Culinary Conversations

Thomas Jefferson knew that food has the power to bring people together. With fine cuisine, meaningful conversations flow, creating the perfect environment for cultural diplomacy.

This summer, join Monticello in bringing culinary history forward and experience a dynamic new event series, Culinary Diplomacy at Monticello. In partnership with The Culinary Diplomacy Project, this program explores the intersection of history, food, and diplomacy.

In our first Culinary Conversation, meet and hear from renowned Chef Marc Murphy as he reinterprets Jefferson-era recipes and shares his own global culinary experiences. Plus, savor a tasting of his specially-crafted dish inspired by the theme.

Location: Howard and Abby Milstein Theater at Monticello's David M. Rubenstein Visitor Center. 

Meet the Chef

Son of a globetrotting diplomat, Chef Marc Murphy brings over 30 years of experience from kitchens worldwide to the heart of New York City. He appears regularly as a judge on Food Network's top-rated shows, Chopped, Guy's Grocery Games, Guy's Ranch Kitchen, Beat Bobby Flay, and more. He currently hosts intimate private dining events at MM Kitchen Studio in New York City and monthly dinners at his pop-up restaurant concept, Marc179.

Today, Murphy's involvement in the industry moves beyond the kitchen. Having led the Manhattan chapter of the New York State Restaurant Association and passionately supporting organizations like City Harvest, No Kid Hungry, Made by Dyslexia, and The Culinary Diplomacy Project.

In 2022, Murphy joined Chef Jose Andres and his organization, World Center Kitchen in Poland, where he spent two months cooking for and feeding thousands of Ukrainian refugees as they crossed the border into Poland.

He's authored Season with Authority: Confident Home Cooking and hosted the "Food 360 with Marc Murphy" podcast. Marc resides in New York City with his wife and two children.