Water + Flour holds all the power

Hello all and welcome back to another Good Mood Food review! This past weekend I decided to try one of the restaurants that are owned by the Ciccio Restaurant Group. I love all the restaurants that CRG owns and I can happily say I was just able to add this one to the list as well! Now you are all probably wondering which one it is, so without further ado, I present to you...Water and Flour. Located just outside downtown Tampa in Hyde Park on South Howard Ave. you'll be able to satisfy everyone with a wide variety of unique cuisine to choose from.

First and foremost, I loved how the name had a secret hidden meaning to what kind of menu items they offered and once I started browsing the menu I realized the meaning behind it. One side of the menu is the "water" aspect which provides appetizers as well as dishes that are typically from the sea that provides you with a Japanese-style cuisine. Whereas the flip side of the menu is the "flour" side, which still offers a variety of appetizers and dishes to chose from, just with your traditional Italian/American cuisine twist.

Diving into the "water" aspect of the menu, some of the appetizers offered are crispy rice with ahi tuna, the option of two or three pieces of sashimi, as well as the traditional fan favorites edamame and miso soup. The entrees offered range from a wide selection of fresh sushi rolls, a handful of different "California" bowls, and "rolls that spark joy" which is their take on specialty sushi rolls. Unfortunately, as good as it all sounded, I didn't try anything on the "water" side of the menu. However, the rolls that I saw at the tables next to me looked fantastic, so stay tuned for a "water" review soon because I will definitely be back for those rolls.

Digging into the "flour" side of the menu, the appetizers offered ranged from a variety of salads, small plates, and best of all, homemade focaccia bread. The entrees on the "flour" side consisted of a handful of unique fresh pasta dishes as well as several brick-fired pizzas. Although I had an extremely difficult time choosing between the "water" or "flour" side, I did end up choosing something on the "flour" side. However, even choosing from the "flour" side was hard to do since I love a great pasta dish as well as some delicious brick-oven pizza just as much as the next girl does.

After going back and forth deciding between either pizza or pasta I finally decided on a pasta dish and so did my friend that I was with. I decided on the pesto verde pasta which consisted of a parmesan and walnut basil-pesto, topped with arugula as well as fresh-squeezed lemon, paired with a fresh pasta of your choice. I went ahead with the fresh rigatoni and added grilled chicken on top for some extra protein and overall the whole dish was phenomenal. The pasta was cooked just right, the flavors from the parmesan walnut basil-pesto were out of this world, and the arugula on top added the perfect crunch. If I am being honest with you, I was skeptical about the arugula at first, as I had never had a pasta dish with it before, but I ended up loving it!

My friend got the basil pomodoro pasta and went with fresh rigatoni as her pasta as well. The dish was tossed in a homemade red sauce with a giant scoop of ricotta cheese on top. Although I didn't try, hers looked delicious and she loved hers as well. She loved the entirety of her meal and being able to choose which kind of fresh pasta she wanted was her favorite part. This dish also had the option to be plant-based or gluten-free as well!

Both of the dishes we chose as well as any of the other ones offered pair wonderfully with any of the drinks on the menu if you're looking to satisfy your tastebuds with a cocktail. We both went with the slamgria, which if you're wondering what that is, it's a sangria but better and you can choose between red, white, or rose wine, whatever your tastebuds desire. My favorite part of the whole drink was being able to choose which type of wine you wanted, generally speaking, most restaurants only offer one type of sangria and most of the time it's red. Personally, I am not a huge fan of red wine, I am a big white wine girl so to have this option was awesome. Now if you're wondering what makes a slamgria better than your typical glass of sangria, just picture a margarona, but replace the contents with sangria mix and a miniature wine bottle sticking out of the chalice it's served in. I definitely suggest giving this a try if you find yourself at Water and Flour, you won't be disappointed.

Overall I had a wonderful experience at Water and Flour and will be returning for the "water" side of the menu shortly. The service was great, the food was phenomenal, and the atmosphere of the restaurant was just like all the others CRG owns. It had music playing throughout the night and the layout and decor were unique as always. The next time you're going out with your friends or significant other and are torn between what kind of food you both want, give Water and Flour a try, it'll be sure to satisfy everyone's tastebuds!