Youssef Boudarine

Youssef Boudarine was born to a large Berber family in a small town in Morocco. He enjoyed a rich career in Paris and across Europe, then arrived in Indianapolis in 2016 to share his love of French pastry with a new audience. After several years of challenges and setbacks in the Indy culinary scene, he found a home at Bluebeard creating desserts for their ever-changing menu. With Bluebeard's support, he launched his own business, J'adore Pastry.

Through J'adore, Youssef began collaborating with minority- and women-owned small businesses at pop-ups and special events. He believes that through connection and visibility, each individual can bring their passion to life. This belief recently culminated in Epicurean Indy, an international festival celebrating food, music, and art. Epicurean Indy featured chefs and artists representing more than 30 countries from around the world, and the Indianapolis community responded in an epic way. Throngs of people flooded in to the festival, many vendors sold out of their products and people exclaimed that "Indianapolis needs this!" Youssef's dedication to expanding diversity and inclusion in the culinary scene is still in the early stages. Less than a month after Epicurean, he is planning two more events to showcase authentic food and culture in his city.