This past weekend brought out unusually hot weather again.  The solution: cool off with a scoop from Humphry Slocombe.  It turned out we weren’t the only ones with this idea, and it had been a record setting day for the local ice cream shop. 

 

 

 

After a scoop to cool down, we continued down Harrison to take a peek at the new pizzeria and wine bar that has just opened down the street: Flour + Water.  I’m VERY excited to have gourmet, brick oven pizza being served blocks from my apartment, and easily within distance that I could pick up a pie or two and bring it home for dinner. 

 

 

 

Just standing outside, the understated sign lit a dog tied up to the a bike rack  - everything about this place scream local neighborhood joint.  Since they just opened, this isn’t a review, so much as a first peek inside, and a test of potential – and I really liked what I saw. Inside the interior is lined with warm unfinished wooden surfaces and a “steam punk” design esthetic that makes this new restaurant already feel lived in. I was particularly smitten with the bar, which was made of a deep red wood, and appeared to be seasoned, but not varnished. We bellied up to the bar, and ordered drinks.  The beer selection is more than a little limited, but a Lagunitas IPA fit the bill nicely and Eli settled in with an ice cold Rosé recommended by the bartender. 

 

 

 

 

For food we kept it simple – we started a cold bowl of perfectly seasonal sweet pea soup with mint. 

 

 

 

The soup was chilled, but had a great smooth texture and clean pea flavor – a great way to cool down on a hot day.  Then, our pie arrived. 

 

 

 

 

We ordered the “Uovo” which is made with potato, a farm egg, house pancetta and oregano.  Before I even took I bite, I was sold – I’m a sucker for a soft cooked egg with a running yolk on a pizza. Once I got past my egg infatuation, the pancetta and other toppings were also excellent, but the sauce and the crust really stood out.  The tomato sauce was bright and lively, with chunks of tomato and a nice acidic twang.  It was the great counter point to the rich toppings. So often on pizzas like this, when chefs are looking to make a fancy pie, the first thing to go is the red sauce – which sounds good and may allow for more freedom in designing the toppings, but something in my head just insists that it isn’t really pizza without a great red sauce holding it all together.  Pizza is just one of those things that I want to be both original and surprising, but also match the idealized version in my head – this did both, and came with an egg on top. 

The crust is the other part of this pizza that ensures I’ll be back for more.  It was blistered with small black welts from the brick oven floor, as this “upskirt” shot reveals. 

 

 

 

The crust was thin, but with enough texture to stand up to the toppings and not collapse, even with a yolk soaking through at the tip. It was tender on the inside, with a textured and slightly chewy outer shell.  Delicious. 

All told, I think “Flour + Water”  holds a lot of promise.  They offer a surprisingly wide ranging menu (nothing over $20) that deserves proper exploration.  Luckily with them just around the corner, that should be a problem.  I just hope they expand their beer offerings a bit – a bottle or two of something from a barrel at Russian River, maybe a nice farmhouse Saison, and an Italian craft beer or two would really make the difference. 

 

 

 

Tags: Flour + Water, mission, pizza

This entry was posted on Monday, May 18th, 2009 at 5:02 pm and is filed under Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.