How did you two meet?
The couple met in the '90s, when they were both 22. Meshelle managed Cities in Adams Morgan, and Cathal was a visiting chef. At first, Meshelle thought Cathal was a little snobby, but then she realized that it was just that no one could understand him thanks to his thick Dublin brogue. She had just seen The Commitments and was fascinated by Irish boys—lucky for Cathal. One night, he sent over a mini pizza that Meshelle says was "perfect, in every way." Her heart and stomach both swooned, and pretty soon the two were bonding over a shared love of horror movies at the Georgetown theater.
How has your relationship affected your work?
When we first started out, it was tough: the poor staff had to watch "mom and dad" fight over everything. At home, we'd still be seething. Eventually, we realized we each had our own real estate and had to own it. Anything related to food, menu, execution, and discipline is Cathal's; everything else is mine. And the work arguing has ceased.
How has working together affected your relationship?
Our personalities couldn't be more opposite, yet our values, morals, and drive are exactly in sync. We can laugh and commiserate about the difficulties we encounter during the workday because we both really get what the other is going through. In that way, working together has really brought us closer.
What are the best and worst things about working together?
Worst:
Meshelle: At first, it was that we were always together. We didn't have an opportunity to miss each other or talk about something new.
Cathal: But now that we've opened more restaurants, we rarely see each other at work... which is also tough.
Best:
Meshelle: When we do happen to see each other, we get excited and have the opportunity to give each other a squeeze and a kiss.
Cathal: 19 years later, we still try to wait up for each other. On Sundays we replace cell phones with a bottle of wine, and I still ask her, "Wanna watch a horror movie?"
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