Artichoke Basille's Artichoke Slice a 'New Classic'?
Posted by Adam Kuban, December 10, 2008 at 5:45 PM
Say wha, Time Out New York? It's hammer time!
It's that time of year. The annual year-end round-ups are coming fast and furious. (Don't worry, homeslices, I'm workin' on them myself.) Today, Time Out New York drops its lists. For the most part, they're pretty solid. But I just had to reach in to the ol' Slice Bag o' Tricks and pull out the rusty but trusty Truth Hammer.
See that nonsense above? The weekly magazine is namingArtichoke Basille's signature artichoke slice a "new classic."
Please. We love the Artichoke regular and square slices, even if they are at times inconsistent. But that sloppy, gloppy party-dip-on-crust signature slice has no business achieving legendary status. Drop the cl from classic, and you'd be about right.
Apparently the folks at TONY do not read Slice, or they might have recalled our man Ed Levine's words:
The spinach and artichoke slice was a little odd and tasted more than a little like a dip you'd be served at a college party, but in the end I decided it was reasonably tasty. It did have way too much topping.
@Daniel Zemans: Heh. I guess I never really made the logical connection there. The "Truth Hammer" is simple tool for a simpleton such as I. It allows me to be crotchety. It's in the Slice tool bag; feel free to use it yourself.
As a whole I find Artichoke massively overrated. The square slice tastes good, but I am convinced they don't know how to make dough/crust here at all. Cardboard like crust everytime. As far as the namesake artichoke slice, pour that topping into a bowl and serve it with chips and I'd be happy, it has no business being on top of a pizza. Far, very far, from being in the same category as DiFara in my opinion.
I speak the truth when I say we need to see a logo with the Slicemeister dressed like the Grim Reeper, but wielding the Truth Hammer instead of a sickle.
there are so many better pizza joints in nyc, granted perhaps not by the slice. artichoke is def the most overrated pizza joint in nyc. it's not that good, ppl!
I hate to say it, but the length-of-line-to-quality-of-food-ratio turned me off to this place. I have no problem waiting for up to an hour for the Shake Shack, because the product is so strong, and I know that they SS team is working at 100% efficiency to deliver the goods. The slices at Artichoke would have to be a lot better, or the operation would have to be a lot tighter to justify the line. As it stands now, I just feel like a chump waiting for so long to grab a slice from this place!
The past few times I've been by -- during the afternoon on the weekend -- there's been no line, which didn't surprise me, given the number of seriously more delicious things to eat in that part of town. As J. Fudge suggests, it's easier to like Artichoke for what it is without a line.
The regular slices are fine, not superlative, but nothing will ever induce me to eat the artichoke slice again -- gross!
man am i the only one who actually liked the signature slice? Granted it was WAY too goopy - maybe use half the sauce guys! - but it was different, unexpected, seasoned very well, and well, tasty.
I mean, maybe not worth waiting around for an hour for (neither is DiFara's in my opinion - amazing pizza, horrible wait), but when I'm in the neighborhood and dont want ramen, i'll dig a slice of Artichoke. But only if there's a slice available out of the oven - i dont wait.
I've said it before and I will say it again: whoever was handling marketing/blog outreach for that place did a great job (and made me hate the place a bit). Seems to me they should have worried more about product and service before working the hype machine.
Wow. Truth seems to be out.
I tried this place based on the amount of hype, and I found out it to be so overrated.
Way too much topping, way too hot. Totally impossible to eat.
When they are on their game I think their Sicilian is delicious and the Margarita isn't too shabby either. I could see how some people wouldn't like the place though, especially if you are more inclined to go with a thinner slice and do not like the char that straddles (and can often cross) the line of being burnt.
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14 Comments:
While I agree entirely that Artichoke's signature slice is mediocre at best, can the Truth Hammer be invoked to smack down an opinion?
Daniel Zemans at 11:52PM on 12/10/08
@Daniel Zemans: Heh. I guess I never really made the logical connection there. The "Truth Hammer" is simple tool for a simpleton such as I. It allows me to be crotchety. It's in the Slice tool bag; feel free to use it yourself.
Adam Kuban at 12:54AM on 12/11/08
As a whole I find Artichoke massively overrated. The square slice tastes good, but I am convinced they don't know how to make dough/crust here at all. Cardboard like crust everytime. As far as the namesake artichoke slice, pour that topping into a bowl and serve it with chips and I'd be happy, it has no business being on top of a pizza. Far, very far, from being in the same category as DiFara in my opinion.
http://always-eating.blogspot.com/2008/07/restaurant-review-aritchoke-basilles.html
ginsbera at 9:04AM on 12/11/08
I speak the truth when I say we need to see a logo with the Slicemeister dressed like the Grim Reeper, but wielding the Truth Hammer instead of a sickle.
Ciao,
Paulie Gee
pauliegee at 9:48AM on 12/11/08
there are so many better pizza joints in nyc, granted perhaps not by the slice. artichoke is def the most overrated pizza joint in nyc. it's not that good, ppl!
gastrodamus at 9:50AM on 12/11/08
The Truth Hammer Strikes Again!
I hate to say it, but the length-of-line-to-quality-of-food-ratio turned me off to this place. I have no problem waiting for up to an hour for the Shake Shack, because the product is so strong, and I know that they SS team is working at 100% efficiency to deliver the goods. The slices at Artichoke would have to be a lot better, or the operation would have to be a lot tighter to justify the line. As it stands now, I just feel like a chump waiting for so long to grab a slice from this place!
JudgeFudge at 9:54AM on 12/11/08
The past few times I've been by -- during the afternoon on the weekend -- there's been no line, which didn't surprise me, given the number of seriously more delicious things to eat in that part of town. As J. Fudge suggests, it's easier to like Artichoke for what it is without a line.
The regular slices are fine, not superlative, but nothing will ever induce me to eat the artichoke slice again -- gross!
ElaineG at 10:52AM on 12/11/08
man am i the only one who actually liked the signature slice? Granted it was WAY too goopy - maybe use half the sauce guys! - but it was different, unexpected, seasoned very well, and well, tasty.
I mean, maybe not worth waiting around for an hour for (neither is DiFara's in my opinion - amazing pizza, horrible wait), but when I'm in the neighborhood and dont want ramen, i'll dig a slice of Artichoke. But only if there's a slice available out of the oven - i dont wait.
secondbecky at 11:08AM on 12/11/08
I've said it before and I will say it again: whoever was handling marketing/blog outreach for that place did a great job (and made me hate the place a bit). Seems to me they should have worried more about product and service before working the hype machine.
sloppy at 11:31AM on 12/11/08
i like the taste of the artichoke slice but the problem is that it gets old before you finish the slice. by the end, it becomes too much
foodinmouth at 12:18PM on 12/11/08
I dig their regular, but has anyone else noticed that the size of a slice keeps shrinking?
boomshanka at 12:47PM on 12/11/08
yeah it has been, boomshanka. and the last time i had a sicilian the bottom was absolutely charred.
ps: awesome screenname. i'm a big young ones fan myself :]
santoslhalper at 6:03PM on 12/12/08
Wow. Truth seems to be out.
I tried this place based on the amount of hype, and I found out it to be so overrated.
Way too much topping, way too hot. Totally impossible to eat.
grifforama at 6:25PM on 12/16/08
When they are on their game I think their Sicilian is delicious and the Margarita isn't too shabby either. I could see how some people wouldn't like the place though, especially if you are more inclined to go with a thinner slice and do not like the char that straddles (and can often cross) the line of being burnt.
Anthony A at 12:50PM on 01/01/09