Settling into DC — First Six Months
From early trips to the US and a Dublin collaboration to taking over the kitchen at the Slovak Embassy and finding balance in Washington, D.C.
For years—long before I ever stepped into a professional kitchen—moving to America was always quietly on my mind. It was an unmistakable pull I couldn’t entirely explain. Part of it went back to family stories, like my grandmother working in Chicago when I was young, and knowing we had family ties across the ocean. Part of it was having close lifelong friends who built lives here—Tonka in Ohio, whom I’ve known since childhood, and Vlada in Los Angeles.
My first visit to New York in 2018 with my youngest sister made that pull real. Stepping into the city, I felt an immediate sense of belonging. Follow-up trips to New York and visits to see Vlada in California only cemented that feeling. I began actively exploring routes to move to the US, even interviewing for a transfer within the hotel group I was working for in Ireland. When that initial attempt fell through, I planned to regroup and try again in late 2025.
Then an unexpected sequence of events changed everything.
The current Slovak Ambassador to the United States was serving as Ambassador to Ireland at the time. He was organizing a week dedicated to Slovak gastronomy in Dublin and was looking for a chef to lead it. We connected, collaborated on the event, and the week turned out to be an incredible success. When his posting transitioned to Washington, D.C., the conversation turned to whether I would consider joining the mission as Resident Chef. My answer was an immediate, unqualified yes.
Sorting through the administrative paperwork took a few months, but the hardest part was saying goodbye to The Morrison Room. Telling Chef Adam Nevin was difficult—he had given me so much guidance, discipline, and belief as a chef that leaving felt almost like a betrayal of the brigade. But when I told him, he understood completely and gave me his full support, which is why I hold so much respect and gratitude for that kitchen.
On February 1st, 2026, I arrived in Washington, D.C.
Stepping into a new country, far from family, friends, and the daily rhythm I had known in Ireland for eighteen years, felt surreal. But walking into the embassy kitchen for the first time and seeing a Rational combi-oven waiting for me, I smiled: I knew immediately this was going to be a joy to cook in.
The first few weeks were all about finding a rhythm and getting to know my colleagues. The embassy team is made up of genuinely welcoming, interesting, and supportive people who made the transition seamless. In any workplace, everyone wants to be on good terms with the chef—and as a chef, there is no better way to connect than through food. Sending small test plates and fresh bakes around the building quickly turned into an ongoing rhythm, which eventually grew into our regular Friday staff lunches.
Life in fine dining, especially in a Michelin-starred brigade, demands everything from you. Long days, endless weekends, and relentless pressure leave very little room for a personal life. One of the quiet hopes I carried into this move was finding balance: working sustainable hours, having time for myself, perhaps taking university classes, and maybe finally meeting someone.
Just two weeks after arriving in D.C., I met Anna. We have been together for six months now, and she has been an incredibly grounding and supportive partner. It felt like a true snowball of good timing and positive momentum that made this city feel like home almost instantly.
These past six months have flown by. Between diplomatic receptions, private delegation dinners, and high-volume embassy events, the kitchen has stayed busy. Outside the kitchen, I’ve adjusted to local American grocery markets, explored the neighborhoods using the surprisingly great D.C. Metro, and taken road trips through Tennessee and out west with colleagues. (Even if I still find myself quietly comparing the local dining scene to Dublin’s restaurant culture, which I still hold in very high regard.)
Six months in, my life feels balanced, ordered, and full of purpose. I’m grateful for how well things have settled, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the next six months in the embassy kitchen will bring.
Dispatches from the Field
