The much-anticipated new Italian restaurant in Point Richmond's historic Hotel Mac dining room is finally open.
The new Ristorante Biancoverde (50 Washington Ave, Point Richmond) is holding a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony this evening, Thursday, July 13, at 5:30 p.m. The event is being co-hosted by the Point Richmond Business Association and the Richmond Chamber of Commerce.
The interior of the newly renovated hotel restaurant, now Ristorante Biancoverde. | Photo: Biancoverde
The Hotel Mac is located in the heart of downtown Point Richmond, a neighborhood of Richmond that looks and feels like a small town from another era. The hotel was built in 1911 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Buildings.
The hotel's restaurant is located on the main floor and enjoyed great popularity after a 1970s renovation that restored it to its early-20th-century glory. The eatery closed down early in the COVID-19 pandemic, however, and had been empty for the last few years, to the great disappointment of many locals.
Now, local restaurateurs and Richmond natives Juvenal Magaña and Blanca Zepeda have taken it on, renovating the iconic hotel's restaurant space and refinishing its bar to create their second eatery in the city.
The husband-and-wife team also opened Mi Casa Grill (12056 San Pablo Ave., Richmond) early last year, bringing crowds to a long-empty space at the edge of a Grocery Outlet parking lot at San Pablo and Macdonald avenues in Richmond near El Cerrito.
Mi Casa Grill serves high-quality "Mexican comfort food" and fusion cuisine under chef Magaña, including a brunch that features treats like tres leches French toast ($13.25) and chilaquiles ($13.45), as well as decadent cocktails by the glass ($12-13) and pitcher ($48-52) and aguas frescas ($4.25). It now boasts a packed dining room even on weekdays.
The menu at Biancoverde includes housemade tiramisu. | Photos: Biancoverde
Mi Casa Grill server Andres Orduno told Hoodline that he feels it's fitting for a local Richmond couple to be bringing the beloved Hotel Mac dining space back to life. "The owners were born in Richmond," said Orduno, who told Hoodline he had also been involved in the Biancoverde project at hotel. "It’s a full circle of people who grew up in the community owning restaurants here."
Ristorante Biancoverde is located in the Hotel Mac, at 50 Washington Ave., Point Richmond. More information at www.thehotelmac.com and biancoverderestaurant.com.
