By Kathy Chouteau
With spring in the air, the Standard set its sights on Flor Hermosa, a coffee shop nestled amid the lush greenscape of Golden Gate Palms nursery in Richmond. As part of our Rich Dish series, we stopped by on a bustling Thursday to dish with customers on good food and drink spots in the Rich and surrounding communities.
Co-owner Alondra Navarro, who runs Flor Hermosa with her husband, kicked off the conversation by sharing her enthusiasm for a newer spot on the Richmond food scene: Golden State Kitchen, located inside the Construction and General Laborers Local 324 building at 101 South 12th St. Navarro said her go-to order is the Classic Cheeseburger customized with an egg and jalapeño.
“Their fries are really good—they make them fresh on the spot,” she said. The eatery also features freshly baked buns and affordable prices.
Another go-to spot for Navarro is Maya Taqueria in Point Richmond, where she gravitates toward a meat-free Butternut Squash Burrito made with black beans, guacamole and red salsa. She did not expect to love the combination. She also praised Roma Caffé, another Point Richmond staple, where she orders Bacon, Egg and Cheese on an Everything Bagel, upgraded with avocado, cream cheese and jalapeños.
More recently, Navarro has enjoyed Golden Gate Bistro, where she’s ordered the Margarita Pizza and a Crispy Chicken Sandwich. “I like to add hot sauce to it,” she said. She’s described the Blueberry Mojito mocktail as delicious. When she’s in the mood to grab a drink with friends, Navarro heads next door to The Backyard, where she recommends its namesake burger with the “so good” wild fries topped with house-made sauce and caramelized onions. A refreshing pear cider tops off her order.
Among the customers enjoying coffee that day was Brandon Evans, currently running for Richmond City Council (D3), who shared his love for Flor Hermosa itself.
“My go-to is the Cookie Butter Latte,” Evans said. “I’m a sweet coffee guy…I like it super sweet.”
He said he often orders it iced, but on a windy day found it “just as good” hot. When it comes to tasty eats at the coffee shop, Evans said he’s a fan of conchas, describing the Mexican pastries as “always really good [and] always really fresh.”
Another visitor, Pooja Gulati, recommended Richmond Pizza House, a longtime favorite for her family. “We’ve been going there almost two, three years,” she said. Gulati pointed to a giant Spinach and Artichoke Pizza and a Buffalo Chicken option, noting that some pies use Alfredo sauce instead of red. “It’s really good,” she said.
Vegetarian-friendly comfort food came up when Kim Hernandez shared her love for Masa. During her pregnancy, she said she became “obsessed with the [green] Chilaquiles.” Hernandez also mentioned favorite pizza spots outside Richmond, including Square Pie Guys in Walnut Creek, Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco, and deep-dish from Zachary’s Chicago Pizza on Solano Avenue in Berkeley.
Visitor Francesca was trying Flor Hermosa for the first time. She ordered a Chai Tea Latte, which she found “well balanced [and] wonderful.” She was tempted by the Campfire Latte too, which she described as having a toasted marshmallow flavor. Though not from Richmond — she lives overseas in Taiwan—Francesca shared that she’d like to try Lara’s Fine Dining next.
Sara Leyva, a Richmond newbie, crosses the city from her new home in the Annex to reach Flor Hermosa, which she calls “fantastic.” While at the coffee shop, she likes to order the Dark Chocolate Mocha Latte. Leyva and her husband are also taco lovers, so Masa draws them back time and again for the Quesabirrias and a mix of other tacos.
Finally, Esperanza also takes a drive, from Alameda, to indulge her taco love. Her destination? Tacos El Tucan, where she orders Al Pastor Tacos topped with green salsa. “The meat is very flavorful and not greasy,” she said. A worthy drive, indeed.
Find Flor Hermosa at 425 Cutting Blvd. in Richmond. Questions? Reach out to the coffee shop on Instagram messenger.
Rich Dish asks Richmond residents where and what they like to eat in the city and beyond. Want us to stop by your business to dish? Contact newstips@richmondstandard.com.
