Dregs

In our last trip to Thessaloniki we had first met the story of the lads of the anti-authoritarian space who had occupied the "power" of gastronomy, creating their own gastronomic school. Collectives, or collaborations with a cooperative spirit, far from professionals-entrepreneurs of the space, changed the image of the dining space. Comfortable atmosphere, innovation in taste, marriages of flavors with locally sought after wines, artistic bistros, new age gastronomic cafes and mainly value for money dishes. Main report of the shops we visited - September, Radical, Nama - was o Giannis Loukakis. Giannis collaborated since 2009 as a partner with Stelios Emmanouilidis who was the owner of the tavern Nea Folia -initially owned by Michalis Sevdalis and then Petros Emmanouilidis- and from where it all started!

We met him at Dregs, his new creation, Christopoulou 12, in a lost neighborhood behind Handmade. Nothing outside predicted that we would meet inside one of the best seafood hangouts in the country!

A narrow hall with a glass-window facade just four meters, in an "anarcho-autonomous" mix and match style, an old mosaic on the floor with walls painted in pastel discreet colors and a series of exquisite photos - magical realism - on a canvas by Nikos Vavdos to create a poetic atmosphere. The store is of course from a young "wanted" world, and we finally had the good fortune to be comfortable in the four bar positions located in front of open kitchen. For others a balcony place, for us, first place track since we had the opportunity to see in front of us the poetry of creative gastronomy.

The menu - handwritten on thick cardboard - separate each day, depending on the fresh products they find in the organic popular markets - Wednesday, Saturday - or the seafood supplied by their fishermen, depending on the season and the mood of the sea. We got the list with the following:

• Crayfish in the pan with goat garlic butter,
• Grilled cuttlefish with fava beans and oil cheese,
• Belly fillet in the pan with black lentil salad and red quinoa,
• Potatoes on the stove with Chania rye milk,
• Cabbage stuffing with crayfish and sweet trachana.
• Casserole with black beans, smoked swordfish and cod eggs.

We enjoyed our dishes, while at the same time we were on a theatrical stage and we were watching a private show, the cooking ritual and setting the dishes by a coordinated brigade of young cook dancers!

At midnight in Mourga, after the show, in the "dressing rooms", we met the composer-creator.

John is very low-key, noble, modest, anti-media not out of fencing but out of modesty and point of view, nothing to do with the reeds of the profession.

With two glasses of rose wine we talked about his life and his dreams. With part-time parents in the restaurant - mother cook and father in the service - and two homelands in Pontus and Crete, John married the past with the future and the local with the ecumenical.

Giannis rejoices in their success and the satisfaction of his friends-customers and tells us about his humble dream, a cafe in Chortiatis with appetizers, next to his house. We hope he delays it a bit because Thessaloniki needs Mourga. It is the best there is in the city. Imagination in power.