Chef Patrick O’Connell has long been the steward of this idyllic restaurant just outside Washington. In a town whose very existence seems tied to his success, dinner here recalls another era. The dining room is embellished to the very last inch, with fringe and fabric all over, patterned carpets, and lush wallpaper. The menu is divided between classics and vegetables, most of which are sourced locally and from the team’s own garden. Dinner always begins with pimento cheese packed into a crisp chip and ends with a playful pear dessert. In between, courses like lobster with caviar beurre blanc show the kitchen at its very best. And all throughout, roaming bread and cheese carts are a reminder of a luxury that’s less and less common.