Opening July 6, 2022, in the former Flour + Water Pizzeria space on the prime corner of 18th and Valencia, Yellow Moto Pizzeria is from Flour + Water Hospitality Group alum David White, no longer with the F+W group). Chef Oleg Sheyner (formerly of RT Rotisserie) is helming the menu at Yellow Moto, continuing on from cooking at F+W Pizzeria since 2021.
The striking remodel by Studio KDA glows warmly in green tiles and pops of yellow, with an Italian Lambretta scooter theme inspired by White’s 1963 scooter. The space feels brighter, breezier, more fun, with busy parklet and sidewalk seating outside. Particularly smart was their call to consult with bartending pioneer of over 20 years, Enrique Sanchez, with Donny Henderson. Together, they created an approachable cocktail menu, heavy on agave spirits. Likewise, they were wise to bring on Maritza Rocha-Alvarez to run the bar on-site (she is former bar manager and bartender at the likes of Zombie Village, Pagan Idol, Nightingale and Whitechapel). Sitting at the intimate front bar for drinks and a bite with Maritza’s gracious service would make a happy respite.
While the Paloma-esque La Tapatia was a bit basic and neutral, the Green Dragon cocktail was a crushable standout of mezcal, lime, verdita (pineapple, cilantro, mint, jalapeno) and Green Chartreuse. Another worthwhile cocktail is the house-named Yellow Moto, combining gin, lemon, Yellow Chartreuse, orange bitters and fresh basil. More than the straightforward, crowd-pleasing remainder of the menu, these two cocktails are the more interesting and layered, while still crowd-pleasing. The wine list holds expected joys — and happy pizza pairings — like Rolfshark organic Lambrusco and 2021 Passo di Luna Bianco Funaro, a biodynamic white blend of Insolia and Zibbibo grapes from Sicily.
There were some service and pacing issues, realizing they’re in initial opening weeks. Some servers appear to be more into being there than others, while dishes arriving all at once is a real pet peeve. I asked for our six dishes to be coursed out as we ordered. Immediately, three arrived all at once within a few minutes of ordering, overcrowding the table — and for those that were warm, turning lukewarm before we could really dig in. While a super-fast meal is ideal for some, most of the time, too-fast pacing is just frustrating and doesn’t allow the dishes to shine. We asked (again) if we could slow the pizzas coming out. They did… but we had to ask twice.
Happily, the food overall was good to delicious. The only mediocre item of our six was the chopped salad, though it certainly is solid if a bit bland. I miss the more robust chopped salads from my Jersey/NYC years, loaded with meat, cheese, olives, pepperoncinis and the like. I appreciate the more restrained West Coast/California versions over the years, but there are better in town with zingier dressing, more ingredients and flavor.
However, the other starters we tried were standout, especially fried cauliflower. This dish goes well beyond ubiquitous versions, amping things up in lemon vinaigrette over lush buttermilk raisin puree with contrasts of pickled raisins, fried capers and pine nuts giving it briny, sweet, pickly range. English pea arancini (Sicilian fried rice balls) are comforting yet lightly fresh in lemon oil, pea puree, parmesan and mint.
The restaurant centers around pizza, as it did as Flour+Water Pizzeria, with similar but different pizzas. A line of chefs toss dough behind the dining room counter, making for a visual flow during a meal. Gourmet versions of Hawaiian-inspired pizzas are more common these days, thank goodness. Pioneering and unique versions like the original pineapple and chilies pizza at Che Fico when it first opened have — since pandemic — morphed into a mediocre version of what it once was, speaking to a need for better renditions. Moto’s Hawaiian pizza sings with tasso ham, thinly sliced pineapple, red onion and pickled jalapenos over mozzarella. Lively, spicy but balanced, extra (but not excess) cheesiness gratifies.
Their clam pizza is not like a traditional Connecticut clam pie or the light, clean version at Fiorella (which now has three locations, including Fiorella Sunset). Moto’s clam pie is more of a comforting, cheesy take. Chopped up surf clams are a bit heartier than littlenecks or the like, but still freshly clean. Together with fennel, capers, parmesan, oregano and lemon wedges, over mozzarella, the clam pie is oozing, briny, vegetal and acidic, hitting a gamut on the palate, harmonizing together.
Post-dinner, also ubiquitous soft serve ice cream (in flavors of fior di latte, salted caramel or swirl) benefits from topping options like Italian Amarena cherries or lemon olive oil. I went for swirl soft serve and added both those toppings: sweet-tart, vivid cherries beautifully partnered with bright lemon oil.
There are so many superb pizza restaurants of all styles around SF — and a few dozen more of note across the Bay Area and Wine Country — so it is tough to call Yellow Moto better than many, although it certainly is. Their menu offerings are comprehensive and pleasing, from starters to dessert and drinks, even if service and pacing would benefit from fine tuning. The lively parklet and heavy foot-traffic location on Valencia means it should stay packed and please a wide range of people and palates, while the colorful design already brightens its corner of the Mission.
// 702 Valencia Street, www.yellowmoto.com
