What a great way you have of telling a story!! I feel like I was there. Again, congratulations on the PhD!! :)

4 and 20 BB is one of my favorites! Highly recommend it...but ask for a table upstairs, not in the basement! It is a gourmet restuarant with a sense of whimsy!

what a great report! i had read about the legal battles with the dissolution of their partnership so happy to hear it hasn't seemed to have affected the service at all.

the apple rutabaga soup recipe is in his cookbook. it is essentially a cup each of sweet potato, rutabaga, butternut squash, carrots, granny smith apples and onion. saute in a melted stick of butter for about 10 min. pour in a quart of chicken stock and simmer for 20 min or until veggies are tender. puree the soup and strain. add 2 cups heavy cream, 1/4 cup maple syrup and salt and cayenne pepper to taste. return to a simmer and enjoy!

it is so easy and good, i make it all the time. i usually leave out most of the cream and cut back on the butter to make it more healthy and it is still delicious.

Loved your report back. Hate that you were hungry after dinner. I find that sinful given the tariff.

lolfn- thanks for the recipe! We will definitely have to try it so I can have a "warm sip" or twenty!

Carolyna- don't fret! I realized that it wasn't about how I looked but about the experience they were giving me. You are the guest and they will make you feel like a special one. April will be gorgeous there- and do let them know ahead of time that it is your birthday. I am sure they will make a fuss over you. In addition to my personalized menu and all the good wishes, I also had "Congratulations" written on my dessert plate in marzipan. So much fun!

Everyone- thanks for the enthusiasm! Four and Twenty Blackbirds is on our list to try.

You're right, it is one of the best places in the US and World to dine. And since this is a special time for you ... don't wear jeans
Ric

Gee, I thought it was only in NYC that the more you pay for dinner, the smaller the portions. Last week we ate dinner at Del Posto (very in right now). After three courses plus the extras, I invited our dinner companions back to our apartment for cheese, crackers, nuts, anything I could find in my refrigerator. I do not think it is necessary to serve huge portions, but smaller than Lean Cusine in not fair!

I'm glad you enjoyed your visit. You wrote a lovely report.

carolyna - Have a happy birthday. What a great way to celebrate.

Hello BlueSwimmer, I so enjoyed your report regarding your time at the Inn. It sounds like a blissful weekend and one you both deserved! My best wishes to you regarding your future. May you have many more wonderful weekends and also longer trips. Wishing you a very happy future!!

We didn't stay there...we had an rv and parked down the street in the back somewhere. Went to dinner with jeans..or very casually..it's way way out in the country. No need to be worried.

Thanks so much, LoveItaly! I have always enjoyed your posts.

I have to respectfully disagree with loisco about wearing jeans to dinner. The restaurant is so gorgeous and elegant I think most people would feel out of place. There was one couple casually dressed at dinner- open-necked shirt with no jacket for the man, VERY casual slacks and a sweater for her- and they looked SO out of place. They also didn't get a very good table...coincidence? Also, as other posters have said in this thread, it is a very special evening, so it is nice to be dressed for it. Though it is way out in the country, there is nothing "down-home" about the place; it is as elegant as anything you would find in Paris, New York, San Fran, etc.

There's another name for a restaurant where you pay $200 a plate and are still hungry at meal's end- overrated. My parents ate at the Inn last year for "the experience" and felt the same as Blue Swimmer- hungry afterwards.

All power to the Inn at Little Washington if they can get wealthy Washingtonians to blow $200 for a plate of food that leaves one hungry. But most areas in this country serve very good food for anywhere from $15-$35 a plate and satisfies one's hunger.