Back to Articles

Food with Mark Bittman: Patrick O’Connell

Main, middle & gay.

Published November 5, 2026

Comment

Getty Images

Patrick O’Connell opened The Inn at Little Washington in an abandoned garage in a town of 150 people in 1978, with no formal training, no staff who had ever been to a restaurant, and no idea it would become one of the most celebrated dining destinations in the world. This week, he talked with Kate and me about his memoir, Main, Middle, and Gay – growing up gay in the rural South, discovering Julia Child, befriending Craig Claiborne, cooking for Queen Elizabeth, and what it means to build something extraordinary in a place where everything told you not to.

Listen to Patrick O’Connell on Food with Mark Bittman

Also, we’ve got an excerpt from Main, Middle & Gay — right here.

Follow ​​​Food with Mark Bittman​​​ on: ​​​Apple Podcasts​​​ | ​​​Spotify​​​ | ​​​Overcast​​​ | ​​​Pocket Casts​​​ | ​​​Amazon Music

Log in, or become a member today.

Join in: enjoy 7 days free, plus 40% off your first year with access to 1,000+ highly vetted recipes from the How To Cook Everything series and beyond, essays from Mark, and original pieces from our contributors.

Join annually and save 40%
Log in to your account

GetBetterFasterHealthierSmarterTastier

in the Kitchen

Through our (more than a thousand, and growing) highly vetted recipes from the How to Cook Everything series, original food essays and reporting, thoughtful podcast conversations and introductions to new and responsible food products, we aim to showcase what’s possible, from farm to fork, and power a growing movement that encourages people to think about food not as a commodity, but as central to our health and happiness.

Start your free trial

We hope you join us on this journey. We’d love to have you as a part of the Bittman community. As a member, you'll have access to:

  • New recipes every week
  • 1000s of recipes from How to Cook Everything and beyond
  • First access to in-person events with Mark and Kate
  • Exclusive discounts from our favorite brands
  • Q&As with Mark and the team

 

Subscribe to our free newsletter

Join over 105,000 passionate individuals who receive our weekly emails. It’s 100% free and you can unsubscribe anytime. Plus, we’ll email you a sampling of what premium members receive on a weekly basis.