A Starry Starry Night at Patty O's Featured Chef Ryan Ratino

chefs ryan ratino and patrick o’connell | photo by jennifer chase

By Susan Able | Edible DC

Chef Patrick O’Connell presented ‘Starry, Starry Nights’ this spring at Patty O’s Café, a program that featured three Michelin-starred chefs from Washington D.C. The format included a cocktail reception followed by dinner at the café, with each chef presenting dishes from their restaurant’s “family meal.” Chef O’Connell saw the Starry Starry Nights events as a special opportunity to get a glimpse behind the scenes of D.C.’s finest restaurants and a chance to get to know their creators. Chefs Aaron Silverman of Rose’s Luxury and Little Pearl, Jeremiah Langhorne of the Dabney and Petite Cerise and Ryan Ratino of Jônt and Bresca were the invited guest chefs.

Jennifer Chase and I were lucky enough to attend Chef Ryan Ratino’s starry evening on March 20. The evening started with a cocktail reception in the bar, followed by dinner at Patty O’s Café featuring favorite dishes from Bresca’s ‘family meal’.

A few words about the venue, Patty O’s Café. A former gas station diagonally across the street from the world-famous and 3 Michelin starred Inn at Little Washington, the previously modest building has been transformed into another of O’Connell’s magical environments for eating, drinking and enjoying a Virginia evening. A stunning space with gorgeous details that draw from Virginia’s hunt country, it’s at the same time welcoming and cozy. Patty O’s also includes a European-style bakery shop along one portion of the building, a large bar and the beautiful dining room. In the warmer season, there is also outdoor seating in a garden area.

Our table in the dining room at patty o’s café | photo by jennifer chase

The evening started in the bar with a welcome cocktail and passed appetizers. The cocktail? The King is Dead, a mix of Remy 1738, Michter’s Rye, Lustau Blanco Vermut, Fig and Amaro Sibilla. Appetizers included Gnoccho Fritto with Honey Butter and Edwards Ham, Cocktail Shrimp with Horseradish Espuma, Meyer Lemon and Hot Sauce Gel, and perhaps my favorite, the Foie Gras Cone with Peanut, Miso and Strawberry Jam.

CHef Ryan RaTino prepares his Gnoccho Fritto Appetizer at Patty O’s café | photo by Jennifer chase

ratino’s team prepared the foie gras cone appetizer | photo by jennifer chase

Stunning starter salad with burrata.

After we were seated in the dining room, the meal began with a Burrata with Green Tomato, Late Harvest Citrus and Spring Herbs, Greens and Flowers. This was followed by Brioche Stuffed Chicken, a Grilled Romaine Salad with Crispy Chicken Skin and Schmaltz Caesar Dressing, and an individual Pot Pie with Chicken Thighs, Maitake Mushrooms and Spring Garlic. Ratino doubled down on the chicken theme and added a Fried Chicken Wing with Truffle Honey to the dinner lineup. Dessert was a Basque Cheesecake with Strawberry Compote which was perfectly executed (and one of my favorite desserts.) Chef O’Connell has worked with local winemakers in Virginia to label his own wines for the café, and we were poured a 2021 Unoaked Chardonnay from Monticello, Virginia and a 2020 Cabernet Franc, also from Monticello, Virginia.

Kudos to Chef Ratino and team for a fabulous evening, and as always, major thanks to Chef Patrick O’Connell for creating a magical evening of terrific hospitality and equally terrific food.

Chef Ryan Ratino and Chef Patrick O’Connell at Patty O’s in Washington, VA

About Chef Ryan Ratino

Ohio-native and Le Cordon Bleu-trained Ryan Ratino has cooked in some of the storied food establishments in Orlando, New York City and Washington, DC, think Caviar Russe, Dovetail, Minibar, Ripple. In September, 2017, Ratino opened Bresca, his first restaurant. Serving as owner, executive chef, and pastry chef.

A year later on September 13th, 2018, Ratino received a call from the president of the Michelin guide informing him that Bresca had been awarded a Michelin star on the same day the D.C. guidebook was scheduled for release to the public, a star that Bresca has kept every year since its initial award.

At the end of April 2021, Michelin published its annual guide for D.C., allowing any restaurants already with a star that were closed because of the pandemic to retain them. While never closed for the entirety of the pandemic, Bresca retained its one Michelin star while Ratino’s newer upstairs fine dining restaurant Jônt was awarded two Michelin stars, making the 30-year-old Ratino the youngest U.S. chef ever to have a two Michelin starred restaurant and the youngest chef ever to have two different Michelin starred restaurants.

Bresca | 1906 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 | 202-518-7926

Jônt | A 16-seat two Michelin-starred Chef's Counter concept from chef Ryan Ratino serves an ingredient focused tasting menu that highlights the best seasonal ingredients from around the world, with a highlight and focus on Japanese products. Reservations here.