What seems like seventeen years ago, when people could visit, my parents were here, and I decided we should try out Flour + Water instead of going to their usual North Beach Italian haunts. All of us were impressed, and while we ordered an amazing selection of food, I remembered that the pasta was far superior to the pizza. Of course, that could have just been due to the pasta just being THAT amazing, so the pizza, while good, just didn’t compare. Clearly the best way to judge the pizza would be to have the pizza solely on its own without any of the pasta to get in the way.
I decided to try out the Flour + Water Pizzeria during these dark pandemic times, even though my latest obsession has been Detroit-style pizzas. One night, I ordered the Sausage pie (with smoked mozzarella, olives and rosemary) along with some beets and fresh ricotta on the side. The combination of a pizza and a starter was definitely enough for two people, so it was a good choice to supplement!
Honestly, I’m not sure why I wasn’t as excited about the pizza at Flour + Water, because this was one hell of a pie! The crust was crispy, yet chewy, and the topping combination was a huge win. The beets and ricotta were incredibly tasty, even if I felt the beet to cheese ratio was a smidge off. There is a decent selection of other pizzas if olives are not your favorite, and if you prefer white pizzas, they have those on offer as well. It really is a great example of a Napoleon style pizza. All in all, it was a great meal for two, and definitely something worth getting again for those nights I am tired of pandemic cooking!
Score: 4.5/5
Recommendation: If you like beets, you can’t go wrong with them, but really any pie with toppings that you like is probably a solid choice!
Flour + Water Pizzeria
702 Valencia St.
San Francisco, CA 94110
