Flour + Water

Look, I'm going to be honest with you — I typically don't like eating at Italian restaurants. I basically think they're mostly a scam. You usually get pasta that's not much better than something you could make at home from dried noodles and jar sauce, but they charge you like it's some culinary revelation. Cute vibes, sure, but rarely worth the price tag. I'd rather hit up a Greek spot for those cozy 6-to-8 person dinners.

But Flour + Water? This place absolutely changed the game for me. I wouldn't say it's converted me to Italian restaurants entirely, but it's definitely in that very small handful that made me think, "Okay, this is legitimately better than anything I could pull off at home." The fresh noodles are clearly made on-site by hand, cooked to that perfect bouncy al dente that you just can't get from a box. And the pasta sauces are extremely inventive — not your basic marinara situation.

Pro tip: reservations can be tough, but I've had great success just showing up around 5:00 or 5:30 and putting my name down for a wait. I've done this for everything from a table of 2 to a table of 5, and they usually get you seated within an hour or two. The wait actually works in your favor because you can grab drinks at True Laurel for cocktails or El Chateau for wine — both nearby and perfectly vibey. Makes for a fantastic evening of actually good food.