Sub Rosa Bakery

"Wood-fired breads made from locally-grown, house-milled grains and the flakiest seasonal pastries fill the case at this Church Hill bakery owned by brother-and-sister duo Evrim and Evin Dogu. While pastries like the fig and cheese croissant and seeded braid usually enjoy the spotlight, sleeper hits like the earl grey cookie or Turkish pogaca (a biscuit-like dough stuffed with feta) hold up nicely for the trip back home. Bonus: a small but excellent selection of natural wine and cider available to-go." - Stephanie Ganz

"At Sub Rosa Bakery, sibling owners Evin and Evrim Dogu use their double-decker masonry oven to bake croissants. The bakery makes its own dough and ricotta for their pear and caramel croissant, creatively referred to as a 'pear-a-mel' croissant. The process involves shaping croissant dough into diamonds, adding ricotta cheese with honey, salt, and orange zest, and topping it with a caramelized pear before baking it in a wood-fired oven. The final product is a pastry glazed with caramel and pear sauce." - Avery Dalal

"A trip to Sub Rosa is an essential part of any Richmond itinerary for their exquisite pastries (FYI, they’re closed Mondays). Croissants are a major specialty, with savory flavors such as salami and cheese, and sweeter versions including a large sour cherry and pistachio one. Breads are another focus, from sesame rye to rosemary-flecked flatbread." - Missy Frederick

"I had read that owners Evin and Evrim Dogu source grains from local farms and then mill them in house to create a more intense, unique flavor in their baked goods. There were plump loaves of sesame rye perched like trophies on the wall. Glossed morning buns, whose layers of pastry were coiled together tightly like a slinky. But the thing I fell the hardest for was the quiche. The ingredients change regularly, she explained. Today’s were fennel and onion. The crust was light. Most importantly, the ratio of crust to filling was exactly right—neither element overwhelmed the other." - ByPriya Krishna

"The team at Richmond’s stellar Sub Rosa Bakery are competing for Outstanding Baker." - Tierney Plumb