A Star the Mountains: Appalachia’s only Michelin-ranked restaurant

The Inn at Little Washington

The culinary capitals of the world—Paris, Tokyo, New York—are flush with award-winning dining institutions.

These establishments often feature sleek, modern dining rooms or historic spaces with centuries of prestige, helmed by chefs with years of classical training. Their menus showcase rare ingredients, intricate plating, and a level of service that borders on theater. It’s the kind of dining experience one expects in a bustling metropolis, where access to luxury is the norm.

But in the rolling hills of Appalachia, far from the glitz of Michelin’s usual selections, one restaurant has defied expectations, proving that world-class dining can thrive in a region dedicated to a sense of place and local food.

The Inn at Little Washington, located in Washington, Va., opened in 1978 under the vision of Patrick O’Connell. A self-taught chef who believed world-class cuisine could—and should—exist outside of big cities, O'Connell transformed a former garage into what is now one of the most celebrated restaurants in America.

O’Connell, a native of Washington, D.C., created an alliance with local farmers and artisanal producers more than 40 years ago out of necessity because nothing other than milk was delivered to the town, which had a total population of 133 at the time.

He pioneered a regional American cuisine on the corner of Main and Middle streets in the tiny Virginia village 67 miles west of the nation’s capital.

While paying homage to classical French cuisine, his approach to cooking reflects O’Connell’s belief in American cuisine today — “healthy, eclectic, imaginative, unrestricted by ethnic boundaries and always growing” — which has earned him the nickname “the Pope of American cuisine.”

“Patrick O'Connell weaves magic into every dish, transforming locally sourced ingredients into whimsical, artful creations that captivate the senses,” reads The Inn at Little Washington’s website.

Under his leadership, the restaurant has earned two AAA five-diamond awards. O’Connell and The Inn at Little Washington have won six James Beard Foundation awards, including Restaurant of the Year (1993) and the Lifetime Achievement Award (2019). The Michelin Guide awarded The Inn at Little Washington three Michelin Stars in 2019, a distinction it has retained, and in 2021, it received the Michelin Green Star for sustainability.

The Michelin Star ranking system is one of the most prestigious awards in the culinary world. Initially created in 1926 by the Michelin tire company to encourage automobile travel to exceptional restaurants, it is today used by Michelin’s anonymous inspectors to assess restaurants based on five criteria: quality of ingredients, mastery of cooking techniques, harmony of flavors, consistency, and the chef’s personality reflected in the cuisine.

One star signifies “a very good restaurant,” two stars denote “excellent cooking, worth a detour,” and three stars represent “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.” Earning even a single star is a mark of excellence, while three stars place a restaurant among the best in the world.

“Chef Patrick O’Connell has long been the steward of this idyllic restaurant just outside Washington. In a town whose very existence seems tied to his success, dinner here recalls another era. The dining room is embellished to the very last inch, with fringe and fabric all over, patterned carpets, and lush wallpaper,” reads the Michelin Guide.

“The menu is divided between classics and vegetables, most of which are sourced locally and from the team’s own garden. Dinner always begins with pimento cheese packed into a crisp chip and ends with a playful pear dessert. In between, courses like lobster with caviar beurre blanc show the kitchen at its very best. And all throughout, roaming bread and cheese carts are a reminder of a luxury that’s less and less common.”

Even with its international acclaim, The Inn at Little Washington remains deeply tied to its Appalachian roots. O’Connell has spent decades championing regional ingredients and suppliers, showing that world-class dining doesn’t have to rely on imports from France or Japan.

Indigenous products are sourced from local farmers, ranchers, and the Inn at Little Washington’s own garden. The truffles? Foraged in Virginia. The cheese? Sourced from nearby farms. The herbs? Grown right outside the kitchen.

“We employ two full-time farmers on the property and five gardeners. We utilize our own greenhouses for herbs and lettuces, and a beekeeper takes care of hives which supply our own honey,” O’Connell said in the Michelin Guide.

When The Inn at Little Washington was awarded three stars, it wasn’t just a victory for O’Connell—it was a statement that fine dining belongs in Appalachia.

The Inn at Little Washington, once a humble garage in a tiny Virginia mountain town, has transformed into a world-renowned culinary destination and is paving the way for future Appalachian restaurants to join it.

The Inn at Little Washington is the only Michelin-starred restaurant in Appalachia—not just one star, not two—three—but not the last.