Earlier this month, a Michelin Star chef granted a special wish to a 42-year-old Northern Virginia woman in the hospital with a life-threatening illness and waiting on a liver transplant. Longtime restaurant bar manager and food lover, Ashley Brumbaugh, reached out to several D.C.-area Michelin-starred restaurants asking for takeout to her hospital room. Chef Patrick O’Connell of the Michelin two-star Inn at Little Washington was the only one who responded, saying his team was “moved and stunned” by her request.
Instead of sending a simple meal, O’Connell and his staff created a full fine-dining experience inside Brumbaugh’s hospital room. A pair of servers arrived with fresh roses, fine china, and a personalized six-course menu that included caviar, crab, poached trout, apple and rutabaga soup, and dark chocolate mousse. Longtime staff members André LeTendre and his wife, Alicia, volunteered to serve the meal, calling it a “profoundly moving moment” and a career highlight.
When Brumbaugh tried to pay, O’Connell refused to accept any money or a tip, saying chefs have the ability to be “healers.” Her best friend, Jodi Perry, shared photos of the experience online, where the story quickly went viral and received widespread praise. O’Connell says he believes food prepared with care can comfort people during difficult times, adding that making someone feel wonderful can have a healing effect.
Source: PEOPLE
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