Paris!! (September 2018)

Posted on October 9, 2018 by mayliang429

We were in Paris for a week to celebrate the Inn at Little Washington’s 40th anniversary (and its 3rd Michelin star). The weather was lovely—sunny and crisp. In total, we ate at 5 restaurants (if you count the Inn) with a total of 12 Michelin stars (yes, we are gluttonous pigs). But it was a glorious gluttony!
We went with two friends of ours from Wichita and stayed at the Shangri-la Paris. The Shangri-la is situated in the 17th arrondissement, looking over the Eiffel Tower, and the building is the former estate of Napoleon’s great-nephew, Roland Bonaparte.

view from our terrace

The Inn had arranged for a couple of additional events for us to attend. The first was a private tour of the Dior archives, which consists of both clothing and documents. It was fascinating to see how the archivists conserved vintage clothing and preserved various documents from the Dior shows and from the designer himself.
In addition, Jamie McCourt, the US ambassador to France, hosted a reception at her residence for the Inn. The ambassadorial residence is a building that was formerly owned by a New Orleans-born woman, the Baroness de Pontalba. (Talleyrand also once lived at that same location). After the death of the Baroness, one of the Rothschilds purchased the estate. The family fled to Switzerland when the Germans invaded. This proved to be a wise decision as the residence then became a club for Goering’s officers during the German occupation.
The residence and the grounds are beautiful, and there is even a Calder located on the grounds (it’s on loan).

The US ambassador’s residence

the Calder!

But the crowning event celebrating the Inn took place at Vaux-le-Vicomte, the former residence of Louis XIV’s finance minister. It is said that Louis XIV modeled Versailles after Vaux-le-Vicomte (with Versailles being a bigger and better model, of course—that’s what happens when you’re an absolute monarch). Vaux-le-Vicomte is a drop dead fairy tale-like gorgeous chateau, complete with moat in front (no sharks) and an 18th century French formal garden in the back.

the gardens at Vaux-le-Vicomte

There were guardsmen, jugglers, musicians, and flamethrowers, all dressed in 17th century period clothing. Patrick O’Connell, the chef and owner of the Inn, was also dressed in period costume.

with Chef Patrick O’Connell

The food was excellent (of course!) and at the end of the evening, there were the most amazing fireworks in the garden, set to music. It was the most elaborate fireworks show I have ever seen.

menu from the 40th anniversary dinner

dining in the Grand Salon

In between all of these events, we played conventional tourists (the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, and Notre Dame) as well as unconventional tourists (Musée de Marmottan, Musée de L’Orangerie—both filled with Monet paintings, Musée d’Orsay, and Sainte Chapelle).
We also ate at Shang Palace, Taillevent, Guy Savoy, and L’Arpège. They were all their usual impressive places, but the place that stood out this time was L’Arpège. The chef is a genius with vegetables, which all come from his 10 hectare garden in Normandy.
Speaking personally, I am replete with paté and foie gras and red wine. It was a magnificent trip.

The Inn at Little Washington’s 40th birthday at Mount Vernon

Posted on June 21, 2018 by mayliang429

The Inn at Little Washington is celebrating its 40th birthday in grand style this year. Mount Vernon (George Washington’s home for those of you who never learned/have forgotten your U.S. history) was the site of its most recent celebration. And what better place to celebrate one’s birthday than at the home of the man who laid out Washington, Virginia as a surveyor? (Before he went on to some other career highlights.)

Dress was “garden chic,” which caused no small amount of consternation for our group. Stilettos or no stilettos? Long or short dress? Hat or no hat? Tie or no tie? (General consensus: no, short, no, no.)

The reception was held in Martha Washington’s garden with a troupe of colonial dancers, a generous caviar station, and a gaggle(?) of U.S. marshals (Supreme Court Justice Alito was one of the attendees).

My favorite part of the event was, naturally, the mime.

The dinner was held in a giant tent on the grounds by the Potomac, just outside the house.

We started off with a Barboursville Brut Rosé Cuvée 1814.

