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I didn't like Artichoke and am very disappointed in all who wait on line for access to so inelegant a slice of pizza. The artichoke slice is not pizza; it is a gratin. And though the toppings on the regular slice are good and the color of the crust is nicely blackened, the texture of the crust is awful: thick, heavy, charred plaster board.

To be brief, this pizza lacks both the elegance of a New York masterpizza and the thrill of a oozy, on-the-brink of a great NYC slice.

Hungry, I would imagine that you or one of yours wrote the first review, so me calling you or whatever trouser trout that said that a 'nitwit' hurt your feelings. But, you're wrong with your faux logical bs conclusion. Pronouncing to the slice world that Manhattan has 'it's DiFara' suggests that Artichoke and DiFara are of equal quality. That isn't true and I certainly never said that - you d/bags did. Artichoke is good and some of their methods and choices of ingredients are similar to DiFara, but Manhattan doesn't have it's DiFara. No place is ever going to have it's DiFara. There's only one. DeMarco's didn't do it and Artichoke hasn't either. So don't hold your breath, don't be conclusory, and don't read my f'ing articles if you don't like words like 'sliceteria' cause you don't get it - this is about discussing pies were passionate about, not negligently proclaiming pizzerias the new king in town when the crown doesn't fit yet.

You've been Bubbled!

hungry - I have not seen your Slice reviews, but give DJ Bubbles (and DJ Doggles) some credit for referencing previous hyperbole and taking the time to visit three times and talking to the staff before authoring an opinion. The Bubbster is typically very objective, critical and calls em like he sees em. He clearly stated that Artichoke has worked very hard in a short period of time to improve crust and quality in response to early critics. Bubbles also made it clear that The Choke is creating their own legacy by improving on Staten Island roots rather than clone Difara's Avenue J product. I still think Patsy's East Harlem is number one, but I assure you that DJ Bubbles objective take on Artichoke will encourage many to discover this new and rapidly improving pie merchant !

We were truly disappointed by the regular slice and the spinach/artichoke, both bad for different reasons though the crust is a universal negative - dry, thick, tasteless and cardboardy. The toppings are equally bad. Slices are huge. No place to sit. Not sure how anyone raved about this place.

NYCviaRachel - yes, I have been to DiFara, and yes, Dom uses way too much oil on his pies too. That's the one thing that prevents DiFara from being my favorite pizza in New York. It's a specialty pie, not an everyday eater. Yet, somehow the oil at DiFara *works*, but at Artichoke it fails, imho.

ACoby - I've worked in restaurants, and I know how hectic it can be, but a little bit of organization goes a long way. Not for nothing, but encouraging them to get organized is the point. "how do you know someone didn't call up and order the artichoke/spinach pies for pick up?" - it was pretty obvious, the pies were going directly onto the counter behind glass, while delivery pies/pickup pies were going into boxes.

Ok Ronman....keep hating on people. Meet you there anytime within 5 minutes Buddy. I got money on you owning a competitor restaurant. If you concentrated on your biz rather than hating on others you might be successful enough to not have so much time to blog on a friggin slice website!

So what's the story? Do we love this slice or no? Where's Bubbles when you need him? I can't believe I just asked for the DJ. NYC Food Guy is going to have to hit this place himself and lend the definitive word. Stay tuned pizza lovers.

I've never been to Di Fara's so I don't know what you all are talking about, but this pizza was excellent. Even the blogs on here slamming the place are writing that it is good. Please what's the problem (uneven crust, disorganization, burnt this or that OH BUT it's still good). Shut up and enjoy your slice! Isn't that what this website is about? I'm just delighted a great slice place opened up the street from my house.

Wow Calmdahn...have you ever run a restaurant? It's most hectic, especially during the first few days of being open..And how do you know someone didn't call up and order the artichoke/spinach pies for pick up? Anyhow, like most restaurants/pizzeria/new businesses ...it takes a little time to iron out the kinks, and before you know it, it will run like a well- oiled machine. Isnt this a forum on food? Next you will be commenting on the looks of the employees...
And Di Fara is just as oily, charry, and uneven...thats what makes it oh so good!!
I really enjoyed my sicilian slice, the cheese was top shelf, and the basil tasted freshly picked, and the crispy, oil rich crust was tantalizing...And the spinach artichoke sample was unique too...very rich and tasty...
I give you a 9!!

Went last night at around 7PM. Found it to be wildly overrated. Definitely NOT DiFara level. I had a plain sicilian slice, and while the ingredients were high quality and the balance of cheese/sauce/crust was ok, it was far from a great slice of pizza. WAY too much oil/grease and a really uneven crust, some parts rock hard and burnt (not charred), some soggy and falling apart. I'd give it a 7/10 at best at this point.

Also, regarding service and first impressions of the kitchen, these boys need to get organized! They're not able to efficiently handle the ten or so people who were in the restaurant while i was there. Too many cooks in the kitchen, everybody bumping into one another, no clear division of responsibility. They were making fresh artichoke/spinach pies when nobody in the restaurant was ordering from the one that was already there, and people were scrambling for plain sicilians. Granted, that's their signature, but why make more if nobody is ordering them?

We went to Artichoke this past Wednesday and I have to say it was GREAT!!! The spinach artichoke pizza was unbelievable as well as the other pizza (sicilian & regular). The two cousins that own it are really cool. They told us that Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones was there the other night. They had all these italian specialty items like cauliflower fritters and stuffed artichokes and every day they make something different. The place is decorated so authentic italian. Can't wait to go back. Good Luck Guys!!!!