Patrick O'Connell (chef)

Patrick O'Connell (born October 9, 1945) is an American chef and proprietor of the Inn at Little Washington, a country inn and restaurant in the town of Washington, Virginia.[2]

Patrick O'Connell
O'Connell at the 2015 National Book Festival
Born (1945-10-09) October 9, 1945
Washington, DC, U.S.
EducationCatholic University of America
George Washington University[1]
SpouseReinhardt Lynch (former)
Culinary career
Cooking styleRefined American Cuisine
Current restaurant(s)
    • The Inn at Little Washington
Websitewww.theinnatlittlewashington.com/washington-inn-founder.php

Early life and education

O'Connell was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in the nearby suburb of Clinton, Maryland. He was not classically trained as a chef but worked after school at a neighborhood restaurant in his hometown.[1][3]

O'Connell holds an undergraduate degree in drama from the Catholic University of America and he studied at George Washington University.[1][4]

The Inn at Little Washington
Main article: The Inn at Little Washington

Along with his now former business and romantic partner, Reinhardt Lynch, he began a catering business in 1972 in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. In 1978, O'Connell and Lynch opened the Inn at Little Washington in an abandoned gas station. The restaurant opened first for friends and acquaintances on January 28, 1978, then officially to the public on February 1, 1978.

Three weeks after opening, a food critic for The Washington Star, John Rosson, visited the inn for dinner. In April 1978, Rosson's article was printed, proclaiming O'Connell's Inn at Little Washington as "the best restaurant within 150 miles of Washington D.C."[5][6]

The Inn has won the Mobil Travel Guide's Five-Star Awards for its restaurant and accommodations for 14 years.[3] In 2018, the Inn received a three-star rating from the Michelin Guide.[7] The International Herald Tribune rated it as one of the Top Ten Best Restaurants in the World. The Zagat Survey for Washington, D.C. rated it number one in all categories for 14 consecutive years.[8]

Awards and recognition

O'Connell was one of the first American chefs courted by the France-based Relais & Chateaux. He is recognized as one of their "Grands Chefs" (formerly the designation was "Relais Gourmands" referring to establishments of two Michelin Star quality or better). He has been called "The Pope of American Cuisine".[9]

He has won numerous awards including Outstanding Chef in America in 2001 and Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic region in 1993, both awarded by the James Beard Foundation. In 2019, he was awarded their Lifetime Achievement Award.[10] He is a member of the American Culinary Federation and was inducted into the ACF Hall of Fame in 2009.[11] In 2019, O'Connell was awarded the National Humanities Medal.[12]

Works
  • O'Connell, Patrick (2004). Patrick O'Connell's Refined American Cuisine: The Inn at Little Washington. photographs by Tim Turner. New York: Bullfinch Press. ISBN 0-8212-2845-5.

Notes
  1. Stoss, Matthew (November 28, 2018). "The Lord of Little Washington". magazine.gwu.edu. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  2. "The Chefs: Patrick O'Connell". Chef's Story. KQED San Francisco. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
  3. "Patrick O'Connell". Author Spotlight. Random House, Inc. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
  4. McKeon, Nancy (November 13, 1996). "A Wild & Crazy Kind of Chef". The Washington Post.
  5. Sherman, Anita L. (November 6, 2017). "Celebrating 30". The Piedmont Virginian.
  6. McDonough, Megan (December 18, 2013). "John M. Rosson, restaurant critic, food editor". The Washington Post.
  7. Judkis, Maura (September 13, 2018). "The Inn at Little Washington earns its third Michelin star, a first for the D.C. region". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
  8. Tiffany Herklots; Nicholas Sampogna. "Zagat Releases 2013 Washington, DC/Baltimore Restaurants Survey Highlighting Record-Breaking Participation and Coverage". Zagat Survey. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  9. "Meet Chef Patrick O'Connell of the Inn at Little Washington on the official website of Grands Chefs Relais & Châteaux". World Wide Gourmet.
  10. "Patrick O'Connell and the Giving Kitchen will be honored at this year's Beard Awards". JBF. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  11. "American Academy of Chefs Culinary Hall of Fame™ Celebrated Chefs". American Culinary Federation. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  12. Heil, Emily (November 18, 2019). "Patrick O'Connell to receive National Humanities Medal from Trump". The Washington Post.

References
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