Restaurant Review: Artichoke Basille’s Pizza
Located on the South side of the Desert Ridge Mall, next to CB Live, Artichoke Pizza is new to Desert Ridge. The restaurant chain originated in New York, where it quickly developed an intensely loyal following. How popular is it? In a town that prides itself on pizza, the East Village New York location is the number two most visited pizzeria in all of New York. If that’s not impressive enough, Artichoke’s combined Manhattan locations earn more reviews and check-ins than any other pizza business in NY. In the birthplace of American pizza, a non-traditional Staten Island transplant reigns supreme.
The menu, including appetizers, could be more extensive. Just ten pizzas, seven appetizers, six entrees, and a calzone to choose from. The main focus is on pizza and it’s different from most other pies you’ve tried. The texture is thicker, crunchier and heavier than others; it certainly doesn’t taste like traditional New York pizza. You’ll hear a crunch on nearly every delicious bite – and it is delicious!
Here’s a list of the pizzas we tried and the comments from our team of tasters!
Artichoke Pizza (Spinach cream sauce, artichoke hearts & a blend of Italian cheeses)
While this is their namesake pizza, it was my least favorite of the bunch. Yes, it was still an above average pizza, but the other options we tried were off the scale good. I was anticipating this to be the best pizza and it wasn’t – and I LOVE artichokes!
Staten Island Pizza (Homemade meatballs, red onion, ricotta, mozzarella & Grana Padano cheese, cooked sauce)
Our favorite pizza! A very unique pizza, this was far different than any other New York style pizza we’ve ever tried.
Margherita Pizza (Plum tomato sauce, olive oil, fresh basil & a blend of Italian cheese)
Delicious, a lot of quality cheese, but just a little bit greasy.
Pepperoni Pizza (Plum tomato sauce, hand cut pepperoni & a blend of Italian cheeses)
Delicious pepperoni and lots of it! The pepperoni is hand cut, so it’s a little thicker than what you normally get on a pizza. Our second favorite menu item.
Garlic Knots Appetizer (Homemade dough tossed in olive oil & fresh garlic, topped with parsley and pecorino Romano cheese)
A great appetizer, but our version was a little overcooked, which made it a little dry. Properly cooked this would be amazing.
Meatballs & Ricotta Appetizer (Meatballs served with tomato sauce, garnished with grated cheese, and topped with ricotta cheese)
Truly amazing… the best meatballs we’ve ever tasted. The sauce was delicious and not too sweet. The ricotta cheese was creamy and fresh, very high marks!
After opening their first store in New York City’s East Village in 2008, Artichoke Basille’s Pizza has expanded to eighteen successful locations across the country and are a welcome addition to Desert Ridge Marketplace.
