Artichoke Basille's Pizza

Artichoke Basille's Pizza Restaurant Review:

Artichoke Basille’s, an East Village take-away pizza counter, was a splash success when it first opened, as lines 20 or 30 hungry-people long were common. Waiting for an hour for a slice of pizza from Artichoke, it seemed, was well worth it. The Chelsea outpost, with table service and a larger menu, alas, is hardly worth the wait. The usual pizza suspects are on the menu: the tomato sauce-less artichoke, the margherita, and the thick square-cut Sicilian. But the “burnt anchovy,” a twice-baked pie, has crust that’s rigid and bland and hard to eat. The menu doesn’t indicate it, but slices (in addition to pricey entire pies) are also available. The pasta dishes---rigatoni with tomato sauce and meatballs, for example---are passable but hardly the transcendent meals diners are getting at the East Village Artichoke.