The Inn at Little Washington

My recent trip to the East Coast included an excursion out to the Virginia countryside. My friend took me out to the Inn at Little Washington for dinner. The Blue Ridge Mountains were off in the distance on the drive out to Washington, VA. The IaLW is one of the highest rated restaurants in the country. Daniel Bouloud called the IaLW one of the 5 meals worth flying for.

Unlike most restaurants I go to, there is a dress code for the IaLW. Unfortunately, I chose to wear a black dress during a 100-degree heat wave. It turned out that a power outage had hit the restaurant right before we arrived. As a result, many people had canceled their reservations and we were able to be seated early. The decor was pretty interesting. It rather looked like a cross between a Victorian era tea shop and a gay pride parade. My friend said that it was typical for a Virginia country inn. We were by far the youngest diners in the restaurant.

Amuse bouche
Dinner started with an amuse bouche presentation of tuna, prosciutto and melon, shrimp and guacamole and parmesan foam.

Cream of corn soup
Another amuse bouche was a demitasse of cream of corn soup. You could taste the fresh corn in the soup.

Carpaccio of Herb Crusted Baby Lamb with Tabouli and Rosemary Mustard
My first course was the lamb carpaccio. I had never seen lamb carpaccio before and I didn't think that lamb could be served raw. It was very good. The lamb was very rich and not too gamy. I should have followed the example of the diner at the next table and asked for some lemon. A bit of acidity would have been nice.

Seared Maine Diver's Scallop in a Garden Minestrone Perfumed with Pernod
The second course was a scallop (yep, just one) served with fava beans, carrots, tomatoes and Israeli couscous all on a very large plate. The dish was served with a side of pesto and parmesan cheese. The scallop was nicely cooked. The pesto really tied the whole dish together.

Pepper Crusted Tuna Pretending to be a Filet Mignon, Capped with Seared Duck Foie Gras on Charred Onions with a Burgundy Butter Sauce
I was very curious to try this dish because of the ambitious name. The tuna was served rare. It really did taste like filet when paired with the richness of the foie gras and the wine and demiglace based sauce.

Dessert Sampler
As much as I love cheese, I decided to pass one the cheese course because the cheese cart was in the shape of a cow, complete with a cowbell and electronic moos. Instead, I went with the dessert sampler that showcased miniature versions of seven different dessert. The meal ended with mignardise served in little wicker box that we took with us.

The entire meal took just over three hours. The service was very good, if a tad bit rehearsed. I did think that everything about IaLW was a bit fussy. However, I can see why this is one of the top rated restaurants in the country.

The Inn at Little Washington
309 Middle St.
Washington, VA 22747