The appetizer was Mousse of Duck Liver with Port Gelée and Rhubarb Jam in a Hen’s Egg accompanied by a 2013 Linden Vineyards Petit Manseng, Late Harvest from Virginia.

Mousse of Duck Liver

The second course was Maine Lobster in a Raft of Crisp Potatoes Afloat on a Minted Pea Purée served with a 2015 Matrot Meursault, Blagny, Premier Cru from Burgundy.

Maine Lobster

And the final (non-dessert) course was Poulet à la Crème à la Lafayette. The accompanying wine was a 2014 RdV Vineyards Rendezvous from Virginia.

chicken a la lafayette

We concluded with a dessert “groaning board” consisting of miniature desserts, including lemon possets, cherry pies, blueberry pies, pecan pies, and lemon meringue pies (with additional desserts that I’ve forgotten since recovering from my food coma).

the after-dessert goodies

Fireworks were also provided at the conclusion of dinner (because, of course).

For more beautiful photos than I can provide, you can go see The Washingtonian’s coverage of the event: Inn’s 40th celebration. (In full disclosure, you can see part of our group in the tent photo.)

Inn at Little Washington weekend (aka I want to come back in my next life as one of my kids)

Posted on March 9, 2017 by mayliang429

As you may have noticed from my blog posts, the Inn at Little Washington is a favorite restaurant of ours, with a combination of stunning food and warm hospitality. (We always feel treated like family when we go.). This past weekend will be remembered in the family chronicles as the Inn at Little Washington weekend.
Jade wanted to hold a “thank you” party for her friends. This all started in 7th grade during bar/bat mitzvah year. She asked for a bat mitzvah party, and we pointed out that since we aren’t Jewish, that would be a tad difficult. Jim eventually told her that we would throw her the equivalent of a bat mitzvah if she was accepted into Stanford (she didn’t have to go, but she had to be accepted). Dinner at the Inn at Little Washington with her friends was what she wanted.
We booked both kitchen tables on Saturday night for the late seating and had a limo bus ready to go. Everyone arrived early (our biggest fear, since punctuality is not her friends’ strong point, as fond as I am of them) and off they went.

All eleven friends elected to spend the night at our house, given the lateness of their return. (Note: 12 teenagers in one house is not for the OCD amongst you.). Most importantly, everyone (especially Jade) had a fabulous time. For some reason, no one was particularly hungry at breakfast the next morning. Can’t imagine why.
Sunday was Marcus’s turn. For his birthday, we gave him a dinner for 6 at the Inn. So, Sunday afternoon, he and 5 of his friends piled into a different limo bus (one that was much more limo than bus) and went off to the Inn for dinner.

The three of us decided that we needed a dinner at the Inn as well but made sure we would be seated out of sight lines from the table of 9th graders. In addition to the always skillful and imaginative food, we were pleasantly surprised to have new dishes to sample—all of which were delectable.
The new dishes included:
Carmelized Catalan Foie Gras Custard, which quite possibly is the best foie gras we’ve ever had:

carmelized catalan foie gras custard

Chilled Maine Lobster with Vichyssoise Puree and American Osetra Caviar

chilled lobster with caviar

Japanese Wagyu Beef Two Ways: Seventy-Two Hour Braised Short Rib and Ribeye Sashimi with Potato “Noodles” in Fragrant Broth (possibly the best dish of the night, which is saying something!)

wagyu beef two ways

Raviolis of Ginger Scented Sweet Potatoes and Apples with Brown Butter, Sage, and Toasted Pecans

sweet potato and apple ravioli

Chocolate Mint Bomb

mint ice cream in a chocolate bomb

There isn’t a lot more to be said, other than the fact that the Inn could not have been nicer about having 12 high school seniors descend upon them one night and then 6 high school freshmen descend upon them the following night. Their hospitality and graciousness created two evenings that will not be soon forgotten!

