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Why Is My Energy Bill So High?

Washingtonians are noticing staggeringly high electricity bills this month, with reports of bills costing two or three times their average. Pepco claims it’s because of the recent cold weather and some nearby power plants closing. The energy company has suspended power disconnections for those unable to pay and is waiving late fees for now. [WUSA9]

PG County Water Main Break

A large water main break in Prince George’s County caused dozens of school closures yesterday, and a boil-water advisory is now in effect for residents. Authorities have started repairs but don’t yet know when the advisory will be lifted. [WTOP]

Trump Ally To Lead Kennedy Center

President Donald Trump named former acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell as the interim executive director of the Kennedy Center. Trump has promised to overhaul the center to make it less “woke,” saying it will no longer show “drag shows, or other anti-American propaganda.” [Washington Post 🔒]

How the DMV’s Only 3-star Michelin Restaurant Stays On Top

The DMV’s most lauded restaurant is in a rural Virginian town of less than 100 people. The Inn at Little Washington has held onto its rarefied three Michelin stars for the seventh year in a row and remains the only D.C.-area restaurant with the rating. Throughout its almost 50 years in existence, it has gone from a wood-fired stove in Chef Patrick O’Connell’s kitchen to a favorite of presidents and foreign ambassadors.

The French-inspired menu revolutionized the cooking scene in the DMV, modeling itself after European-style generational restaurants, but with local ingredients. We chatted with the legendary Chef O’Connell, who, at 79, still oversees the kitchen, about the journey and how they stay on top.

The Kitchen As Theater

O’Connell's career started in the most unlikely of places: theater school at Catholic University. He worked at restaurants to pay the bills and quickly realized his passion for it. “The improv that one goes through every night during service is more interesting and challenging than just acting,” O’Connell says.

Like any adolescent searching for meaning, O’Connell quit school, bought a Europass, and hightailed it to Europe. “Everything I tasted was a revelation; everything I ate was like I was eating it for the first time,” he remarked. O’Connell traveled for an entire year on $1000, reminiscing about $0.25 pasta in Italy and $1.50 hotel rooms in Greece — a far reach from The Inn at Little Washington, where dinner is now $388-per-person. But, for the first time, O’Connell saw that cooking could be a real career, not just a side gig.

The Inn Is Born

Upon returning, with no formal training other than religiously cooking through Julia Child's “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” O’Connell opened a catering business in rural Virginia with his then partner, Reinhardt Lynch. Everything was prepared over a wood stove in his home, but as demand grew, he decided to open a restaurant, Just two weeks after it opened in 1978, the Inn at Little Washington drew rave reviews. One, two, and three Michelin stars followed.

Sustainable By Necessity

“When we opened,” said O’Connell, “no one even thought about local or sustainable.” But he quickly realized that nothing was delivered out in rural Virginia. So, they had to create a menu based on what was available or what they could grow on their farm. The inn continues this practice today, even employing a full-time farmer-in-residence to care for its now expansive veggie and animal farm.

😋 Inside Scoop: Where In DC Is O’Connell Eating?

When he’s not in the kitchen, O’Connell prefers eating something as different from the Inn’s menu as possible. His favorite is Mama Chang’s in Fairfax. “I love everything about it. It's the kind of restaurant I always feel comfortable in. Time after time, they put out these complex dishes consistently,” he says.

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