New York Bites: Artichoke Pizza

Chicagoans worship their deep dish, New Yorkers boast about their foldable thin crust, and New Haveners....well I suppose their "apizza" may be something special; but nothing beats a pizza place that takes the ooey gooey, comforting goodness of cheese, crust, and sauce and turns that traditional, tasty combo into something atypical and absolutely delicious!

If you're in New York for a visit and looking for something different from the usual New York slice, Artichoke Pizza should be your first stop. With piping hot slices, fresh ingredients, and unique flavors, Artichoke Pizza transcends traditional New York pizza. The pizzeria's signature "Artichoke and Spinach" pie has people crawling back for piece after piece... provided you're able to handle the richness of a single slice.

I finally had my first slice of artichoke and spinach pizza from their location on 14th and 1st in New York's East Village. The service was quick and the pizzas were fresh. The flowing dinner crowd that marched in and out of the pickup spot indicated to tourists that they'd arrived to the correct location and signaled to regulars that they were going to have to wait a little longer for their heavenly slice. In true New York fashion, my slice of pizza was placed in the oven for a quick warm up and them graciously placed into an over-sized box.  The smell alone was enough to turn heads as I walked back to my apartment.

In regard to taste, this slice of artichoke and spinach definitely makes my top 5 for pizza, up in the ranks with Lou Malnatti's. The crust was crispy, with the proper amount of thickness, not overly oiled or salty, and paired well with the toppings. With a creamy sauce that blended with the freshly melted cheese, the richness of the pair melded well with the pieces of artichoke and spinach on the slice. The crust, sauce, and toppings resulted in a trio of rich, developed, and mouth-watering flavor.

While Artichoke's signature slice wears a $4.50/slice price tag, the large portion and tastiness of the piece more than overshadows the cost. Moreover, with a slice so full of flavor and brimming with rich ingredients, for most patrons one slice is more than sufficient.

Extra perk: They're open until 5am for all of your late night/early morning needs!


Artichoke Pizza
East Village Location
328 East 14th Street
New York, New York 10012
212-228-2004
10am-5am

keep calm and nom on,
 
gf

Pierogi Pilgrimage: East Village's Veselka (as seen on Gossip Girl)

Hello Fellow Foodies,

Veselka Assorted Pierogi

We hope the start of summer is finding everyone in good health. If you've been keeping up with the Nightly Noms' Twitter, you would know that I spent a weekend in New York mid-May. Of course I had to do some foodie exploring between my meetings, which resulted in  multiple walks throughout the various neighborhoods of Manhattan, my longest being from Grand Central to SoHo (a grand total of 5 hours of exploration when factoring the tasting breaks). My first New York post is a restaurant review for a Ukrainian restaurant in the East Village!

Veselka, a quirky restaurant made more famous by Gossip Girl, definitely delivered on their dining experience. Originally I had planned to make the pilgrimage to "pierogi paradise" by myself, but after finding some fellow friends that were in search of good shopping and food, I offered for them to make the long walk downtown with a detour at Veselka before going to SoHo. With two people who had little knowledge of pierogi and Eastern Euro food, I was taking two more sets of tastebuds into my hands and hoped that Veselka was as good as Dan and Vanessa boast on Gossip Girl.

Located on the corner of 2nd Ave. and 9th St., the medium-sized restaurant was clearly popular. With people packed in Veselka's outdoor area, we opted for a small window table inside to sample the pierogi. Veselka, described as "Ukranian Soul Food in the Heart of East Village, offers an array of Ukrainian noms, such as Borcht (a chilled beet soup), Veal Goulash (a veal stew served with mashed potatoes), Ukrainian Kielbasa (a type of sausage), and a wide variety of sandwiches. Along side the traditional Ukrainian fare, Veselka serves up a very tasty looking breakfast menu featuring Raspberry Pancakes, Challah French Toast, and Potato Pancakes served with sour cream and apple sauce. Download the complete menu on their website here!

Blueberry Seasonal Pierogi

The main focus of our visit was to sample Veselka's pierogi, which are dumplings stuffed with different ingredients. Veselka offers "Big Plate" and "Small Plate" options and allows the patron to individually select each pierogi, which really allows for you to taste each type if desired. We ordered a large plate with Meat, Goat Cheese & Arugula, Sweet Potato, Spinach & Cheese, and Sauerkraut & Mushroom (pan-fried); we also ordered a small plate of the seasonal pierogi, which were Blueberry (boiled). Both the savory and sweet dumplings highlighted the traditional flavors used, and the small sides of apple sauce, sour cream, and caramelized onions definitely added to the flavor. I would definitely recommend the Sauerkraut & Mushroom pierogi if you're a vegetarian, and the meat if you are not. Although I enjoyed the pan-friend texture, compared to that of what I had as a child, Veselka's pierogi were a bit to fried for my taste. In addition, the blueberry were very delicious; however, they could have used a few more berries. When eating the sweet pierogi, use any of the condiments desired, but I would definitely recommend a combination of sour cream and sprinkled sugar. Other than my prior comments, and a bias for my childhood nanny's homemade pierogi, Veselka's pierogi were pretty tasty and are a good option for dining, especially if you're a college student looking for some tasty late-night noms without having the time to explore some smaller neighborhood restaurants.

Next time I'm in New York it's definitely going to be tough to decide between going for breakfast or dinner. All in all I guess Dan and Vanessa were right to spend evenings watching movies and ordering in from Veselka, besides having a Eastern Euro deli next door or a family friend that makes homemade pierogi, you can't get much better than Veselka if you're looking for a gateway into Eastern European tastes. 

In addition to a sit down dining experience, Veselka offers a wide variety of pastries and to go orders.

Veselka
144 2nd Avenue & 9th Street, New York, NY 10003
Facebook
Ukrainian, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Late-night
$5-$18

xo,
-georgetown foodie
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