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Even though it just opened, Praline Restaurant has been an ongoing dream for owners
Restaurant Susan Limb & Patrick Musel since they worked together and became
friends while working for White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier as contractors.
The restaurant became a work in progress, when the two found the perfect place to
build their dream at the Shops at Sumner Place in 2004 and it became a reality this
past March when Susan and Patrick finally opened its doors.
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What becomes abundantly clear when taking to these two entrepreneurs is that it takes more than just a dream to open a restaurant, it take an abundance of patience and unwavering perseverance. Now that the restaurant is open and reaping rave reviews from the community, Susan and Patrick can breathe a sigh of relief and say without reservation that it was “well worth it.”
The restaurant has the feel of a quaint French country bakery on the first floor, stocked with Musel’s homemade pastries, and a colorfully bright dining room with outside patio on the second level. The owners describe the menu as continental with French country influences. Lunch is served from 11:00 am – 2:30 pm Monday-Friday and dinner is served from 5:00 – 10:00 pm Monday-Thursday and until 11:00 pm Friday and Saturday. The bakery is open seven days a week from 8:00 am – 8:00 pm on weekdays and until 7:00 pm on weekends. And since the good word is spreading, it’s a good idea to make reservations (301- 229-8180) on weekends. At some point in the near future, Praline will also offer a special daily carry-out dinner for families.
The love of pastries is what brought Susan and Patrick together. Susan, with degrees in bioscience and history, says she was hooked the moment she made her first croissant in a pastry class at the L’Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg. Patrick, who grew up in Lyon, France, knew at the age of six he wanted to be a pastry chef. He attended a hotel school in Grenoble, worked in various establishments in France, and since coming to the U.S. in 1978, has worked as a pastry chef at the Sutton Place Gourmet and the Ritz Carlton in Laguna Hills, CA, and owned his own bakery called Pastries by Patrick on West Bard Street in Bethesda.
The two, along with executive chef Jean-Pierre Petit, most recently with Ledeux Fontaines and 5061 Restaurant in Miami Beach, Florida, say they delighted to be able to preview Praline in the Sumner neighborhood. And if the consistent flow of customers at the bakery, and the occupied tables in the dining room are any indication, the community and surrounding communities are equally happy to welcome them.
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W.C. & A.N. Miller Companies raised over $50,000 for Habitat for Humanity in 2005.
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Click here to read this quarter's featured article: "The Best Of" the Metro Area.
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