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ANTHONY CUCCHIARA AND JULIEN DALLAINE
Stalls to Storefronts
How these confectionery connoisseurs and savoury savants turned four wheels into four walls
by LAUREN KALINOWSKI + photos JANICE SAXON
ON A SUNNY MARKET DAY it’s a delight to stroll through the farmers’ market tasting, smelling, admiring and sampling the fresh produce and handmade goods
But on days that the sun doesn’t shine, when all we want to do is grab our bread and eggs and hide, those are the days that define the resilience of our favourite sellers. They’re ready for us week after week, unfazed, no matter what’s happening on the other side of the stalls.
That persistence characterizes the journey of La French Taste, a few blocks south of Alberta Avenue.
Anthony Cucchiara and Julien Dallaine came to Edmonton from Metz, in eastern France, and Paris respectively, after Dallaine was recruited here to work for a local landscaper. During the off-season, he started baking brioche and selling it door to door in Windermere. With encouragement from friends, they established a presence at the Bountiful Market before opening
La French Taste cafe and bakery in November 2023, offering both sweet and savoury treats.
Growing their operation at a deliberately slow pace gives them breathing room to navigate the challenges of starting a bakery. Cucchiara says, “we save up and then buy the next thing for the kitchen, then work and save and buy the next thing,” with long-term goals in mind. They hope to build out the front of the cafe with more decor items and seating.
Cucchiara says: “We want to blend together French tradition with Canadian culture to make a home here.” After a significant renovation of the old La Favourite bakery location on the corner of 114th Avenue and 95th Street, he and Dallaine created a welcoming space with a bright, multicoloured hand-painted mural, shiny polished concrete floors and local artists’ work on the walls. Family flew in from France to help finish the renovation — from gutting to refinishing.
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