Main, Middle & Gay
A Chef Finds His Place in the World Against All Odds
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Main, Middle & Gay
Pre-order Now for £14.37
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Narrated by:
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Patrick O'Connell
About this listen
The chef and founder of the Michelin-starred restaurant The Inn at Little Washington gives us an inside look at the tumultuous joys and struggles that have brought him to his special place at the intersection of Main, Middle, and Gay.
World-renowned chef Patrick O’Connell has been recognized as a pioneer of American cuisine; his internationally acclaimed restaurant in the Virginia countryside, the Inn at Little Washington, is Michelin-starred and a Relais & Châteaux hotel. Named for the three historic streets in the little town where O’Connell’s life and career have taken root, Main, Middle & Gay chronicles O’Connell’s winding journey through the rough-and-tumble restaurant world.
Growing up gay in the 1950s and working as a paperboy and a cook at a hamburger joint, O’Connell found his place with other misfits in the addictive restaurant scene, where he learned to be nimble and grew up fast while working long hours and late nights with colorful characters. He lived free-spirited on farms with friends and traveled Europe, teaching himself to cook along the way. When he opened his restaurant in an old abandoned garage, he had no idea it would grow to the heights it has achieved today.
In his first-ever memoir, O’Connell shows us the colorful evolution that has led the Inn at Little Washington to become a global destination for foodies and travelers alike.
Critic reviews
"Patrick O’Connell’s Main, Middle & Gay is much more than a cook’s memoir. It is a candid, uninhibited, and honest exploration of his life... In a 50-year adventure with the Inn at Little Washington, he transformed an ordinary village restaurant into the ultimate food sanctuary, and most of it through his own personal inventiveness, vision… and exclusive genius."
—Jacques Pépin
"I have had the pleasure of knowing Patrick for years and visiting the iconic Inn at Little Washington many times. What makes it so special is, well, Patrick and his team. Everything about The Inn is unique, and you always leave wanting to stay longer and knowing you were someplace magical. Patrick has lived an extraordinary life, and it is captured so well in Main, Middle & Gay. The story of his upbringing and influences is fascinating, and his journey has been remarkable. Everyone knows Patrick as one of the world's best chefs and owner of a legendary inn, but I am fortunate to know him as a friend."
—Cal Ripken, Jr.
“From the first time I met Patrick, the first time I visited the Inn, I knew he created one of the most special places in the world. It is amazing to read the story of how he came to be the chef he is—a pioneer for the industry, a believer in rural America, a supporter of local economies, and a wizard creating pure magic.”
—Chef José Andrés
"Patrick O’Connell has long been celebrated for the excellence of his cooking, but what has inspired me most is the graciousness of his hospitality. At The Inn at Little Washington, he created a magical world built on a foundation of care and generosity, and in doing so has inspired so many of us to bring more creativity and intention to how we show up for the people we love.”
—Will Guidara