Shoot

The most famous "pie shop”Of Toumba, in the full sense of the word, is a shop on Papafi Street, which has been building for years perhaps the best card of Thessaloniki. "Shoot”Its name and opened in 1993, when the Costas Astraios, who comes from Vlasti, Kozani, decided to build a workshop that produces daily handmade traditional pies. The shop corner a stalia, but with a peculiarity.

It is marked in all possible ways: with the classic wooden sign "Vlasti, traditional pie" with the light sign "Shoot", with bright moving letters, and finally with two impressive graffiti. The result is the message that they are here "The pies of Vlasti", to be transmitted to all passers-by, regardless of age and aesthetics.

Early in the morning we arrived at the store and there was a queue for Kostas' goodies. The messages had taken place!

Two signs define the philosophy of the store: "We are producers and not directors" and "Our pies (yes with 2 tau as before) are tomorrow"! In another posted table are the pie options at prices 1.60-2.00 Euros. First and best Vlastiotiki cheese pie followed by spinach cheese pie, prasyro pie, politics (with feta, cheese, sun-dried tomatoes), meat pie, pizza with cheese and ham, but also sweet pies such as milk pie, pies with wild cherry, apple and chocolate pies.

We drank our Greek coffee accompanied by a sample of daftis! We were enchanted. We also exchanged two conversations because Vlasti, apart from being a pub, also maintains a hangout character in the neighborhood, with small groups commenting on everyday life. Next door, but in visual contact, Kostas in his workshop - then in the store - from dawn until 4 at noon opens dough, makes the fillings and bakes 80 pie pans daily, all of which will have disappeared by the time they close.

As much as the signs helped to play their part, Vlasti became known by word of mouth, from those who evaluated that quality does not exist where there is great advertising and intense visibility.