Southern Sojourn

From an elite kitchen in Virginia to the best of New Orleans and all the indulgent Charleston chews in between, this is one road trip best taken hungry

Epicurean Divinity

A meal and stay at The Inn at Little Washington constitutes a rite of passage for foodies

by Paul Rubio

Ranking travel experiences can be a challenge, especially when privileged with a job seeking out the world’s best. But after a stay at The Inn at Little Washington (a 24-key Relais & Châteaux property with an eponymous restaurant), I can confidently say that it represents the pinnacle of food travel in America.

In 1978, chef Patrick O’Connell opened The Inn at Little Washington in Washington, Virginia (current population: 84). Since then, O’Connell has developed an entire campus of restored historic buildings, including a main inn, a restaurant decorated with three Michelin stars, an 1850s Victorian house, a 1740s cottage, and Patty O’s Café & Bakery. Three themes prevail throughout: food, theatrics, and perfection, a trifecta most palpable over a languid dinner at The Inn’s restaurant, where you’re likely to interact with “the Pope of American Cuisine” himself who won the James Beard Foundation’s lifetime achievement award in 2019.

A typical evening begins with sips in either the quirky Monkey Lounge or the stately Living Room, both conceived by London stage and set designer Joyce Evans, who also imagined The Inn’s guest rooms and suites. Then (by advance notice), enter chef O’Connell’s showpiece gilded kitchen, aka his “Cathedral.” Chanting altar boys will escort you to a baronial fireplace for a fireside chat with the “Pope” over truffle-heavy popcorn, caviar-laced bites, and fine wine.

Next, it’s time for the main attraction. Opt for a table under moonlight in the atrium, nestled among a circus of big-top umbrellas and towering potted plants. Choose wine pairings alongside either The Gastronaut’s Menu (nonvegetarian) or The Good Earth Menu (vegetarian). Regardless of which route you take, you’ll embark upon a multicourse meal likely to go down as the best of your life.

There are five official courses, but a surfeit of amuse-bouche, bread service, and post-dessert treats renders it more like 10. Each ingredient-driven dish is thoughtfully and beautifully composed, mingling flavors familiar and new, demonstrating a mastery in classic and modern cooking techniques. An enthusiastic waitstaff delivers it all to the table with synchronicity.

While the menus are constantly evolving, highlights from a recent fall dinner included a henhouse egg of garlic custard with sunchoke puree and parmesan cream; carpaccio of bigeye tuna and swordfish with wasabi sorbet and puffed wild rice; a chartreuse of savoy cabbage and Maine lobster with caviar beurre blanc; a pasta “rose” with local silver queen corn, chanterelles, and sungold tomatoes; and a choice of five aged cheeses from more than 15 prized varieties, courtesy of Faira, the cow-shaped cheese cart, and Cameron, the in-house cheese connoisseur (or “cheese whiz” as he’s locally known). Despite all this Michelin-worthy excess, O’Connell maintains a delightfully unstuffy ambience at his restaurant, where guests can choose to dress to the nines or not; the official dress code is “anything but wet bikinis.”

While it’s possible to visit The Inn for dinner only—Washington, D.C. is 75 minutes away, after all—the property merits a two-night getaway. The rich design of the rooms and cottages channels Americana-meets-Victorian floral fairy tale, while decadent breakfasts, picnic lunches, and afternoon tea presentations are nothing short of epic. A second night grants ample time for dinner at Patty O’s, where the chef showcases his definition of casual comfort food (think French onion soup gratinée and a Champagne-brined ham sandwich with shaved Comté cheese and whole-grain mustard on a sweet onion roll) and spins some of his greatest hits (hello, whole-roasted quail with mushroom-apple stuffing and braised fig). Plus, the extra days allow for more opportunities to work off those calories in the form of exploring the mountainous surrounds and hiking the trails of nearby Shenandoah National Park.

