Restaurant of the Week: Artichoke Basille’s Pizza & Brewery

Most successful pizza joints have Italian-sounding names: DiFara's, Lombardi's, Domino's. But, then again, most slice havens don't specialize in a creamy artichoke-and-spinach pie that has won East Village newcomer Artichoke a following. It's not that the shop -- a literal storefront that's technically called "Artichoke Basille's Pizza and Brewery" -- is a one-hit wonder, though. It has a perfectly crisped classic recipe that's heaped with tomato sauce, basil, and mozzarella, a new clam-dip-based offering that's just as rich as the namesake concoction, and whatever else the two Jersey cousins feel like cooking up. The Pinkberry-esque line outside (20 people deep on a Tuesday!) is your first sign that the stuff's worth waiting for. The next is the no-nonsense setup: Photos of the Kennedy brothers and Muhammad Ali, pizza boxes and a worn-out chandelier are the only décor to speak of. The pies have a similarly haphazard quality, but the oversized slices ($2-3 each) no doubt deliver, with a crust that is equal parts chew and crunch. For the time being, some of the early non-pizza offerings (think cauliflower fritters) are off the table, but the brewery aspect is expected to launch later this month with 32-ounce beers in Styrofoam to-go cups. And one tip for those not interested in unpredictable hours or crowds: Call ahead to make sure it's open -- or to order a whole pizza ($15-20) and skip the line altogether.

Artichoke
328 E. 14th St.,
(212) 228-2004

Photo from The New York Sun