aim high, willis. aim high!: flour + water review

finally made it to flour + water on sunday evening for my dad's birthday! i've always wanted to visit, but seeing as i don't make it up north that often and seating comes at quite the premium here, it's never been in the cards.

that being said, i made a reservation for 6 nine weeks out, and even then the best time i could get was 5:45pm. no matter, as my parents eschew a big lunch and actually prefer an early dinner, so it couldn't have worked out better. the restaurant received a bit of notoriety last year when steve jobs paid a visit for dinner, but was turned away because he didn't have a reservation.

iFail

there was already a long line out the door prior to 5:30pm - when they open their doors - for those trying to snag an early seat, but we were promptly seated at 5:45pm. corkage fee is $20 if you bring your own bottle of wine, but if you purchase a bottle there, they waive the fee, so that's what we decided to do. they picked out a luscious and drinkable nero d'avola at $45 and brought out fresh bread and focaccia, so we were off to the races.

july 1 menu

cheers dad!

complimentary focaccia

main dining room

since our family wanted to try a variety of dishes to get the full first-time experience, i ordered across the board at whatever caught my eye. let's just say it wasn't difficult to do. a quick recap of our dishes:

* cured duck breast w/apricots, pickled ramps, carrots & bread crisps
* marinated squid w/melon, cucumber, avocado & mint
* lardo w/figs, whipped ricotta, charred eggplant & almonds

* cappellacci dei briganti w/rabbit polpettine, carrots & chili
* radiatore w/whey braised hen, speck, wild arugula & peppers
* salumi fattisu w/whole grain mustard
* spaghetti w/slow cooked egg, bread crumbs, squash & ricotta

* zucca pizza w/summer squash, pancetta, shaved onions, rosemary & fontal
* salsiccia pizza w/sausage, kale, caramelized onions, mozzarella di bufala & chili

* seared king salmon w/white corn, fava beans & summer squash
* roasted rabbit & pork belly w/smoked potatoes, carrot purée & nectarine

i can safely say that all of the above were amazing and on point, but if i had to take favorites, the marinated squid was one of the best dishes of the night. fresh and light, it was akin to a shot of cool summer in your mouth. but the real star of the show was the salsiccia pizza. if you know me at all, i'm not one to throw around hyperboles like candy. but i can honestly say that it was the best pizza i've had in my lifetime. bar none. the texture and chew of the crust, the incredible balance of flavor, not to mention that every ingredient on there is a favorite of mine.

the amazing salsiccia

good lookin couple

birthday boy!

awkward group pose

because we were planning to take a stroll for ice cream at humphry slocombe after dinner, we begrudgingly had to pass on dessert. but fear not - a return visit is definitely in the cards.

while at humphry slocombe, i went all alcohol all the time: the potent rum raisin and the even stronger secret breakfast, which consisted of bourbon and cornflake clusters. do you even need to ask how good it was? haha