Artichoke Basille’s Pizza Restaurant and Bar
We’re huge fans of the hole-in-the-wall Artichoke Pizza slice joint on East 14th Street: the Margarita (“regular”) slice is beautifully balanced and topped with fresh ingredients; the Sicilian, also, is excellent, the crust light and crunchy; and the signature Artichoke slice, slathered with an insanely rich and creamy spinach, cheese and artichoke sauce? Like eating dip for dinner. In a good way.
So when we heard that the Artichoke Pizza folks were opening a much larger place over in the lower Chelsea/upper Meatpacking area, with an actual 80-seat dining room and bar area AND an expanded menu, well… we knew we’d be there, early and often. And though our one meal to date had its disappointments, we’ll give these Staten Island pizza savants the benefit of the doubt, and attribute any missteps to opening-week growing pains.
Artichoke West Pizza and Bar is on a prime neighborhood corner, 17th Street and 10th Avenue, making it a perfect option for pre- or post- gallery hopping or High Line strolling or Meatpacking clubbing. In addition to the bright and lively bar and dining room area, there’s also a separate slice counter with, predictably, as is is the case over on at Artichoke East, late-night lines out the door.
We ordered a couple of pies on our first visit which, despite a flaw or two in execution, nevertheless satisfied. The signature Artichoke Pie, for example, was a bit imbalanced, with less of that gloriously goopy topping that defines the dish (perhaps a nod to the neighborhood’s more calorie-conscious clientele?), the crust a bit too bready, the whole experience not as decadent as the one we know and love from many previous wolfings at Artichoke East. And on our second pie, the exciting-sounding, new-to-us, Staten Island favorite Burnt Anchovy, everything–the cheese, the sauce, the dough–was overwhelmed by the fishiness.
In addition to pizzas, the Artichoke West restaurant menu also has a number of shareable starters and the like, including Garlic Sticks, a Broccoli Rabe and Sausage dish, and a plate of homemade Meatballs. We sampled the Cauliflower Fritter, a lightly breaded fried-up cauliflower mash, served with marinara dipping sauce, which was full-flavored and filling but would probably make for better 3:00 a.m. drunk food than early evening dinner food.
Artichoke West Pizza and Bar Details
Artichoke Basille’s Pizza and Bar (or, just, “Artichoke West”) is located on the northeast corner of Tenth Avenue and 17th Street and is open daily from 11:00 a.m. until (club-kid alert!) 5:00 a.m. For more information, please see the Artichoke Basille’s Pizza website, here.
Posted in NYC Dining, Other Neighborhoods |
