Early Bird specials don’t appeal to me.  While I’m always happy to save money, the idea of eating so early in the evening just to save a few dollars doesn’t work for me.  Yet, I was front and center for a 5pm dinner at The Inn at Little Washington.  The Inn is situated about sixty miles west of Washington, DC.  A former garage, this restaurant opened in 1978 and has been going strong ever since.  Critics see this restaurant as the American version of  ”a Michelin starred restaurant in a European countryside.”  Washington, Virginia is a small town.  Literally, in a blink of an eye, you’ve passed by it.  It’s full of history, too.  George Washington surveyed this tiny town back in 1749.

What brought me here?  It was an article in The Washington Post newspaper.  Advertising it as a singles dinner, it was an opportunity to experience this restaurant in the company of others.  I love the idea of trying new and different things and meeting new people.  Even though I’m single now, I didn’t see this as my opportunity to meet Mr. Right, though I wasn’t going to ignore him if he sat next to me.  Rather, I saw this as an opportunity to be with like-minded people who enjoy fabulous food in a unique setting.

I was a little nervous as I drove to Washington, but the lovely scenery with the Blue Ridge foothills in the distance eased any anxieties and made for a pleasant ride.  There were about 15 of us gathered around two tables.  We were mainly individuals in our 40s and 50s, fairly equally divided among men and women.  We ate in the kitchen surrounded by chefs in black working to the sounds of Gregorian chants.  Yes, you read correctly.  The chefs were quiet, and the lilting, mysterious chants seemed appropriate background music for our dinner.  For some reason, I’ve always thought that restaurant kitchens are full of noisy expletive-shouting chefs.  My apologies to any chefs out there; I blame my impression on watching too many episodes of Top Chef.

We were served course after glorious course of food—food that I might not be that adventurous to try on my own.  It totaled seven courses in all.  We began with truffle popcorn.  If you haven’t tried it, sublime is the only adjective to describe this treat.  From soft shell crab tempura to pan roasted Maine lobster on vanilla scented silver queen corn succotash to veal cheek on a nest of baby green beans, the meal was a culinary event.

I can’t afford to eat like this every weekend financially or calorie wise, but this was one early dinner that sits high on my list of a satisfying meal.