The décor is 1960s retro enhanced by the old-fashioned sign on the wall: “Our yogurt is superior to all.” The Gavalani family, synonymous with superior dairy products, opened its first store in the Thessaloniki suburb of Tsinari in 1957 and later moved to Cassandra Street. They insist on using ewe’s milk, an artisanal philosophy and traditional recipes. Dorkada has plenty of other treasures: fresh orange cake, rice pudding, creams and custards, syrup-soaked touloumbes and, of course, the ultimate mastic-flavored kaimaki ice cream, or dondurma as it’s known in Turkish. [91 Cassandra Street, • Tel. (+30) 2310.234.675]
© Konstantinos Tsakalidis
The simple, traditional recipe hails from Macedonia and is a well-guarded secret. Toula’s pies are a delicacy with a reputation not just in the north but throughout Greece, where every household has its own version of “the best” pie, passed down from generation to generation. It’s no easy feat rolling out 25 sheets of cigarette paper-thin pastry – light as air – for every pie. Toula uses the same basic recipe to make pies stuffed with meat, wild greens and cheese – and they are always a hit. So are her handmade sweets. Her marmalades with fruit from her orchard, biscuits with more vitamins than calories, cakes and liqueurs are all homemade. [12 Kastritsiou Street, • Tel. (+30) 2310.264.107]
When welcoming you into their homes, Greek old-timers will offer you a small plate of syrupy fruit preserve known as spoon sweets. Modern retro-style cafes have been adopting this tradition in recent years. The Papageorgiou family, however, has been adhering to this philosophy for about a century. It all started in 1926 with grandpa Lazaros, who passed the torch onto his children and grandchildren, and who opened a store on Aghiou Mina Street. It’s not just the old-fashioned awning and retro labels that transport you to a different era; it’s everything, from the servers’ aprons to the blue pots brimming with sweets in an endless array of flavors. Combine with yogurt for a delicious, lightening fast dessert. [11 Aghiou Mina Street, • Tel. (+30) 2310.278.562]
© Konstantinos Tsakalidis
Sophia Arabatzi grew up in the store just like her father before her, so this is very much a family affair. It was inaugurated in 1941 and started off as Thessaloniki’s only watermelon purveyor, selling nothing but watermelons. The merchandise has changed but the know-how has been preserved. Sotiris can talk for hours about how the legendary Kapani, the city’s historic market,, has evolved over the years. He’s also an expert on dates. When Sophia stepped in, she brought a breath of fresh air: new labels, and new products, but the same spirit. Halva, sesame snaps, loukoum delight, honey, herbs, nuts and an endless array of tsipouro, drinks and liqueurs – all quintessentially Greek. Sophia’s bubbly welcome is another good reason to stop by. [5 Kidoniatou Street, • Tel. (+30) 2310.230.703]
© Konstantinos Tsakalidis
He claims that nutprocessing runs in his veins and listening to him speak, it’s clear that he’s made for this job: when he talks of how almonds are roasted, quince paste is prepared and nectarines are dried under the sun his eyes light up. At Harilaos’ store, brave the queues to find peanuts from Serres and Australian macadamias, Spanish tiger nuts, excellent stone-ground tahini and roasted chickpeas from Komotini, a vast selection of dried fruits, homemade rose water from Voio and all sorts of sweet-making ingredients. In short, Harilaos’ nut store is a wonderful place to explore, taste and leave with a basketful of delights. [24 Vatikioti Street (Athonos Square), • Tel. (+30) 2310.285.487]
© Alexandros Avramidis
You’ll meet plenty of gourmands on the corner of Balanou and Vatikiotis streets in downtown Thessaloniki, just off Athonos Square. This is where Lefki and Vivi keep their quaintly old-fashioned grocery stocked with goodies by small producers from all over Greece: cured fish pastourma, flathead grey mullet botargo from Porto Lagos, smoked mussels, sardines, snails, olives, Asia Minor-style pickled bonito, cured meats such as kavourmas from Thrace, cheeses , olive oil, coffee and bread from Komotini, tsipouro and wine, honey, pastas, pulses and many, many more delicious items. [5 Balanou Street, • Tel. (+30) 2310.22 8.585]
© Konstantinos Tsakalidis
Kostis Zafirakis | December 2nd, 2015
Thessaloniki is a food lovers paradise. If you’re a fan of edible comforts and delicious treats, we’ve got you covered. Family run, gorgeously retro and with traditional recipes that have been going for generations, these are six of the best places to get that feel-good vibe and hit all the right flavor spots. Stop by to sample the wares and stock up on local foodie gifts, which you might not want to eventually part with!
