A number of experts spent part of the day at the City Paper offices this afternoon to figure that out. Y&H invited two of the heaviest hitters in the local bread-making business to turn a critical eye —- and palate —- on our area’s baguettes: Mark Furstenberg, the founder of both Marvelous Market and Breadline, and fellow baker, Loic Feillet, owner of Panorama Baking Co. in Alexandria.

To round out the panel, we also invited Eric Ziebold, chef at this year’s Best Restaurant, and esteemed cookbook author Joan Nathan. We even asked City Paper‘s resident baker, Jule Banville (also known as our assistant managing editor), to provide more of the lay-editor’s perspective.

We’ll report our findings next week in Young & Hungry, but in the meantime, let’s jump start the debate: What do you consider the best baguette in town?

More pictures from today’s competition below the fold, courtesy of staff shooter, Darrow Montgomery.

It’s a crumb-y job: Judging a baguette’s interior structure.

Furstenberg takes a knife to baguettes.

The judges show off their “bread intuition.”

Photos by Darrow Montgomery