Inn at Little Washington December 2016

Posted on January 14, 2017 by mayliang429

Another one of our annual traditions is to go to the Inn at Little Washington after Christmas and spend the night. While Jim and I usually do it with just the two of us, this year, we took the kids. (I know—I want to come back in my next life as one of our kids, too.)
The Inn was kind enough to sit us at the kitchen table, which made the entire experience even more memorable. Unlike many kitchens, especially in New York, the kitchen at the Inn is quiet and serene, at least on the surface. The stress and tension are definitely there, as it is in every high-end restaurant kitchen, but yelling and profanities are not acceptable behavior.
We started off with a family favorite—truffle popcorn. As much as I love every dish at the Inn, there are times when I think that the truffle popcorn is all I need to keep me happy. It truly elevates popcorn so that you’ll never be happy with the movie theatre version again.

truffle popcorn

Next up, was the amuse-bouche. We were treated to the chip-and-dip served on an (inedible) stone.

In addition, there was a bite of pork belly served with a hoisin sauce.

pork belly

And, finally, there was a brioche with a quail egg and quince jam. Everything was quite delectable.

brioche

Next up was an oxtail consommé with a miniature grilled cheese sandwich studded with black truffles. The oxtail consommé used to be part of a regular dish on the menu, and it was one of my favorite dishes on the menu. This taste brought back a lot of lovely food memories. Virtually any savory dish can be improved upon with the addition of black truffles, and the grilled cheese sandwich was no exception. Heavenly.

oxtail consomme & grilled cheese

Another Inn favorite that is no longer on the menu is the fire and ice—seared tuna served on a bed of cabbage “noodles” topped with cucumber sorbet. We took advantage of its availability that night.

fire and ice

Our son had the carpaccio of lamb loin with caesar salad ice cream. It’s a favorite of his.

lamb carpaccio

The mousse of foie gras with sauternes gelee and red plum preserve is another family favorite and is often ordered when we are at the Inn.

foie gras mousse

Another past menu item that made a brief return was the roasted pheasant with cabbage

roasted pheasant

Jim took advantage of white truffle season and ordered the spaetzle “risotto” with a poached farm egg and white truffles.

white truffles galore!

Our daughter had the pan roasted lobster with tomato butter, spinach, and garlic custard (among other things):

lobster

The pan-seared diver scallop with artichoke puree, capers, and tomato tartare was excellent,

scallop

And the Inn always does a fabulous job with its version of roasted duck topped with foie gras and served with pickled cranberries (which were amazing!):

roast duck

Here is the delicious pork jowl with braised red cabbage and walnut ravioli:

pork jowl with walnut ravioli

The most amazing dish they served us in an evening of amazing dishes was a black truffle, which they had roasted in the ashes of the fireplace in the kitchen. It had been wrapped in foil and was warm and sat in its own lovely truffle juice. It was then sliced and served over a simply dressed salad with the juices poured over it. Those truffles were one of the most wonderful things I have ever put in my mouth.

roasted black truffles!

Desserts included the painter’s palette of sorbets,

the chocolate mint fantasy,

a chocolate hazelnut mousse tart,

and a honeycrisp apple tart.

While the food is definitely delicious and artistic and memorable, the service is even more exceptional. The staff always looks happy to see us (they are excellent actors all!), and we are treated like valued guests. We already are looking forward to our next trip there!

Inn at Little Washington birthday dinner

Posted on September 21, 2016 by mayliang429

It was our son’s 15^th (!) birthday a couple of weeks ago and, in addition to feeling really old, we celebrated with a dinner at the Inn at Little Washington (at his request).

As usual, dinner was fabulous from the moment we stepped into the restaurant until we were wheeled out of the restaurant in a food coma.

