"Reservations available up to 28 days in advance. Walk-ins encouraged." That's the first thing I saw upon clicking on Flour + Water's website. I would soon learn that I would, in fact, need to be making a reservation precisely 28 days in advance if I had any intention of eating at this hip SF spot. This was weeks ago, and while I was looking for a reservation around a week in advance I soon gave up that hope. I managed to snag a reservation exactly 28 days later, and although the best I could do was an early 5:30 dinner, I figured I was happy to get anything.
When the long-awaited night finally came, I had already thoroughly stalked Flour + Water's Instagram and menu. Here is a complete rundown on everything I ate and if the wait was worth it:
Food
Squash Blossom
These squashed blossoms were stuffed with ricotta and fried to perfection. They were crispy and flavorful. Although fried, they didn't feel too heavy and it was the perfect size portion split amongst three people.
Pizza
As you can tell, Flour + Water did not shy away from the arugula. It was a little much for my taste, but the pizza itself was pretty good. It was a thin crusted pizza topped with zucchini and squash, and while I think Flour + Water's strength lies in their pasta, this is a good option for a larger group who wants to try a bit of everything.
Pappardelle
Once the pasta stared coming out, things started getting serious. This dish was a parsley pappardelle with pork ragu and heirloom tomatoes. The pasta was cooked to the perfect al dente and the pork was tender. Consider ordering your own plate. You won't want to share.
Agnolotti
GET THIS. IT'S THE BEST. Our waiter informed us that their agnolotti, stuffed with pork, was one of their most popular dishes, and it was easily the highlight of the dinner for me. The classic agnolotti was on the menu the night I went, and while it was very simple in ingredients, there was a complexity of flavor that makes Flour + Water on another level. Its very rich, so get this dish to share.
Dessert
Lemon and Blackberry Cake
Great cake, small portion. Not sure if it's worth getting considering the size but the flavor combo was fun. This is the only thing that gets an "eh."
Budino
A budino is an italian dish very similar to a pudding or mousse. The Flour + Water budino is chocolate with espresso and sea salt. It's rich and flavorful, so I recommend to any chocolate lover.
Affogato
By the time I got out the phone to take a picture, the ice cream was looking too sad to photograph. The espresso, however, had a great flavor and it was my favorite of the desserts we tried.
Overview
Flour + Water is great. It's also very expensive for a college student's budget and totally a pain to plan. It became clear even before we stepped into the restaurant that walking in sans reservation and putting your name on the list is not for the faint of heart. You will be waiting for at least an hour, so I recommend this as a "your parents are in town and they want to take you out" dinner. It's no surprise that Flour + Water is Instagram famous and full almost every night of the week. So put this on your bucket list and go at least one time in your life. You won't regret it.