In short, The Inn at Little Washington is a small-town epicurean utopia, documented as my superlative dining and food travel experience in the lower 48. Whether it’s for the most memorable of meals or a weekend escape, a visit here is sure to be an incomparable feast for the senses. theinnatlittlewashington.com

Cheers to Charleston

Gluttony may be a sin, but when visiting the Holy City, these four spots are reason enough
to eat, drink, repeat—and atone later

by Daphne Nikolopoulos

This Old House 

Among Charleston’s fine dining restaurants, and there are many, Chez Nous stands out for its creative menus and charming aesthetic. In this humble Charleston home reimagined as a restaurant, the dining room is cozy (creaky floors and all), the menu changes daily, and the food is out of this world. Think European comfort food, the type you might discover in a village in the South of France or in Spain’s Basque region. Chef Jill Mathias cooks with the seasons and handwrites the menus, which feature two appetizers, two entrées, and two desserts. This is one dining experience that will stay with you. cheznouschs.com

Rooftop Vibes

Come for the 360-degree views, and stay for the creative cocktails—Citrus Club, The Dewberry hotel’s rooftop lounge, offers the best of both. From the eighth floor, a gorgeous panorama of Charleston’s famous steeples and historic houses unfolds. Against that backdrop, enjoy cocktails like the Smoke Screen (an unlikely combo of Dos Hombres Mezcal, banana liqueur, and Aperol lime that somehow works) and the Tropical Itch with Four Roses Bourbon, overproof rum, dry curaçao, and passion fruit (it comes with a back scratcher!). If you want to pick at something, the loaded fries are legendary, but we recommend heading to The Living Room on the ground floor and grabbing a table outdoors, where the people-watching is as good as the food. thedewberrycharleston.com

Cue the ’Cue

There’s an unspoken rule here, and it is this: You can’t come to Charleston and not try the barbecue. The king of the barbecue scene is undoubtedly John Lewis, whose Lewis Barbecue is an altar to Texas-inflected smoky excess. Pitmaster Lewis is serious about his craft (the dude even welded his own smokers), and it shows in specialties like his USDA Prime brisket and Texas Hot Guts sausage, both of which are institutions in this town. Just ask anyone standing in the out-the-door line, waiting to get their fix. lewisbarbecue.com

Biscuit Obsession 

Pavlov’s dogs had the bell; we have four words: Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit. Nothing is more iconic than these fluffy, buttery bites of perfection. Owner Carrie Morey has built a nationwide business (you can have these Southern beauties delivered to your door anytime), but the best way to enjoy them is at their spiritual home on King Street. What to order? The sausage, egg, and jalapeño pimento cheese biscuit is the obvious choice, but the unapologetically high-caloric Carolina grits in a biscuit bowl might just lead you to a 12-step program. calliesbiscuits.com

Big Easy Bites

From beignets to bold new flavors, these essential food experiences capture the soul of New Orleans

by Mary Murray

Quintessential Musts

The Crescent City is so strongly associated with food, that there are certain culinary experiences that, though they may read as “touristy” on the surface, are a necessary rite of passage for any first-time visitor. Some requisites: beignets at Café Du Monde; a Sazerac at Peychaud’s cocktail bar; gumbo at the late, great Leah Chase’s Dooky Chase; and po’boys at Domilise’s, Guy’s, or the like. A newer favorite that has entered the echelon is Mason Hereford’s Turkey and the Wolf, which has earned countless accolades—including being named America’s Best New Restaurant by Bon Appétit—in the decade since it opened. But eaters be warned: Get to the Wolf early, as its stoner-friendly sandwiches often sell out. turkeyandthewolf.com

Nina’s NOLA

One woman who is becoming synonymous with New Orleans cuisine—in the same vein as Emeril Lagasse, Leah Chase, and Willie Mae Seaton—is Nina Compton. A Top Chef finalist and James Beard Best Chef: South honoree, Compton operates two Nola restaurants: Bywater American Bistro (aka BABs) and Compère Lapin, which translates to “brother rabbit,” a figure in Caribbean and Creole folktales. This reference alludes to Compton’s playful marriage of the two cultures as seen in dishes such as her signature curried goat served atop sweet potato gnocchi and garnished with cashews. comperelapin.com

Savory Studies

To get the full scope of Southern cooking, head to the nearby Southern Food & Beverage Museum. Bevy up to the circa-1850s bar pulled from one of New Orleans’ oldest restaurants, peruse the Galerie d’Absinthe, or learn about the city’s rich culinary history, from red beans and rice to Popeyes and beyond. The museum also hosts cooking classes that provide a hands-on introduction to such staples as jambalaya and gumbo. southernfood.org

Latest and Greatest

When chef Ana Castro shuttered her intimate, tasting-menu restaurant, Lengua Madre, at the end of 2023, foodies wept. But it was all for the greater good, as Castro debuted Acamaya in 2024 and landed on The New York Times’ 50 best restaurants list that same year. Acamaya retains the same style and spirit of its predecessor but operates on a grander scale. Castro (a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: South, as of press time) transports diners to Mexico via both sight and taste, presenting a seafood-centric menu that reflects her heritage but honors the beauty of the bayou. acamayanola.com