First-class hosting
Hosting a party or receiving guests? Patrick O’Connell, chef and owner of the Inn at Little Washington, has some tips to help your visitors feel more at home.
O’Connell joined Washington Post writer Jura Koncius recently in an online chat. Here’s an edited excerpt:
Q I like to throw dinner parties that look pretty formal. There are a lot of starched white linens and candles, and place settings never look right to me without at least three glasses. It’s all just for fun, though. The challenge is that a lot of people are initially intimidated by the spread. What’s a good way to set people at ease?
A Sounds like you’ve got to find a way to introduce a bit of humour into the equation. As long as they know you’re not taking yourself too seriously, they’ll be more inclined to relax. Maybe letting them know when you invite them what to expect will help a bit. Don’t give up your style. You’re providing a great service for your friends.
Q What do you think are the most important elements in the perfect guest room?
A A comfortable bed and good lighting are key elements. It’s amazing how many people throw a castoff lumpy bed into the guest room. You should spend three nights in your guest room to better understand what it needs and how it makes you feel. Cheerful and charming are important. A good guest room should make a visitor not want to leave. As with a good hotel room, they should feel pampered with the best soaps and toiletries, towels and a few flowers. Don’t underestimate how important the smell of a room can be.
Q What is the best kind of bedside table? Should the tables on both sides match?
A Nothing needs to match, but naturally if you have bedside lamps they need to be at the same height. As you can imagine, we’ve done a lot of research on the perfect bedside table over three decades. You need to measure the top of your mattress and find a table (large enough to hold a lamp, clock, radio and a book) that is approximately the same height as the bed. Ideally it has a drawer and a shelf below for added storage space, books and magazines.
Q What are some of the things you supply to your guests in your bathrooms?
A Bath “sheets” are a lovely amenity. They’re huge, fluffy towels about the size of a beach towel. Cushy, monogrammed robes, Bulgari bath soap, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, bubble bath, bath salts, loofas, mouthwash, glycerine hand soaps, etc.
Q What’s a great breakfast to serve to house guests in the summer?
A We always aim to reflect the moment in what we serve. Right now, our local peaches have just arrived and it’s cause for celebration. A bowl of these is enough to make me swoon. Always good to have staples in your larder, too, like your own special granola that you’ve spent years perfecting. I first began making the one we serve in 1971 and it just gets more wonderful every year. If you want to dazzle a bit, there’s nothing better than perfectly cooked scrambled eggs (cooked over a double boiler) with some fine smoked salmon folded in at the last minute. We put this into a piping bag and pipe it back into the empty egg shells and serve it in an egg cup. Delicate, dainty and decadent. I like variety at breakfast, so it’s nice to have options. The recipe is in my book, Refined American Cuisine.
Q When having a dinner party, how do you decide how much food to make? I always seem to make way too much, but I hate the thought of guests feeling like they can’t take seconds or leaving feeling hungry.
A Keep on making too much food — that’s called doing the right thing in the world of hospitality. Having people over is about generosity, celebration and abundance. Learn to love the leftovers or have the neighbourhood kids in the day after for lunch.