Meet Christophe & Michelle Poteaux!

CHEF CHRISTOPHE POTEAUX

“Don’t get into the restaurant business…” At least that’s what his parents told him. And they should know. His family had a restaurant in Paris and his grandfather was a third generation pastry chef and baker. Many more of the extended family were in the industry as well. So although cooking was in his blood, Christophe Poteaux, got his Master’s Degree in Finance from the prestigious Finance and banking Institute in Paris. But in his heart of hearts, what he really wanted to master was cuisine. And after graduating from the French Culinary Institute in New York, he did just that. Today, he is executive chef and co owner with wife, pastry chef Michelle Poteaux, of Bastille, a contemporary bistro in Old Town Alexandria.

Chef Poteaux’s culinary odyssey has taken him everywhere from among venerable restaurants such as Alain Ducasse in his hometown of Paris, France to Daniel in New York to L’Orangerie in West Hollywood to Aquarelle at The Watergate in Washington, DC, where he followed in the footsteps of legendary chef Jean Louis Palladin.. Bastille is now n its sixth year, having won accolades such as Washingtonian’s 100 Best Restaurants; Top 50 of Northern Virginia Magazine, the Wine Spectator Award and has been nominated annually for DC’s local RAMMY awards. He has also been a featured chef at the prestigious James Beard House on numerous occasions.

At Bastille, Chef Poteaux’s menu combines the traditional with the contemporary French-inspired. Ingredients are locally sourced with an eye toward the organic and seasonal.

Chef Poteaux follows the advice he would give to anyone starting in the profession—“be humble and be prepared to learn every day of your life.” His commitment to offering simple yet perfectly prepared food to his guests never waivers. It has kept him shoulder to shoulder with the best chefs in the DC Metro area. And with Bastille, his talent and vast experience will continue to shine.


CHEF MICHELLE POTEAUX

“I grew up with the boiled peach dumplings and a great grandmother whose favorite ingredient was bacon fat. But I remember her simple, full of flavor food. I find it fascinating to this day—from my first taste of her sour cream raisin pie,” says Michelle Poteaux, who, with husband executive chef Christophe, co-owns Bastille, an intimate contemporary bistro in Alexandria’s Old Town.

Michelle’s sweet journey led her from her hometown of Springfield, Missouri to Sullivan University in Louisville, where she took her first ‘real’ job at The Bakery, which is now a learning center for Sullivan pastry students. She then headed west, honing her skills in California as a pastry chef at Juliann's Bakery in San Jose, Icon Supper Club in Palo Alto, The Palace in Sunnyvale, and Executive Pastry Chef of Amphora Bakery, before heading to Washington’s Watergate Hotel and its acclaimed restaurant, Aquarelle. In 2006, she and husband Christophe opened Bastille where her desserts have won her acclaim both locally and nationally. Her creative talents were noticed by the James Beard Foundation, where Michelle presented her vision of a six-course tasting menu to New York's gourmet society at The James Beard House. She returned there with her husband several times as a featured chef, much to the delight of the guests. She has also been nominated by for DC’s local RAMMY award as ‘Best Pastry Chef.”

Michelle’s pastry epiphany has since evolved to include a wider array of desserts since her childhood, but she still clings to perfecting desserts with uncomplicated but perfect flavors. Unlike most pastry chefs, she is involved at every level of the menu creation, whether savory or sweet. At Bastille, Michelle’s dessert menu includes updated classics that change with the seasons, utilizing the best ingredients of the season with an eye toward local farmers and purveyors.

Michelle philosophy is to incorporate much of the creative pastry techniques in the overall menu of the restaurant, creating a whole new range of flavor, textures and concepts to every course.

The Poteux’s reside in Virginia and are proud parents of three.