We have an update today on the impending opening of Flour + Water's much anticipated pizza spinoff in the former Farina Pizzeria space.
As SFist noted a few weeks back, Flour + Water Pizzeria has been teasing out some Instagram posts and advertising for front- and back-of-house staff. And Monday we received word that "late May" is the official opening timeframe, which suggests the place could be softly open as soon as Memorial Day weekend, or it might not rear its head until the final week of the month, post-Memorial Day.
Also, conveniently, May 2019 marks the 10-year anniversary of Flour + Water, which debuted at 20th and Harrison all the way back in May 2009.
The seasonally changing menu at Flour + Water Pizzeria will be anchored by five red and five white pies, and there will be a daily slice option to go (or for order on Caviar), which will be the equivalent of a quarter of a whole 13-inch pie. And they'll be using the separate to-go counter entrance that Farina used as well, with soft-serve ice cream on offer too.
The main difference between the new pizzeria and the pizza offerings at the original Flour + Water is that this place lacks a wood oven — the pizzas will be made in a traditional deck-style gas oven, and therefore won't be exactly like the Neapolitan, wood-fired pies at the restaurant. According to the team, a similar three-day fermented dough will be used, adding depth of flavor, but the recipe and stretching process are all a bit different.
In a nod to chef Thomas McNaughton's New Jersey roots, the menu will also feature meatballs, a chopped salad, and mozzarella sticks.
Says McNaughton in a release, "Pizza has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I grew up in South Jersey, outside of Philly, where family-run pizza joints have cult-like followings and everyone thinks they’re a pizza connoisseur. I love that about pizza. It's truly for all."
Stay tuned for an exact opening date, but brace for this place to give Delfina Pizzeria (one and a half blocks up 18th) a run for its money.
Flour + Water Pizzeria - 702 Valencia Street at 18th - Opening late May, and will be open 7 days a week, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.