From our friends at Praline Bakery & Bistro...
Former White House Chefs Bring Sweet Things to Virginia
Praline Bakery to launch in Mosaic
From the White House pastry kitchen to the pastry kitchen at Bethesda’s Praline Bakery & Bistro, Chefs Patrick Musel and Susan Limb prepare some of the finest confections in the DMV. Along with Allison Bolin, they will be bringing their Praline Bakery to Virginia’s Mosaic District with a scheduled opening in late summer of 2016. Praline Bakery’s second location will be at 2985 District Avenue, Suite 140, Fairfax, VA 22031.
“After years of requests from our customers and friends who are Virginia residents, we’re happy to be able to expand into that area,” said Susan limb, co-owner of Praline Bakery.
The bakery will feature Praline’s signature breakfast pastries, cookies, Parisian macarons, cakes, tarts, pound cakes, celebration cakes, breads, and pastries, all masterfully created and baked onsite.
There will be outdoor seating for coffee and confections surrounding the new location. There will be indoor and outdoor seating surrounding the exterior at which to enjoy the bakery’s freshly baked goods as well as a variety of daily sandwiches, breads, quiches, and salads available to eat in or take out.
Praline Bakery plans to be an active presence at the Mosaic Farmer’s Market this coming spring, offering a preview of its delicious confections.
About Patrick Musel:
Patrick Musel, co-owner of Praline Bakery in Bethesda, MD first knew he wanted to be a pastry chef at the young age of six, when he saw a Napoleon pastry in the window of pastry shop on his way to school. He went on to Les Diguieres in Grenoble, France, where he earned his CAP and BEP in Culinary Arts. He had numerous positions as pastry chef throughout Europe, including the renowned Negresco Hotel in Nice, France, working under Jacques Maximin, the Hotel du Rhone in Geneva, Switzerland and the Casino in Cannes, France. He came to the United States in 1979 and was immediately recognized as a talented pastry chef and hired by Philippe Laurier at Palais des Friandise. From there, he moved onto renowned French restaurants of the time, such as Lion d’Or, Maison Blanche, and Place Vendome as well as the French Embassy. Patrick was then hired by the Ritz-Carlton Hotels as Executive Pastry Chef in Laguna Nigel, CA. During his tenure there, the hotel earned a Five Star Five Diamond rating by AAA. After the Ritz-Carlton Hotels, he went on as Executive Pastry Chef at Sutton Place Gourmet, which at the time had six retail stores in the region. While at Sutton Place, he was called by White House Executive Pastry Chef, Roland Mesnier to work part time at the Executive Residence. While working at the White House, he met Susan Limb, his current business partner, and they opened Praline Bakery in Bethesda 2006.
About Susan Limb:
Susan Limb is co-owner of Praline Bakery & Bistro in Bethesda, MD. She graduated from the University of California, Irvine and was attending graduate school at Georgetown University when she decided to attend pastry school at L'Academie de Cuisine. It was while learning to make croissant, that she decided to make pastry her career. After graduating from Georgetown and L'academie, she went on to work for Roland Mesnier at the White House. There, she met her business partner and co-owner Patrick Musel. Susan worked with Patrick in various kitchens such as Marvelous Market and Filomena Ristorante in Georgetown until 2006 when Praline opened.
About Ally Bolin:
Allyson Bolin grew up in Kentucky horse country, cooking and baking alongside her grandparents. She graduated from the University of Kentucky, then embarked on a career in publishing with an emphasis on children’s literature, working for a variety of companies, including Scholastic, Inc. Having relocated to Washington, DC from New York, she decided to follow her lifelong dream of attending pastry school. After completing the pastry program at L’Academie de Cuisine in 2011, she began working in the pastry kitchen at Praline Bakery, where she met her future business partners, Patrick Musel and Susan Limb.
Praline Bakery & Bistro is located in The Shops at Sumner Place at 4611 Sangamore Road in Bethesda, MD. It is open for lunch Monday-Friday from 11 AM to 2:30 PM; Dinner daily from 5-9:30 PM and for Saturday & Sunday brunch from 10 AM to 3 PM. The bakery is open Monday-Friday from 8 AM to 8 PM and Saturday & Sunday from 8 AM to 7 PM. For further information or reservations, call (301) 229-8180 or online at www.praline-bakery.com.
