By Michael Prefer
As a fan of all things pizza, I jumped at the opportunity to head over to the newly opened Artichoke Basille’s Pizza with my fellow Spoon University members. Artichoke Basille’s Pizza, known better as Artichoke Pizza, was started in 2008 by two cousins, Francis Garcia and Sal Basille, in NYC and has since made a name for itself off the back of its specialty Artichoke Slice and Crab Slice among much more. Considering the amount of Late Night Show press and major newspaper articles covering the place, it was about time they ventured into some New Jersey locations.
Let’s jump into the details. The restaurant is a decently sized classic-style pizzeria located at 96 Hudson Street, which can be a hike for students living further uptown. Inside is a typical pizzeria look — brick walls, some small tables, and some outdoor seating, Overall it’s a smaller space than Gio’s or Benny’s, so I’d say it is more of a grab-a-slice-n-go type experience. All the slices seemed to be around $6 too, with my meal of two slices and a can of soda coming out to around $13; that is a bit pricey, but I’ll jump into that later.
I knew one of the slices I tried had to be the Artichoke, considering I’ve had this type before in my hometown, and it quickly became one of my favorites. (On a side note, the Artichoke joint in my town is an unrelated restaurant also called Basille’s that supposedly first opened up on Staten Island in the ’80s… interesting). The Artichoke slice at Hoboken Basille’s is characterized by a thicker crust and being an overall larger slice, with mozzarella, artichoke, and some other seasonings all brought together by a creamy Alfredo-like sauce. I found the slice to be excellent and right in line with the taste of other artichoke pizzas I’ve had, with a very unique and strong flavor. It definitely was very strong in dairy flavors with the cheese and sauce, and it was also an overall very heavy meal in general. The best thing about the slice’s heaviness though is that it definitely makes up for its $6 price tag, at least in my eyes. You may not find this pizza worth it though, if you’re like one of my fellow Spoon members who found the pizza overall too strong and thus not worth the price at all. The Artichoke pie is in general not as easy of a slice to like, but if you do, you’ll love it.
The margarita slice I got was surprisingly great, accounting for the fact that it’s not one of its most advertised pizza varieties. It was exactly what you’d expect out of a plain or margarita slice anywhere: a good balance of mozzarella cheese, traditional tomato sauce, and crust. The tomato sauce in particular was a highlight because it had just the right amount of acidity and sweetness to it, something that’s harder for just any pizzeria to nail down. It was also much lighter than the Artichoke slice, which can be a good or bad thing, so take that as you will. I would add though that the slice’s lightness does make it harder to justify with a $6 price tag.
Summarizing the points I’ve made in this review into a simple pros and cons list:
Pros:
- Good variety in slices and unique pies
- Brilliantly executed Artichoke slice
- Surprisingly great regular price
Cons:
- Location is further from campus
- Pricey
- Artichoke slice can be controversial, not everyone will like it
I would love to give Hoboken’s new Artichoke Pizza a 9/10 based on its wonderful execution of the Artichoke and Margarita Pies, but considering some of these cons that definitely are significant, I am giving Artichoke Basille’s Pizza a respectable 7.5/10.
Up Next: Something to consider for the future is trying out the other touted slice: The Crab Pie, as well as trying the original Artichoke Pizza itself in the East Village
Disclaimer: This column is a collaboration between The Stute and Spoon University. It will be published both in The Stute and on Spoon’s website, and will be written by different authors week-to-week.
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