Praline Bakery

Former White House Pastry Chefs Bring Praline Bakery to the Wharf | Eater DC

"At the Wharf development, Praline Bakery has opened a glassy, open third D.C.-area location whose display case begins with a rainbow of macarons and moves through cheerful enclaves of croissants, muffins, cookies, and cakes before ending with sandwiches and quiches. Founded in 2006 by former White House pastry chefs Susan Limb and Patrick Musel—who met at the White House and previously worked at Filomena—the bakery expanded from a Bethesda bistro to shops in the Mosaic District (Fairfax) in 2016, Southwest D.C., and an outpost at Glen Echo Park. Bestsellers and standouts include the fragrant almond croissant, a generously filled blueberry muffin, a robust opera cake, and the classic ham-and-cheese baguette; a lighter option is the walnut dacquoise, available by the slice or whole. Limb emphasizes intensity of flavor: "When we say it's a flavor, it is that flavor. There's no guesswork, not a hint of flavor," and she says her chocolate truffle cake "is more chocolatey than sweet. You're getting chocolate, not sugar." Consistency is another tenet—guests should expect the same flavor, quality, and freshness every time—and Limb is planning to introduce bingsu, a Korean shaved milk treat, in the summer. Praline Bakery is located at 965 7th Street SW and is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m." - Andrea Adleman