We promised you that things would get interesting under the palm trees at the finals of Florida’s 2024 Best Baguette and Croissant competition, organized by French Morning and the Chambre des Métiers et de l’Artisanat en Floride (FAACT), and sponsored by Paris Gourmet. Well, we weren’t lying. On Sunday, October 27, on a beautiful autumn evening free from the usual humidity, the 16 competing artisans demonstrated their talents and know-how in front of some 400 gourmands and a jury of professionals, including three bakers and chefs: Romain Dufour (Chicago Chocolate Academy), Laurent Branlard (Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood), William Leaman (Bakery Nouveau in Seattle) and Valérie Girou Legouhy (co-founder of the World Gastronomy Organization).
A Quality Showing
Illuminated by the guinguette-style lights of the elegant National Hotel in South Beach, the evening lived up to its promise of feeding the public with excellent breads and viennoiseries, accompanied by charcuterie and other snacks. By the end of the evening, not a single stand had anything left to sell. Everything had disappeared, even products not in competition, such as marble loaves and raisin rolls.
“Miami, you have a very high level of talent! It was extremely close, we had a lot of trouble deciding between the artisans, and I’d like to thank them for making it so difficult for us, because it means that the quality was there,” exclaimed William Leaman, founder of Bakery Nouveau in Seattle and the 2005 Bakery World Cup champion, from the podium. “I can tell you that no one in Seattle has the level you have here,” he continued.
Ficelle Wins Big
After a lengthy discussion of weight, size, smell, crispness, and finally taste, the jury delivered its verdict, in front of Miami Beach mayor Steven Meiner, always a fan of French food.
Ficelle, the Miami-based bakery established three years ago, won not one but two prestigious awards: Best Baguette and Best Croissant in Florida. Its co-founder, Olivier Rizk, a Haitian-American who grew up in Magic City, was cheered on by the supportive crowd, fielding photo requests like a rock star. In a way, it’s his own grand slam.
“I worked very hard. The truth is, I wanted to win both competitions because they’re both important. I put in everything I could and made every effort to achieve this goal,” Rizk said, with relief and satisfaction. An artisan baker for a dozen years, he began his career with his uncle at Delices de France, before joining Eric Kayser in New York. It was there that he won the Best Baguette award in 2019, before opening Ficelle near Miami River with his brother three years ago. Today, he employs some twenty people, and intends to develop wholesale offerings, which represent an important market for baked goods in South Florida.
The Winners
Best Croissant 2024
1st Prize: Ficelle – 1440 NW N River Dr, Miami – (786) 688-3626
2nd Prize: Lien Bruno – 35 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables – (786) 960-3218
3rd Prize: Bakery 305 – 711 NW 27th Ave, Miami – (786) 718-3218
Best Baguette 2024
1st Prize: Ficelle – 1440 NW N River Dr, Miami – (786) 688-3626
2nd Prize: Sandy Pesquero – 280 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, Naples
3rd Prize: Sublime crust – 3000 E Las Olas Blvd, Fort Lauderdale
The 2024 edition of Florida’s Best Baguette and Best Croissant competition was sponsored by Paris Gourmet, importer of French products to the U.S., and their butter brand Beurremont.
