Flour + Water
The Verdict
"Book through Resy two to three weeks out. The pasta tasting menu is what to order if you can swing it. Walk-ins should try bar seats right at 5:30 PM when they open."
What you need to know
Flour + Water opened in May 2009 at 20th and Harrison and has been one of the hardest reservations in San Francisco ever since. The pasta program is the reason. Fresh, handmade, changing with the season. Co-chefs Thomas McNaughton and Ryan Pollnow run the kitchen.
The Pasta
Made fresh every day, menu shifts with the season. Pappardelle with pork sugo, tajarin with truffles when they are on, agnolotti with seasonal fillings, spaghetti with sea urchin. The technique is precise and the sauces cling correctly. Fresh pasta is supposed to taste like this.
Beyond Pasta
Wood-fired pizzas with thin, blistered crust. Antipasti showcasing California produce. Salumi made in-house. The wine list leans Italian and California. The 7-course pasta tasting menu is the full version of what the kitchen can do.
The Space
Exposed brick, an open kitchen, lively without being loud.
Practical Info
Price: Pastas $22 to $38, tasting menu around $90
Reservations: Encouraged, walk-ins accepted. Book through Resy.
Hours: Daily 5 to 9:30 PM
Address: 2401 Harrison Street
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What to get
7-course pasta tasting menu, seasonal pappardelle, wood-fired pizza, house-made salumi