‘When I was younger, I wanted to be an actor’, remembers Patrick O’Connell. But a love of cooking would send this dream off course. But no regrets: ‘A restaurant is a real living theatre, where I can play out various roles’. As the chef and owner of The Inn at Little Washington, Patrick is actor, director and producer of the show which runs every day in his dining room. His scripted menus put the spotlight on his Refined American Cuisine, such as Roasted Eggplant Raviolis with Medallions of Maine Lobster. Just an hour’s drive from Washington DC, this sumptuous hotel nestled at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains is a great retreat with its princely suites and opulent lounges hung with 18th century paintings and tapestries.