Listen to Thomas McNaughton and Ryan Pollnow of San Francisco-based Flour + Water on The Hot Slice Podcast

This week, we talk with co-executive chefs and partners Thomas McNaughton and Ryan Pollnow at San Francisco-based Flour + Water to get the skinny on the direction their taking their highly successful pizza concept. Check out more details provided by Flour + Water:

Thomas McNaughton, Co-Executive Chef & Founding Partner, Flour + Water Hospitality Group (Flour + Water, Flour +Water Pizzeria, Penny Roma, Flour + Water Pasta Shop)
Thomas McNaughton, founding partner, co-chef and CEO of Flour +Water Hospitality Group, grew up in Southern New Jersey. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, then gained valuable experience working for Bay Area restaurants La Folie, Gary Danko and Quince. On his culinary journey, he also worked at a number of Michelin-rated restaurants in France, Germany and Italy, falling head over heels in love with the hand-rolled pastas of Bologna and the nonne that produce them. Thomas is relentlessly driven by the community of farmers, craftsmen and “creatives” that call the Bay Area home.

Ryan Pollnow, Co-Executive Chef & Partner, Flour + WaterHospitality Group (Flour + Water, Flour + Water Pizzeria, Penny Roma, Flour + Water Pasta Shop)
Ryan Pollnow, co-chef and vice president of the Flour + WaterHospitality Group, discovered a love for cooking and the micro seasons of the Bay Area while growing up in Northern California. Ryan completed culinary school in Sonoma County while working at restaurants and wineries to further develop his acumen in the field. He continued his education abroad at renowned restaurant Mugaritz in northern Spain before returning to the Bay Area. Traveling for culinary inspiration has always been an important part of his growth, and his time in Italy left a significant imprint on his love for seasonal cooking. Ryan led each FWHG kitchen individually as Chef de Cuisine before transitioning into his current role overseeing all culinary operations as co-executive chef.

Flour + Water Pizzeria | Flour + Water Pizza Shop

Flour + Water Pizzeria, 532 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133

Flour + Water Pizza Shop, 1533 Stockton Street, San Francisco, CA 94133

Co-Chefs: Thomas McNaughton, Ryan Pollnow

Beverage Director: Samuel Bogue

Director of Operations: Amanda Flores

General Manager: Paige McNeil

Hours: 11:30am to 10pm, daily

fwpizzeria.com | @flourandwaterpizzeria

In June 2023, Flour + Water Hospitality Group introduced their new flagship Flour + Water Pizzeria and new Flour + Water Pizza Shop concept in San Francisco’s North Beach, a community long-recognized for its history of Italian cuisine. With its prime location adjacent to Washington Square Park, Flour + Water Pizzeria’s new home is a hub for all things pizza, expanding upon the foundation of the restaurant. The 4,000 square foot restaurant is divided into three distinct spaces: an expansive full-service dining room and bar; a glassed-in Dough Room; and the dedicated Pizza Shop for quick service, pick-up and delivery.

With the flagship, co-chefs Thomas McNaughton + Ryan Pollnow reveal a new chapter that reflects their love for the pizza experience. From the meticulous craftsmanship of the hot pies to the sly nods to iconic pizzeria culture, every element showcases their passion for pizza. Utilizing hand-selected, expertly milled grains from industry leader Central Milling, the co-chefs refined their signature dough recipe to be the ideal canvas for both classic and non-traditional toppings, while also considering portability for the to-go program. Pizzas, antipasti and salads are composed with ingredients that highlight the chefs’ long-standing relationships with Northern California producers and farmers. Guests can anticipate the return of fan favorite hand-rolled mozzarella sticks and Double8 Dairy buffalo gelato soft serve along with new additions such as head-on shrimp scampi, Hawaiian pizza with chili crisp, and dine-in exclusive bone marrow pie (a nod to Flour + Water).