The décor is 1960s retro enhanced by the old-fashioned sign on the wall: “Our yogurt is superior to all.” The Gavalani family, synonymous with superior dairy products, opened its first store in the Thessaloniki suburb of Tsinari in 1957 and later moved to Cassandra Street. They insist on using ewe’s milk, an artisanal philosophy and traditional recipes. Dorkada has plenty of other treasures: fresh orange cake, rice pudding, creams and custards, syrup-soaked touloumbes and, of course, the ultimate mastic-flavored kaimaki ice cream, or dondurma as it’s known in Turkish. [91 Cassandra Street, • Tel. (+30) 2310.234.675]
© Konstantinos Tsakalidis
The simple, traditional recipe hails from Macedonia and is a well-guarded secret. Toula’s pies are a delicacy with a reputation not just in the north but throughout Greece, where every household has its own version of “the best” pie, passed down from generation to generation. It’s no easy feat rolling out 25 sheets of cigarette paper-thin pastry – light as air – for every pie. Toula uses the same basic recipe to make pies stuffed with meat, wild greens and cheese – and they are always a hit. So are her handmade sweets. Her marmalades with fruit from her orchard, biscuits with more vitamins than calories, cakes and liqueurs are all homemade. [12 Kastritsiou Street, • Tel. (+30) 2310.264.107]
When welcoming you into their homes, Greek old-timers will offer you a small plate of syrupy fruit preserve known as spoon sweets. Modern retro-style cafes have been adopting this tradition in recent years. The Papageorgiou family, however, has been adhering to this philosophy for about a century. It all started in 1926 with grandpa Lazaros, who passed the torch onto his children and grandchildren, and who opened a store on Aghiou Mina Street. It’s not just the old-fashioned awning and retro labels that transport you to a different era; it’s everything, from the servers’ aprons to the blue pots brimming with sweets in an endless array of flavors. Combine with yogurt for a delicious, lightening fast dessert. [11 Aghiou Mina Street, • Tel. (+30) 2310.278.562]
© Konstantinos Tsakalidis
Sophia Arabatzi grew up in the store just like her father before her, so this is very much a family affair. It was inaugurated in 1941 and started off as Thessaloniki’s only watermelon purveyor, selling nothing but watermelons. The merchandise has changed but the know-how has been preserved. Sotiris can talk for hours about how the legendary Kapani, the city’s historic market,, has evolved over the years. He’s also an expert on dates. When Sophia stepped in, she brought a breath of fresh air: new labels, and new products, but the same spirit. Halva, sesame snaps, loukoum delight, honey, herbs, nuts and an endless array of tsipouro, drinks and liqueurs – all quintessentially Greek. Sophia’s bubbly welcome is another good reason to stop by. [5 Kidoniatou Street, • Tel. (+30) 2310.230.703]
© Konstantinos Tsakalidis
He claims that nutprocessing runs in his veins and listening to him speak, it’s clear that he’s made for this job: when he talks of how almonds are roasted, quince paste is prepared and nectarines are dried under the sun his eyes light up. At Harilaos’ store, brave the queues to find peanuts from Serres and Australian macadamias, Spanish tiger nuts, excellent stone-ground tahini and roasted chickpeas from Komotini, a vast selection of dried fruits, homemade rose water from Voio and all sorts of sweet-making ingredients. In short, Harilaos’ nut store is a wonderful place to explore, taste and leave with a basketful of delights. [24 Vatikioti Street (Athonos Square), • Tel. (+30) 2310.285.487]
© Alexandros Avramidis
You’ll meet plenty of gourmands on the corner of Balanou and Vatikiotis streets in downtown Thessaloniki, just off Athonos Square. This is where Lefki and Vivi keep their quaintly old-fashioned grocery stocked with goodies by small producers from all over Greece: cured fish pastourma, flathead grey mullet botargo from Porto Lagos, smoked mussels, sardines, snails, olives, Asia Minor-style pickled bonito, cured meats such as kavourmas from Thrace, cheeses , olive oil, coffee and bread from Komotini, tsipouro and wine, honey, pastas, pulses and many, many more delicious items. [5 Balanou Street, • Tel. (+30) 2310.22 8.585]
© Konstantinos Tsakalidis
Thessaloniki's food legacy is a rich tapestry woven by diverse...
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