6

Specialization works big time in the food industry. And what better country to source produce from than France. Le Coq, a super elegant and compact bakery offering just croissants and baguettes, is the town’s new addiction when it comes to food on the go!

Rarely do you get to witness the birth of a new concept and a new food offering in town, and it’s even more special when that town knows food inside out like Thessaloniki does! Recently, I happened to visit my hometown for a long weekend and was excited to be part of the crew to do food sampling for the new french bakehouse that opened its doors this week. Located in a cute urban (mostly) pedestrian street in the centre of Thessaloniki, Le Coq is redefining food takeaway for those in need of some French allure and delicious bites.

Croissants come both sweet and savoury, as you pick and choose from a wide array of fillings and spreads – my personal favourites were the pistacchio one and the handmade gooseberry marmalade! Baguettes are equally delicious and crisp as they come hot off the oven every hour or so, with a wide array of high quality ingredients like smoked turkey, tsalafouti cheese, cured pastrami and tomato mousse. Yet, classic ones like the old jambon et formage are hard to beat, especially when cheese and ham are complemented with high quality butter from Corfu!

A bit off menu is the black focaccia with olives, semi-dried tomatoes and oregano, as well as their finger-licking cinnamon rolls! If you’re lucky enough to catch this when you visit, make sure you get a couple. I was skeptical at first when I saw them on display, but was definitely crazy about it moments after the first bite. After all, the owners Michael and Fotini know a bit about food so I was kind of expecting it!

But it wasn’t only the produce that strike any foodie’s mind but also the ambience of this little place! The architecture was hand-crafted by Manos Zaroukas of ACT Architecture in cooperation with Minos Dougias on the construction part; its vibrant and beautiful identity was developed by Panagos Nikolakakis of bob studio – all blending into a fresh and inviting feeling as you pass by.

Vive la France, vive la Salonique!