Under different circumstances we absolutely would've celebrated by taking an extravagant trip, but with the ongoing pandemic and having two kids, it would've been unaffordable and irresponsible. We came up with the Inn at Little Washington because it seemed both special enough for a big anniversary and doable. We also booked a kitchen table to elevate our experience. That meant we would be witness to the action and perhaps experience some extra flourishes.
In the days leading up to our anniversary a plague hit our house. First Aura, then Iris, then Evan, and very minimally, me. We had to reschedule doctor's appointments, an allergist appointment, a play date with Rodney, some fun stuff, and ultimately, our anniversary dinner. They weren't going to allow us to reschedule until we invoked Covid (we had two negative tests but you never know right...?).
Then the babysitter I found through care.com and we consulted with to pick a new date, flaked on us. Fortunately, the grandmas saved us and we had a successful babysitting experience.
...
I really do love the Inn and while our experience was mostly stellar there were a couple of small misses.
We were initially seated in a small lounge with some snacks. The snacks were good but what I didn't like was the lack of communication. When we were seated in a tea room the woman said something like, this will be your table for the evening. I think she misspoke but nevertheless, it stuck in my mind and the more time passed the more I worried everyone was under the wrong impression and that we weren't going to be taken to the kitchen table. We were there for almost 30 minutes before we were led into the kitchen. Evan thought this brief interlude was purposeful and meant to be relaxing and ease you into the experience. I feel like I would've enjoyed those 30 minutes far more had someone said something like, please enjoy yourself while we get your dinner table ready. It would've set my mind at ease.
There was also a weird moment during our meal where the bread guy came by with four different kinds of bread in abundant supply but only gave us each one slice/piece. We had a huge piece of butter that was reminiscent of a bee hive and it went to waste because we had no bread to spread it on!
When we entered the kitchen we were welcomed by several staff members, Chef Patrick O'Connell, and one staff member dressed in Catholic robes swinging a censer. Whatever was in that censer practically knocked me out! Seriously, I was having a hard time breathing. The Catholic theme continued with the music - our dinner was accompanied by chanting monks.
We were seated at one of two tables that were placed on either side of a great big wood-burning fireplace. We could hear the wood splitting and crackling throughout the dinner. It definitely added to the ambiance. I loved our vantage point and the comfort of our cushioned bench seating. The kitchen was big and beautiful and while there was a lot going on, we couldn't actually see much of the action. I imagine that's somewhat intentional to preserve their intellectual property. In the past when we've dined at restaurants and chosen the "chef's counter" we've been able to see everything but this was not that. We weren't promised a place at the counter so to compare the different experiences would be unfair.
Another nice touch is that they printed out personalized menus for us to bring home. The only disappointment is that it has the date of our dinner printed on it, not our anniversary. It would've been inauthentic to have them make new menus since we technically dined there on October 29, 2022 and not October 6, 2022 as we had intended. Oh well.
All in all it was a lovely experience. I don't think we have to reserve a kitchen table again (just reserving a kitchen table is a hefty price tag) because the meal itself is enough of an extravagance. I'm glad we did it on this occasion though because now we know what the fuss is about and it did give our milestone anniversary some extra pizzazz.
An amuse bouche of cheese cannolis and communion wafers, another reference to the Catholic theme.
This was another cheesy, creamy concoction with mushrooms.
This was some kind of crudo dish.
Lamb carpaccio a la a deconstructed caesar salad. Absolutely delicious!
This was some kind of lobster wrapped in cabbage. It had kind of a jello-like consistency. It was very good but probably my least favorite course. Since Evan has a shellfish allergy he had some kind of mushroom pasta.
Duck with foie gras. Superb!
I can't remember what this was other than a palate cleanser but I do remember enjoying it.
This was a surprise dessert especially crafted and presented to us by Chef Patrick O'Connell. It was a baked Alaska with chocolate ice cream. Chef O'Connell was personable, kind, and without airs. We enjoyed meeting him.
This dessert was not only delectable but we loved the whimsy. It's meant to look like bar soap (white chocolate) in a soap dish with a sponge (angel food cake). Even the plate reminds you of a tiled bathroom floor. So creative and fun!
A large floral arrangement in the foyer of the Inn.
It was a beautiful, clear night. One of the concierges was outside talking to us and he said that's what "rush hour" looks like in Washington, VA.
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