Cafe Flore
2298 Market
Are you a gay man? Do you live in the Castro? Haven't I seen you before? Café Flore may look like a neighborhood joint, but don't be fooled. Besides the locals, guys come from as far away as Danville to see and be seen in this cozy café. Built like a greenhouse on the corner of Market and Noe, Flore's outdoor seating is canvassed with trees and vines. During the slow languorous days, Flore breaks out the sun umbrellas. But on a rainy evening, when everyone crowds inside, the windows steam up, voices raise the noise level to a monodrone, the espresso machine rattles, and it's sooooo nice.
Flore is also a popular spot for breakfast and an ideal meeting place for weekend mornings if you do live in the area. It's a mostly self-service establishment, so order from the drinks and pastries counter in front, then at the smaller meal counter in back. When your order is ready they'll come find you and then bus when you're done. Turnover is steady enough that you'll rarely wait for a place to sit or ever need to move on immediately after swallowing your last bite.
Get a three-pepper or spinach and feta fritatta, or the deliciously super-nutty granola with fresh mango, red grapefruit, apples, bananas, oranges and honey-flavored yogurt. Flore also has an amazing selection of rich pies, from blueberry crumble to cranberry-apple and coconut cream, plus muffins, croissants and bagels. Coffee comes in big glass mugs instead of the usual California coffeehouse pints.
For the afternoons and evenings, or mornings if you're so inclined, Flore serves beer, wine and some hard liquors, lined up behind the counter beside the Torani syrups. Take a shot of bourbon back to a red and blue tiled table, or order a fresh salad, like the eggplant crotini, or the tomato sandwich with Kalamata olive paste. The veggies are fresh, and all plates are around six bucks. Hours are 7 a.m.-11 p.m., with Fridays and Saturdays closing at 11:30 p.m.
Reproduction of material from posthoc is prohibited without written permission.
Copyright 2002, Posthoc, Inc.