Lines, Laminated Dough, and a Mochicro: The French Spot Has Concord Hooked

CONCORD, CA — They waited, and waited, and waited some more for croissants, perhaps a kouign amann, or a sourdough loaf.

Most mornings, Concord waits still for these goods that have been drawing people by the dozen to The French Spot since it soft-opened Dec. 6 in Concord.

The opening in the Oak Grove Shopping Center is recent enough that lines still snake out the door, sometimes, it is said, around the corner past Trader Joe's.

The bakery's decor, lighting, layout, and prices resemble U.S. bakeries rather than anything conventionally French. The contents behind the glass cases, like the "mochicro" croissant, are intentionally unconventional.

Owners Vincent Attali and Maria Zapata call the bakery French-American-Asian-inspired: "classic French technique with playful, modern flavors, all baked fresh on site."

Attali and Zapata draw on careers in top-tier restaurants and pastry shops, including their San Francisco location.

Zapata describes herself as a painter, illustrator, owner, and cake artist. Her "pastry credentials" include working with chocolatier Jean Marie Auboine in Las Vegas, as a pastry sous chef in the East Bay, and custom cake work.

Attali is a second-generation pastry chef who has worked in Michelin-star restaurants, high-end pastry shops, luxury hotels, and served as an executive pastry chef at LinkedIn, with TV appearances and consulting experience.

The bakery joins others offering French-inspired menus, such as La Sen Bistro, Brioche de Paris, La Fontaine in Walnut Creek, and Rêve Bistro in Lafayette.

Immediately The French Spot's opening attracted salutations — "Merci" and "The French Spot est très bon! — as well as probing questions — "But do they have canelés?!?!"

The French Bakery, 785 Oak Grove Road, is open 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays; 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m on Saturdays and Sundays.

Arrive early, bring your appetite, and experience the wait with your neighbors.