NORTH BEACH, Md. — In the spring of 2024, excitement filled the air as North Beach awaited the opening of Elise’s Market and Patisserie, housed in a charming lilac-painted building. Owner Patrick Gassion touted the business as a community-focused market offering locally sourced produce, freshly baked pastries, and a coffee shop. On social media, he claimed to have served as “the White House chef for Barack Obama,” a title that intrigued many.
However, early enthusiasm gave way to skepticism as questions arose about Gassion’s credibility. Official records revealed that Cristeta Comerford served as White House executive chef from 2005 until her retirement in 2024, casting doubt on Gassion’s claims.
Tensions escalated in April when Gassion accused his landlords of deliberately delaying lease formalities, allegedly preventing the market from opening as scheduled. In a social media post shared by his then-manager, Jaci Sheckels, under Gassion’s direction, he described the delay as a “cruel decision” that left employees without income after leaving their previous jobs to join Elise’s Market.
When the market finally launched in the summer of 2024, controversy followed. Gassion posted a photo on Facebook of his “culinary team,” which turned out to be staff from MariBeth’s Bakery in Alexandria, Virginia. Upon learning that Elise’s pastries were not made in-house but supplied by MariBeth’s, the bakery severed ties with him “over concerns about their cakes being stored at incorrect...
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