Washington DC’s best baguette competition will take place on Monday October 21 from 6:30pm at La Maison Française. Don’t forget to reserve your seats here–they’re going fast!
We’ve already unveiled the list of finalist bakeries, so while we’re waiting for the big day, it’s time to reveal the composition of the grand jury for the 2024 competition.
Meet our experts:
Patrick Vanas
Raised on a Michigan dairy farm, Chef Patrick Vanas studied culinary science at Johnson & Wales University, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude (and even took a few classes with Julia Child). At 19, he was one of Michigan’s youngest executive chefs at MPCC. Chef Patrick is a member of the ACF (American Culinary Federation) and has won gold, silver, and bronze medals at local and national ACF culinary competitions. Over the course of his career, he has had the honor of cooking for countless high-ranking politicians, dignitaries, and celebrities as a private chef/caterer. For the past three years, he has been Senior Chef Instructor at the Metropolitan Culinary Arts Institute (MCAI)/Cookology, teaching courses for professionals and amateurs alike.
Chef Ahmed Ibrahim
Chef Ahmed Ibrahim followed an unconventional path to success. He trained as a geochemist before discovering his true calling in the kitchen, where he rose through the ranks. In 2014, he accepted a position at Kona Grill, and opened the chain’s first Washington restaurant, before becoming Executive Chef of the Year in 2016. It was during this time that Chef Ahmed went abroad with Kona Grill to Dubai, where he spent time developing menus in the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, before returning to Washington DC in 2020. The chef boldly presents flavors, ingredients, and spices emblematic of his own culinary history and the experiences of his team. Aware of the importance of this historical inclusion, he works with each member of his team to help them to integrate their own personal influences and references.
Maria Kopsidas
Maria Kopsidas is the visionary founder and owner of Cookology Recreational Culinary School and the Metropolitan Culinary Arts Institute (MCAI). Drawing on her Mediterranean upbringing in a family of philanthropists, cooks, cookbook authors, professional sports coaches, and even a White House pastry chef, Maria’s goal was to create a highly accessible and affordable cooking school.
Maria’s entrepreneurial adventure took off with the launch of the first Cookology at the Dulles Town Center in February 2009 (which closed in October 2022). She inaugurated the second Cookology in Ballston Quarter Arlington, VA, in 2019. This impressive 6,000-square-foot facility now houses both Cookology and MCAI.
Jason Fisher
Jason hails from the Washington metropolitan area and is passionate about Washington’s thriving food scene. He’s a foodie at heart and one of the faces behind DCFoodGod, a blog that highlights some of the city’s best local and family restaurants. In his spare time, Jason enjoys traveling with his fiancée, and going on trips on which they can sample a wide range of cuisines while immersing themselves in different cultures.
Sandie Soman
Sandie Soman is a freelance designer living in the Washington metropolitan area. She’s a food enthusiast, content creator, and former scientist, who loves desserts and believes in celebrating culture through digital communication and the arts. With over six years of experience in food blogging, she aspires to showcase the DMV’s diverse culinary landscape through captivating photos, videos, and written narratives.
Chef Hugues Cossard
Hugh Cossard hails from the Loire Valley and the Vendée. From an early age, Cossard was immersed in his family’s butchery, charcuterie, and catering businesses.
Chef Cossard immigrated to the United States in 1989 to improve his English. After exploring the Pacific Northwest, he moved to Philadelphia in 1991 to take up a position with a delicatessen and catering company. He was subsequently hired to manage the kitchens of several French-style restaurants in Pennsylvania. He was fortunate to work alongside great French and American chefs who helped him develop his own signature culinary style.
The chef has been an instructor in gastronomy at Stratford University since 2011. In 2017, he was promoted to Associate Program Director for the School of Cuisine and Hospitality. While at Stratford University, he did his best to support U.S. veterans in finding new careers in the food industry.
In 2024, he was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mérite Agricole by the French Minister of Agriculture and French Ambassador Laurent Bili.
Recently, Mr. Cossard became Director of Education at the Metropolitan Culinary Arts Institute in Arlington. He is also an instructor for the professional program.
Reserve your tickets now for this superb event! Click here.
The 2024 edition of Washington DC’s best baguette competition is organized by French Morning and sponsored by Paris Gourmet, importers of French products to the United States, and its Beurremont butter brand.