Appetizers included the mélange of the Inn garden’s heirloom tomatoes with marinated fairy tale eggplant and local sheep milk’s feta

to a tin of sin (American osetra caviar with peekytoe crab and cucumber rillettes)

to a quartet of Rappahanock oyster slurpees (with sorbets of cucumber, cocktail sauce, horseradish, and wasabi)

Additional courses consisted of a carpaccio of herb-crusted Elysian Fields baby lamb loin with Caesar salad ice cream

to a crispy napoleon of chilled main lobster with osetra caviar

to a pan-seared Maine diver scallop with Jerusalem artichoke purée, capers and tomato relish

to grilled pepper-crusted black kingfish with shallot confiture and red wine reduction

to crispy maple-glazed pork jowl with braised red cabbage and walnut ravioli

to fontina-filled tortelloni on a sweet corn sauté with local shiitake mushrooms and patty pan squash purée

to a chanterelle mushroom “meatloaf” with celery root purée and angry red sauce

to a chop of organic milk fed pork with grilled peaches and potato purée

Dessert included a miniature chocolate birthday cake

to the Inn’s signature dessert of seven deadly sins (clearly gluttony is the one practiced most frequently here!)

to a peach tart served with almond ice cream

It was an incredible meal and a perfect birthday celebration!

with Chef Patrick O’Connell

Dinner at the Inn at Little Washington (April 2016)

Posted on April 20, 2016 by mayliang429

When our family arrived at the Inn at Little Washington a couple of weeks ago, we were asked if we were celebrating a special occasion (which does happen). This time, however, our response was: “Dinner!”

And dinner that evening was definitely worth celebrating. We started off with the well-known (and delectable) popcorn with black truffles and a series of amuse-bouches. And then the restaurant got down to business. The amuse-bouches that arrived after the first course of amuse-bouches were:

Tempura Asparagus with Hollandaise sauce

tempura asparagus with hollandaise sauce

and White Bean Soup with a Chive Gougère.

white bean soup with a gougere

All of us had the Mousse of Foie Gras in a Golden Egg Shell with Sauternes Gelée and Blood Orange Rhubarb-Preserve (yum!);

foie gras mousse

one of us also had the Carpaccio of Herb-Crusted Elysian Fields Baby Lamb Loin with Caesar Salad Ice Cream (a perennial favorite);

lamb carpaccio

We also all had the Toro with Radishes and Coconut Tapioca Beads and Wasabi Sorbet (the toro was melt-in-your-mouth buttery goodness);

toro with wasabi sorbet

Some of us had the Pan Seared Sea Bass with Roasted Romaine and Sauce Choron (the fish was perfectly cooked);

sea bass

Jim and I picked the Inn’s Morel “Meatloaf” with Potato Purée and Jalapeño Ketchup (the fact that I did not regret one moment picking this vegetarian dish over the lamb demonstrates just how good this dish was);

morel “meatloaf”

The son had the Veal Shenandoah: Prosciutto Wrapped Loin of Veal with Country Ham and Fontina Cheese Ravioli;

veal

and the daughter had the Parsley-Crusted Loin of Jamison Farm’s Lamb with Green Lentils.

lamb

A quick break to ease the transition into dessert with an Orange-Vanilla Creamsicle with shortbread crumbs;

orange-vanilla creamsicle

And we finished our lovely meal with the Inn’s Southern Butter Pecan Ice Cream Sandwich with Bittersweet Chocolate and Hot Caramel Sauce

butter pecan ice cream sandwich

and A Painter’s Palette of Sorbets;

painter’s palette of sorbets

and the Inn’s Spring Fling: Limoncello Pudding, Strawberry Rhubarb Yogurt, Strawberry Rhubarb Sorbet

spring fling

It was indeed a meal that definitely celebrated dinner!

Dinner at the Inn at Little Washington (again)

Posted on February 1, 2016 by mayliang429

I know we were just there in December, but our son wanted to celebrate his excellent report card with a dinner at the Inn, and who are we to say no to that? So off we went in mid-January to enjoy another scrumptious meal (and many congratulations regarding his academic performance).

