette. Almost everyone visits our kitchen and many guests choose to dine there at the Chef’s tables.
Patrick O’Connell is one of the Grand Chef at Relais & Châteaux, a family of 480 prestigious hotels and restaurants in 56 countries. He is also the owner of the Relais & Chateaux The Inn in Little Washington, in Virginia, United States. He wrote two best selling cookbook, The Inn at Little Washington Cookbook : A Consuming Passion and Refined American Cuisine, The Inn at Little Washington.
