Inn at Little Washington’s Tavern Shops
The beguiling charm of the Inn at Little Washington is pretty much second to none — on a recent trip we were transfixed by the twee century-old buildings that make up the getaway in Washington, Virginia (population 127). But there was one edifice in particular that caught our eye: A vivid mustardy-colored, colonial-looking structure housing the Tavern Shops that looks as if it’s been there for centuries. And in fact, it has. (Local lore says George Washington danced in the small ballroom of the building when he was a young man.) You might think the bright color was just a quaint choice by the Inn’s decorator, but in fact it was chosen for a very specific reason: It perfectly matches chef/owner Patrick O’Connell’s crowd-pleasing apple-rutabaga soup. And having sampled cuisine by the renowned chef ourselves, we suggest painting a few more of the Inn’s buildings in tribute to his fine food.
Photo by Tim Turner