The kitchen was kind enough to provide an appetizer that wasn’t on the regular menu. It was a seared slice of toro (the fatty belly from the tuna) from Hawaii served with Asian greens and sprinkled with sesame seeds. “Seared” was perhaps a generous description (the kitchen might have waved it over the heat for a nanosecond or two), which is just how we like it. The toro melted in your mouth—it was an incredibly succulent mouthful.

seared toro

Next up for our son was seared foie gras–again, generously provided by the kitchen despite the fact that it wasn’t on the menu. This dish was evidently good enough for him not to share.

seared foie gras

The remaining three members of the family had the golden egg filled with a mousse of foie gras and sauternes gelee. (The mousse is room temperature, which is why the son wasn’t a fan—he likes hot dishes for his meals.) However, none of the rest of us was complaining. This is a relatively new dish on the Inn’s menu, and it is heavenly.

golden egg with foie gras mousse

Next up for the son was one of his favorite Inn dishes—macaroni and cheese done Inn-style. He was thrilled to see it back on the menu.

mac-and-cheese

The daughter and I had the pork cheek agnolotti bathed in uni butter. I hesitated about ordering this dish, as I do not like sea urchin AT ALL, but Jim encouraged me to get it, and I’m glad he did. The uni provided a subtle flavor to the veal cheek, and the sauce was, of course, delectable.

pork cheek agnolotti

Jim, on the other hand, ordered one of his favorite dishes—the tin of sin. Osetra caviar on top of a crab rillettes and served with a side of brioche. For caviar lovers, this is a must try.

tin of sin

For entrees, three of us had the short rib of bison with local mustard greens and gremolata.

short rib of bison

The daughter chose the cauliflower “steak” with yellow Indian curry.

cauliflower “steak”

As we paused for breath (and stomach room), we were served with a palate cleanser of the Inn’s version of the orange creamsicle in a dish of shortbread crumbs.

creamsicle

And then came the desserts. The congratulatory dessert was mint chocolate chip ice cream accompanied by chocolate ribbons.

mint chocolate chip ice cream

The daughter chose a lemon meringue tartlet.

lemon meringue tartlet

Jim chose the classic Inn dessert of the Seven Deadly Sins.

seven deadly sins

And I had my standby of the Granny Smith Apple Tart.

granny smith apple tart

We emerged from the dinner with all of our taste buds enjoying their food coma. Another fabulous dinner at the Inn!

The Inn is located at the intersection of Middle and Main Street, Washington, Virgnia. You can find out more about the Inn at www.theinnatlittlewashington.com.

Inn at Little Washington Over The Holidays

Posted on December 29, 2015 by mayliang429

Jim and I have a tradition we’ve done for many years, which is to go spend a night at the Inn at Little Washington between Christmas and New Year’s, just the two of us. (This does not go over well with the kids, who also want to dine there and spend the night, but we ignore their protests.)

The menu has changed a bit since I last blogged about a meal there, so I thought I’d take you through what we had last night.

We started, of course, with one of my favorite dishes there—truffle popcorn. You will never want to have movie theatre popcorn again after having this. The popcorn is tossed with some herbs and spices, but the whole point of this popcorn is that it is topped with shaved black truffle. Yummmmmmm…..

truffle popcorn

Next up were an assortment of amuse-bouches. These included miniature veal cheek sandwiches with homemade chips and miniature pickles;

miniature veal cheek sandwiches

the world’s smallest baked potato topped with caviar, “chips & dip,” cucumber rillettes topped with fish roe, and a red wine risotto ball.

assortment of amuse-bouches

Next up was a pheasant consommé accompanied by a chive gougère. The consommé was simply unbelievably fabulous and went onto my list of all-time favorite dishes (it’s a long list with a lot of Inn dishes on it).

pheasant consomme

The next course was an egg filled with a mousse of foie gras and port gelée. Not rich and decadent at all…

foie gras mousse in an egg

An old favorite of the Inn’s was resurrected and reformulated–fire and ice, which is now seared tuna served with watermelon radishes in a sesame-ginger sauce and topped with cucumber sorbet. It was like welcoming back an old friend.

fire & ice

I then had a raviolo of spinach topped with—you guessed it—white Alba truffles. Delectable (and so good for you, too!).

spinach raviolo (with truffles!)

