WASHINGTON 鈥� Forget Taylor Swift鈥檚 25th birthday bash or Diddy鈥檚 famed white parties. The most epic party ever thrown took place in 1661 at a grand ch芒teau 40 miles outside of Paris. 聽
鈥淢any think it was the finest house ever designed and built in the world, and it served as the inspiration for Versailles,鈥� said Patrick O鈥機onnell, the chef and proprietor of .
The host of the famous fete was Louis XIV鈥檚 finance minister.
鈥泪t was thought to be the greatest party ever thrown. …聽Louis became so jealous at the extravagance that he realized his finance minister must be embezzling. He put him in jail and the man actually died in jail. Louis then took all the craftsmen and went on to build Versailles,” O鈥機onnell added.
This year, O鈥機onnell鈥檚 plate is plenty full. The James Beard Award-winning chef is striving for a third Michelin star, expanding his five-star country inn and writing a memoir.
But he鈥檚 also gearing up to recreate, even rival, that famous French party in its original location, , as part of .
鈥淲e love a party, and throwing a party, and the elation that comes from attending a great party, and we love channeling different eras,鈥� said O鈥機onnell, who is keeping the guest list to a lucky 150 for the September 2018 event.
“To be able to dine inside the palace at long tables 鈥� looking out at these gardens 鈥� on brilliant food that was inspired by the actual menu served to Louis XIV will be a rare treat.”
Of course, if you can鈥檛 make it to France for the affair, there are opportunities to celebrate The Inn鈥檚 big anniversary closer to home. O鈥機onnell will host a party on the lawn at George Washington鈥檚 Mount Vernon in June 2018 (guests will arrive by boat and dine on a meal inspired by the period) and a Woodstock-style street-food festival in the town of Little Washington, complete with fireworks, a bonfire and glamping in September 2018.
The Inn at Little Washington is known by critics and clients as one of the most luxurious destinations in the country. But 40 years ago, it was far from fancy.
What serves as the main building today was once an old garage with a junkyard on one side and the town dump in the back. O鈥機onnell scooped up the property for $200 a month in 1978 and opened a restaurant in the tiny Virginia town, just 70 miles outside of D.C.
鈥泪f you tell somebody it was once a garage, they think you鈥檙e goofing on them,鈥� O鈥機onnell said.
Within a year of opening, O鈥機onnell purchased the former auto shop and began building its legacy. The Inn quickly became known as one of the best restaurants in the D.C. area and has since gone on to collect a number of awards and accolades. It鈥檚 also attracted high-profile guests from around the globe, including three queens, one king, a number of heads of state and 鈥渢oo many celebrities to count.鈥�
As its reputation grew, so did The Inn鈥檚 footprint. Over the last four decades, O鈥機onnell has acquired about 20 buildings in Little Washington, which is home to about 130 residents.
鈥淎nd one by one, they鈥檙e being transformed, restored, brought back to life, and you鈥檙e beginning now to get the feeling of stepping back into time and experiencing what is almost extinct in America 鈥� a living, breathing, charming, historically accurate colonial village,鈥� he said.
Despite The Inn’s accomplishments and growth, O’Connell shows no signs of slowing down 鈥� he’s even started planning The Inn’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
鈥泪t鈥檚 rare that a place can hold it together for 40 years, but to continue to evolve and exceed expectations is quite exhilarating,” he said.聽
“I鈥檓 thrilled we鈥檙e still having fun. Each day is an adventure.”聽
