NORTHVILLE — Laurie Percha didn’t even know where to begin.
“I walked in and was almost overwhelmed with the beauty and the choices,” Percha said at the Sept. 19 grand opening of Cannelle, downtown Northville’s newest pastry shop. “What I did get was just delicious. Outstanding.”
Percha, who drove to the shop at 156 N. Center St. from Commerce Township after seeing the grand opening event advertised on social media, raved about the almond croissant and raspberry apple croissant she tried, while her sister-in-law, Cheryl Percha, chose a chocolate éclair.
“It was absolutely delicious,” she said. “It was gone before I knew it – plus it was really pretty.”
Their friend, Jamie Gresens of Wixom, celebrating her retirement from nursing, was equally enthusiastic about her cherry croissant.
“I liked that it was real cherries — not pie filling, but truly dark cherries,” she said. “This place is amazing. We’ll definitely be back. The choices are huge – you could come here for lunch and still have your cake and eat it too.”
A French pastry tradition
The reaction is exactly what Chef Matt Knio envisioned when he decided to bring his French-inspired bakery to Northville.
A graduate of the Académie de Versailles in France, Knio describes Cannelle as “a traditional pastry shop” where everything is made from scratch.
“The difference is in the ingredients and the execution,” Knio said. “You can use the same ingredients, but how you implement them changes the texture and experience.”
Knio’s path to Northville began far from Michigan. Born to Lebanese parents, he grew up in Africa and worked on a cocoa plantation in Ivory Coast before moving to France to study under master pastry chefs.
He came to Michigan in 2002 to serve as head pastry chef at the Ritz-Carlton before striking out on his own.
The first Cannelle opened in Southfield in 2003, with shops following in Detroit, Birmingham, Ann Arbor, Farmington and Kego Harbor. Northville is now home to Cannelle’s sixth location, with a seventh opening soon in Rochester.
Something for everyone
At Cannelle Northville, display cases are filled with croissants in nearly every flavor imaginable, from classics like butter and chocolate to indulgences like pistachio chocolate, almond, cherry, and savory versions with ham and asiago or bacon and Gruyere.
“Our creativity is in the exclusivity,” Knio said. “You might see something similar somewhere else, but not like this. That’s where we thrive – creating something unique.”
The bakery also turns out artisan breads – brioche, sourdough, rye, focaccia and more – along with specialty desserts like mille-feuille, tiramisu, pistachio-raspberry tarts and brightly colored macarons.
Cakes range from lemon-raspberry to rich chocolate-hazelnut creations, available in sizes from small rounds to full sheets.
Beyond pastries, Cannelle offers a savory menu with sandwiches built on fresh-baked loaves, breakfast croissant sandwiches layered with eggs, cheese, and bacon or sausage, and salads topped with chicken or tuna.
A full coffee and espresso menu includes lattes, iced coffees, chai and more.
A new Northville destination
Knio said his sister, a Northville resident, first suggested he bring MKCannelle to the city.
“I love it here,” he said, noting he looked for the perfect location for several years before fianally landing the spot on Center Street. “Every time I drove by, I saw how beautiful the downtown was becoming and I wanted to be part of that future.”
Judging by the line stretching out the door during the grand opening, Northville pastry lovers are ready to make Cannelle part of their future, too.
Contact reporter Laura Colvin: lcolvin@hometownlife.com
Dining and Cooking