Jim had sweet-and-sour diver’s scallops accompanied by a shisito pepper. The sweet-and-sour was restrained and elegant, and the shisito pepper gave the dish a nice contrasting flavor (or so I’m told, I didn’t get a bite of that).

sweet and sour scallops

The final “entrée” was a short rib of bison that had been cooking for 14 hours, served with mustard greens and topped with homemade onion rings. The slight bitterness of the mustard greens went well with the richness of the bison and the slightly sweet onion rings.

short rib of bison

The palate cleanser was the Inn’s version of a dreamsicle accompanied with crumbs of shortbread.

dreamsicle

And finally (not pictured) was a Granny Smith apple tart (for me) and a visit by Faira the Cow and Cameron the cheese maestro (for Jim). And the beautiful cappuccino accompanied by a slice of biscotti.

oh, biscotti!

The Inn was, of course, still decorated for the holidays, with festively decorated trees and garlands and holiday lights. It was a wonderful way to bring the year to an end!

Inn at Little Washington (December 2014)

Posted on January 9, 2015 by mayliang429

Every year, Jim and I try and spend one night at the Inn at Little Washington sometime between Christmas and New Year as a way to relax and spend some time together. This year, we decided to bring the entire crew (the kids, our exchange student, and Jim’s mom) to spend the night there. (Gift certificates are wondrous things.)

We stayed at the Claiborne House (named after Craig Claiborne, an influential food reporter and chef). The Claiborne House is an extremely cute, over-the-top decorated two bedroom house, complete with its own well-equipped kitchen. (Although why anyone needs a kitchen when they’re staying at the Inn is beyond me.) As an example of the Inn’s attention to detail, we discovered that the cookie jar in the kitchen is stuffed with cookies made at the Inn. (And they are quite delicious!)

Naturally, we had a lovely dinner. The Inn has changed its format somewhat and now offers three different tasting menus, including an excellent vegetarian one. You can swap out items between tasting menus to suit your own tastes. The portions are small, to suit a tasting menu. Much as we don’t particularly like change, we like this change very much. It matches well to our inclination to taste as many different dishes as possible, you can customize the menu, and you don’t feel uncomfortably stuffed at the end of the meal. It’s perfect for us.

At almost every meal we have there, we start with some off-the-menu appetizers, and I never remember to record them. This time, I did!

To start out, there is a new bartender at the Inn who does an amazing job with non-alcoholic drinks. This is only one example of the many concoctions he came up with that evening. They are sophisticated and delicious and worth trying, especially if you are the designated driver. This is the one time you won’t be sorry to be limited to non-alcoholic drinks!

equally attractive non-alcoholic alternative

Truffle popcorn is one of my favorite dishes at the Inn. This is no ordinary popcorn. It’s been tossed with a variety of spices and a little butter. But the crowning glory is that as the popcorn is being served, a generous amount of black truffle is shaved on top of it. I could eat nothing but a giant bowl of truffle popcorn and still consider the meal to be one of my favorite meals at the Inn!

truffle popcorn

The tasting menu starts with a shot of soup. For some, it was a white bean truffle soup and for others, it was apple rutabaga soup. Both soups are served with a fried risotto ball on the side. My preference was the white bean truffle soup as the apple rutabaga soup was a bit sweet for me, but that was definitely not a unanimous opinion.

white bean truffle soup

apple rutabaga soup

There are two raw fish dishes being served on the current menu. The first is a sashimi of Japanese yellowtail served with jalapeno peppers and dusted with espelette.

sashimi of japanese yellowtail

The second is ahi tuna tartare served with cucumber sorbet.

ahi tuna tartare

Both are spectacular, and the quality of the fish is superb.

