Culpeper Star-Exponent
Inn at Little Washington chef Patrick O’Connell was recently awarded an honorary doctorate from the Culinary Institute of America during the Class of 2024 graduation.
Founder, in 1978, of the 3-star Michelin restaurant in Rappahannock County, the self-taught chef gave the commencement address at the premier culinary school in Hyde Park, New York on Aug. 8. O’Connell has mentored many students from the institute in the local kitchen during his 46-year career.
During the commencement, Culinary Institute of America President Tim Ryan presented O’Connell with the Honorary Doctorate Degree and Crystal Chef Award and designated him a Culinary Ambassador for the school.
The recognitions celebrate his “unparalleled contributions” to America’s culinary culture, according to a release. He joins food luminaries, such as Anthony Bourdain, Thomas Keller and Daniel Boulud, in receiving the honorary degree.
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In his address, O’Connell reminded graduates of their strong foundation and the “unimaginable opportunities” their degree will afford them.
“The world is their oyster — just pry it open and slurp it up,” he said.
O’Connell encouraged students to become their “own most severe critic” so they may always continue to evolve. Over the last 46 years, he has welcomed hundreds of CIA graduates to the Inn at Little Washington and given them an opportunity to hone their craft in his legendary kitchen, according to the release.
A native of Washington, D.C., O’Connell pioneered a refined, regional American cuisine in the Virginia countryside. He opened The Inn at Little Washington in a former garage in the tiny town of Washington, Virginia. The establishment has enjoyed worldwide recognition and regularly hosts celebrities, politicians and culinary enthusiasts.
O’Connell is known as “the Pope of American Cuisine” and, in 2019, won the Lifetime Achievement award from the James Beard Foundation and National Humanities Medal from the President of the United States. He holds additional honorary doctorate degrees from The College of William and Mary and Johnson and Wales University, according to the release.
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Publish date : 2024-08-15 22:59:00
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