Notre Maison

2025 James Beard Foundation “Best Chef Mid-Atlantic” semifinalist Chef Matt Conroy, is the award-winning chef behind three of D.C.'s best restaurants: Pascual, Lutèce, and just-opened Maison Bar à Vins. Pascual, the hearth-focused Mexican restaurant he opened in 2024 with The Popal Group (TPG) alongside spouse Chef Isabel Coss, received national “Best New Restaurant” recognition in Eater, The New York Times, Robb Report, and the #1 spot in The Washington Post. Lutèce, TPG's French neo-bistro in Georgetown, is a New York Times “America’s Best Restaurants” 2022 and one of RESY's "Top 100 Restaurants" for '25. His most recent opening alongside TPG, Maison Bar à Vins, is a European-style wine bar + restaurant set in a three-story, historic brownstone in Adams Morgan. Maison is now a current James Beard Best New Restaurant semifinalist for 2026 as well as a part of Resy's list of "The Restaurants That Defined Dining in America in 2025."

Trained first in classical French cuisine followed by Mexican cuisine, Conroy’s passion is creating modern dishes full of flavor using seasonal, high-quality, local ingredients paired with sustainable, natural wines. After rising through the culinary ranks in Boston and Vermont starting at age fifteen, Conroy moved to New York City to work at Alex Stuptak’s Empellón Cocina. His tenure at Empellón was formative as he perfected his Mexican cuisine and met Coss. From there, he became Executive Chef of Little Prince in NYC where he developed his passion for the new wave of modern French dining, the “neo-bistro.” In 2018, Conroy opened his passion project in Brooklyn, Oxomoco, alongside Chef Justin Bazdarich. Oxomoco gained popularity for its wood-fired Mexican fare, earning the team a MICHELIN star in 2019 and landing Conroy as a StarChefs Rising Stars award winner. In 2020, Conroy made the move to Washington, DC, to become the Executive Chef of Lutèce and later open Pascual and Maison. 

Born and raised outside of Philly, Chef  Jason Chavenson developed a passion for modern French cuisine early in his career, with a focus on seafood, coastal dishes, and seasonal/local products. Chavenson earned culinary degrees from both Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI, and Ecole de Cuisine Alain Ducasse in Paris. From there, Chavenson worked under Chef Nicholas Elmi and Chef Edmund Konrad at the acclaimed South Philly restaurant Laurel for over three years. This experience provided a solid foundation for his next move to Paris, where he became Sous Chef at the MICHELIN-starred Frenchie under Chef Gregory Marchand and later as Chef de Cuisine at Frenchie Bar à Vin. Chavenson moved to DC in 2021, and joined MICHELIN-starred Reverie under Chef Johnny Spero and one year later became Chef de Cuisine at Bar Spero.

Advanced sommelier Chris Ray is the Wine Director for Washington, DC’s The Popal Group (Pascual, Lutèce, Lapis/Lapop, and Maison Bar à Vins) after his promotion from his role as server/sommelier at Lutèce. Chris manages a diverse portfolio of flavors: Modern Afghan at Lapis and underground vinyl bar Lapop, French neo-bistro in Lutèce, hearth-focused Mexican in Pascual, and European-style wine in Maison Bar à Vins. His ability to craft and develop different wine programs is unmatched — from creating a program inspired by Afghanistan that hasn’t had an indigenous alcoholic beverage culture since the 80s at Lapis and focusing on organic, biodynamic wines from lesser known regions/exclusively small producers at Lutèce to collaborating with family-owned Mexican wineries that compliment the smoke and acid on Pascual’s menu and crafting Maison’s expansive 1,000+ label wine list. In addition to working closely with JBF ‘25 semi finalists & TasteTwenty chefs, Isabel Coss & Matt Conroy, Chris works with 50 other TPG team members to coach them not only on the wines they’re serving, but on how to understand balance, structure, and flavors of wine alongside food.

As one of only a few Advanced Sommeliers in DC, Chris has also led weekly blind tasting sessions for the last three years for sommeliers of various levels, from those training to becoming certified or those advancing their certification. Chris does this mentorship pro bono and brings six different wines to the group each week to taste. He’s mentored dozens of sommeliers in the DC community, many of which have gone on to join the only 25% who pass their Advanced Sommelier test and join top-tier JBF and MICHELIN-starred restaurants in DC. Chris is known for his blind tasting skills, but his proudest contribution to the industry is his mentorship that helps create a DC wine community that values understanding, not just selling, wine. 

Suzy Critchlow is the Beverage Director for The Popal Group (TPG) which includes longtime Afghan MICHELIN Bib Gourmand in Lapis and experimental cocktail bar Lapop, DC’s first French neo-bistro Lutèce (NYT America’s Best ‘22), hearth-focused Mexican hotspot in Pascual (Eater, Robb Report, NYT best/best new restaurants in America ‘24), and Maison Bar à Vins (James Beard Best New Restaurant in America semi-finalist, 2026). At Maison, Suzy works closely with Sommelier Chris Ray and Chefs Matt and Jason to create cocktails that all include wine or a wine-based ingredients to honor Maison's identity as a wine bar. 

Prior to joining TPG, Suzy worked in leadership at several acclaimed bar programs including her role as Head Bartender of the former Columbia Room (formerly known as “The Best Cocktail Bar in America” from the Spirited Awards and recognized in Esquire & Bon Appetit), one MICHELIN-starred Reverie as Bar Manager, the former Makan as Beverage and Service Director, and as General Manager of Hill East Burger. With 16 years experience, she joined TPG as Lead Bartender for Pascual, leading the restaurant to its top-tier recognitions and her promotion. 

Chef Omar Alfadl, Sous Chef at Maison, brings a technically driven, operations-minded approach shaped by experience in Michelin-recognized kitchens and seasonal, product-forward restaurants.

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Prior to joining Maison, Alfadl served as Sous Chef at Rose’s Luxury and Bar Spero, where he led menu innovation with local produce, implemented inventory systems that reduced food costs, and mentored junior cooks while maintaining rigorous food safety standards. He previously worked as Chef de Partie at Bar Spero, contributing to seasonal menu development and precise execution in a Michelin-level environment.

Chef Rafael Marquez, Junior Sous Chef at Maison, brings a detail-driven approach shaped by experience in fine-dining kitchens known for precision, creativity, and exacting standards.

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Prior to joining Maison, Marquez worked as Chef de Partie at Minibar by José Andrés, where he led station prep and service execution across Snacks and Barmini, collaborated with sous chefs on recipe development and plating standards, and supported multiple stations to maintain consistent guest-facing quality. He also served as Chef de Partie at Bar Spero, overseeing fermentation and infusion projects while rotating through Raw Bar, Garde Manger, and Pastry in a high-volume environment.

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Earlier in his career, Marquez held a Prep Lead role at Minibar, focusing on complex multi-step prep projects, fish butchery, stock production, and team training, and worked as Sauté and Fry Chef de Partie at Elcielo by Juan Manuel Barrientos. At Maison, his work emphasizes disciplined execution, collaboration, and refined technique.

Chef Ayla Griffin, Junior Sous Chef at Maison, brings a disciplined, ingredient-driven approach shaped by experience in Michelin-recognized kitchens, high-volume service, and whole-grain–focused cooking.
 

Prior to joining Maison, Griffin served as Executive Savory Chef at Seylou Mill & Bakery, leading the savory program across breakfast, lunch, and pizza while working closely with the bread and pastry teams. She previously held roles at Rooster & Owl and Cedric’s Tavern at the The Biltmore Estate, and built her foundation at Cocina de La Sirena, rising to Lead Line Cook.