Next up are Brussels sprouts served with honeycrisp apples, spiced pecans and Madeira-soaked raisins

Brussel sprouts

Beet carpaccio accented with orange and vodka gelée

beet carpaccio

A marriage of hot and cold foie gras with sauternes gelée and blood orange marmalade

hot and cold foie gras

Off the vegetarian menu is a lemon pepper risotto

lemon pepper risotto

The best new item on the menu is a thinly shaved Australian wagyu beef “shabu-shabu.” The beef is beyond tender, and the shabu-shabu broth has a bite to it that is both unexpected and leaves you wanting more.

wagyu beef shabu-shabu

This is a truffle-stuffed breast of pheasant on savoy cabbage and braised in champagne

breast of pheasant

The vegetarian equivalent is a winter turnip gratin with a quail egg and parmesan broth.

winter turnip gratin

This is a sweet New England bay scallops dish served with candied yams and young coconut. A bit on the sweet side for me with the yams, but the scallops were delicate and wonderful.

bay scallops

The “meat” entrees included a pork chop with sauerkraut braised in Virginia Riesling, local apples and potato purée.

pork chop

Duck breast served with foie gras and endive and wild rice.

duck breast

And a cauliflower “steak” with yellow Indian curry, green grapes and candied walnuts.

cauliflower steak

As a palate cleanser, we were served a cranberry orange sorbet and hickory ice cream popsicle.

palate cleanser popsicle

Desserts included a Granny Smith apple tart with buttermilk ice cream

apple tart with buttermilk ice cream

A lemon meringue tartlet

lemon meringue tartlet

And the painter’s palette of sorbets

painter’s palette of sorbets

Even the lattes are beautiful…

latte

A lovely way to celebrate the end of the year!

Inn at Little Washington birthday dinner

Posted on May 27, 2014 by mayliang429

We had my birthday dinner at the Inn at Little Washington a couple of weeks ago. The Inn was kind enough to do a somewhat individualized menu for us, and I feel inclined to gloat about the meal, which was fabulous, even by the Inn’s usual impeccable standards.

We started off, of course, with truffle popcorn. Really, dinner at the Inn would be complete with just a giant vat of this. Who needs a real meal?

truffle popcorn

But, no, we had to continue on with a shot of chilled English minted pea soup (which wasn’t exactly not delicious, mind you).

English mint pea soup with Parmesan tulle

Served along with these was a Legret champagne, Blanc de Blancs.

Next up was the spicy sesame crusted ahi tuna tartare with cucumber sorbet. The wine was a Pinon Vouvay from Trios Argiles. It was surprisingly good for a white wine. (I know—did I mention I was high maintenance?)

ahi tuna tartare

The fourth course was a Fricassee of Potato Gnocchi with Wild Morel Mushrooms, Asparagus, and Slivers of Virginia Country Ham. This dish was divine. The wine paired with this dish was a Cadre The Architects Pinot Noir.

gnocchi with morel mushrooms and Virginia country ham

The entrée was a Jamison Farms Lamb Loin with Potato Puree, Spring Vegetables and an Onion Jam. We served a 1998 and 2001 Rudd Oakville Estate Cabernet side-by-side with this dish.

lamb loin with spring vegetables

And for dessert, there was A Spring Fling: A Miniature Rhubarb Cobbler, Limoncello Pudding Cake and Strawberry Ice Cream. I prefer fruit desserts over chocolate desserts (which the family members whose names start with J consider heresy), so this was perfect, both seasonally and for me. The wine was a Steindorfer Cuvee Klaus Eisewein.

trio of spring desserts

It was an extraordinarily memorable dinner!

May’s Mutterings

Rants and Ramblings by May

Tag Archives: Inn at Little Washington

Paris!! (September 2018)

The Inn at Little Washington’s 40th birthday at Mount Vernon

Inn at Little Washington weekend (aka I want to come back in my next life as one of my kids)

Inn at Little Washington December 2016

Inn at Little Washington birthday dinner

Dinner at the Inn at Little Washington (April 2016)

Dinner at the Inn at Little Washington (again)

Inn at Little Washington Over The Holidays

Inn at Little Washington (December 2014)

Inn at Little Washington birthday dinner

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