As part of the Pizzeria’s evolution, Flour + Water Hospitality Group’s Beverage Director Samuel Bogue offers a comprehensive beverage program with wine, beer, cocktails and non-alcoholic options. A concise wine list features predominantly Italian producers, as well as domestic offerings that reflect Bogue’s mission to champion small production, organically farmed, family wineries. The list includes Flour+ Water’s Pasta Water and Pasta Sauce “house” wines, a collaboration with Subject to Change Wine Co. in Richmond, CA. Bogue worked alongside North Beach resident cocktail expert Elmer Mejicanos for the cocktail menu to curate a list that includes classics such as negronis and daiquiris, as well as crushable creations such as the aperitif-inspired Boozy Slushy. Wine and beer selections are also available to grab-and-go from the Pizza Shop for those picking up pizzas and provisions.

The team collaborated with Lundberg Design and project architect Gavin Knowles to bring the Pizzeria to life, while paying tribute to the legacy of the restaurant’s predecessor, Rose Pistola. A fixture in North Beach for 21 years, Rose Pistola is credited for its defining role in the community’s Italian culinary scene, while also influencing the trajectory of restaurants such as Flour + Water. Lundberg composed a palette around the restaurant’s original Italian-inspired mosaic tile floor, selecting bright, high-contrast materials to complement the black, white, gray, yellow, and orange tones of the pattern.

Design features were thoughtfully constructed to celebrate the evolution of the dough. A dough stretching counter greets guests entering the Pizzeria from Columbus Avenue, while the glassed-in Dough Room at the heart of the restaurant provides a window into the production process. By night, the space transforms into a private dining room for gatherings of 12-14 guests. From the Stockton Street Pizza Shop entrance, a wall of to-go pizza boxes is displayed in a custom steel rack crafted by Lundberg’s in-house fabrication studio. The removal of boxes throughout the day provides visibility into the active Dough Room from the 12-seat Shop. “The Big Slice”, a daily-changing giant slice exclusive to the Pizza Shop, and a fully restored vintage Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game provide further impetus for impromptu walk-ins. For locals picking up, a robust retail program of beverages and products rounds out the to-go experience.

Additional references to retro pizza culture are reflected throughout the 75-seat Pizzeria space with touches such as pendant lights made of corrugated cardboard. Two dedicated bars – a pizza bar overlooking the ovens, and anterior bar showcasing the restaurant’s new cocktail program – offer ample options for walk-ins. Custom banquettes, die-wall paneling, and Dough Room tables made with a recycled paper composite material called Richlite reveal Flour +Water’s commitment to sustainable practices.

Underscoring that ethos of environmental consciousness, the new Flour + Water Pizzeria location joins all Flour + Water Hospitality Group restaurants as a member of Zero Foodprint, an organization that funds grants for farmers switching to regenerative practices.

Flour + Water Pizzeria is open daily from 11:30am to 10pm. In the months to come, Flour + Water Hospitality Group will announce additional locations of the Flour + Water Pizza Shop concept, bringing their prized pizzas to communities throughout the Bay Area.

About Flour + Water Hospitality Group

Flour + Water Hospitality Group is a culture-driven San Francisco-based hospitality group dedicated to creating stand-out culinary experiences that reflect the leadership’s shared commitment to quality, community impact and transparency. Led by co-chefs Thomas McNaughton and Ryan Pollnow, and their partners Kara Bratcher, Dan Nestojko, Vanya Shekell, and David Steele, the team operates Flour + Water, Flour + Water Pasta Shop and Penny Roma in San Francisco’s Mission District, as well as the Flour + Water Pizzeria and Flour + Water Foods brands. McNaughton and Pollnow’s creativity and expertise is on display across the group’s concepts with offerings reflective of regional Italian traditions and Northern California inspirations with hand-crafted pasta and pizza at the center.

Since the opening of the original Flour + Water in 2009, the Group’s passion for cultivating community through genuine hospitality and memorable experiences has established the company as an industry leader.  Their approach has had an indelible impact on the Bay Area’s culinary landscape, the restaurant spaces often functioning as incubators, expanding Flour + Water’s influence beyond their hometown. Committed to sustainable sourcing and practices, Flour +Water Hospitality Group was a founding member of Zero Foodprint, a nonprofit mobilizing the food world around agricultural climate solutions.

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