WASHINGTON — Louisville, Ky., was everything to Edward Lee. The Brooklyn-born chef moved to the city in 2003, after having visited only once for the Kentucky Derby. Since then, the city has given him his wife, a circle of friends and a unique culinary voice that brought TV gigs and corporate sponsorships.

“Louisville completed me not just as a chef but as a person,” Mr. Lee said over a beer in his new home, Washington, where last month he opened Succotash, a flagship for his Asian-infused Southern food. “I learned to be nice there. I learned to look people in the eye and talk to people about their families. I didn’t do that in New York.”

So it was only natural that Mr. Lee, 45, was worried about leaving Louisville. (For a long time, he told interviewers that he was splitting his time between the two cities.) But after nearly 15 years, he had maxed out.