Matt Hagan has been named chef de cuisine at Mussel Bar, Robert Wiedmaier’s casual Belgian roadhouse in Bethesda. Hagan comes from Wiedmaier’s Marcel’s restaurant in Foggy Bottom, where he has been sous chef for the past three years. His appointment follows Wiedmaier’s usual modus operandi to promote people he has trained.
Aside from Mussel Bar and Marcel’s, Wiedmaier is the executive chef of Brasserie Beck downtown, and BRABO and BRABO Tasting Room in Alexandria.
Polly Wiedmaier, who co-owns the establishments with her husband, said Hagan was “the right person” for the job, mostly “because there was no one else to pick now.” Wiedmaier said a couple of chefs have left the other restaurants. “Our pools are not huge,” she said.
Robert Gadsby, who had headed up the Mussel Bar kitchen when it opened this past summer, left earlier this year. He was temporarily replaced with John Engle, who has now returned to Brasserie Beck as chef de cuisine.
Polly Wiedmaier said Hagan started in early March, and that the menu and concept at Mussel Bar will remain the same.
