Artichoke is a weird place. The lines are long because the staff are pretty stupid. They seem to be confused by orders of pizza, although that is all they serve.

The artichoke pizza itself is very rich and one slice would enough for a meal. The regular is good not great. It is a hangover hangout as the line 2 AM on Fridays and Saturdays is very long.

They also own Led Zeppole bakery two doors down. I have not een there in at least a year becuase their stuff stinks. Last week Mrs. Adu wanted some zeppole and it was underdone and greasy.

They also own the roast beef joint on First Ave and 10th Street and I been told to skip by one of the nearby merchants who does not own anything that is related to food.

escrunchy: Are you truly curious or just trying to "rescue" your prior, somewhat flippant "comment?

Chowhound was one of multiple sources I reviewed - and we also had a very good personal recommendation re: Tout Va Bien from a Frommer's blogger who had lived in NYC.

"Anyone eat pizza at Co. recently?"

Had a couple of good pizzas at Co. the first week of October.

From my trip report::

"It is a hip, modern little spot that has both private and communal tables, and the place was packed when we walked inside. There was a slight wait (about 15 minutes) at 9 p.m., so we bought a bottle of vino to toast both our fortune to be in NYC and to my fortune of being alive. Yes, life is good! Co. specializes in Roman-style pizza with thin crusts and lots of flavor. Tracy and Mary both started with the Ribollita (tomato, savoy cabbage, cavolo nero, cannelloni beans, parmesan, mirepoix and chili) for seven bucks. We ordered two pizzas; the $16 Ham & Cheese (pecorino, gruyere, mozzarella, prosciutto and caraway) along with the $17 Popeye (pecorino, gruyere, mozzarella, spinach, black pepper and garlic. The pizzas were both delicious and the crusts were “light as air.” They did overcharge us by $30, but Mary (our own personal restaurant bill savant) caught the error, so no harm done."

Please take my above review with a grain of salt (unless, of course, you are sodium impaired). I have done Yelp reviews before, so my food knowledge could be called into question.

http://www.travelswithmaitaitom.com/...City_2011.html

LOL maitiatom: Good review.

FYI - since I had not included any prices - the lunch special at Motorino's - a big pizza pie (I only finished half of it and I ain't no sparrow) - and a nice salad - was $12. Very good bang for the buck, 4 sure.

BTW - just clicked on your trip report. Very nicely done, with pics even.

Thanks, maitiatom!

Yes I've been to Co recently and liked the food. What I did not like was the long wait for a table, so I would advise going at off hours. The other day I had a square pizza slice from Sullivan Street Bakery, the "mother ship" of Co and would also recommend that for those who do not require a pizza to be made with tomato sauce. (My partner, however, did not like that much, though, although he loves Artichoke's pizzaz, although not the artichoke slice itself). "Go know!" as my grandma used to say.


In my opinion, their breads are untouchable in Manhattan.

It's funny that you should mention Sullivan Street Bakery.I also went to Porchetta while in NYC and they use Sullivan Street Bakery as the bread in their sandwiches.The bread was really good, but I wish I would went earlier in the day when the bread was fresher.
http://porchettanyc.com/

We liked Co. a lot (and were there for a late lunch so no wait). The crust did get a teensy bit soggy towards the end, which is why it didn't rank at the top of our pizza list that weekend. Still, you would NOT have to twist my arm to go back.

John's on Bleecker is my #1 choice.

Many restaurants in NYC use Sullivan Street.

I went by John's of Bleecker Street - and it looked very good - (he was even nice enough to email me back when I was doing some pre-trip checking) - but you couldn't get just a slice - so I went a couple of blocks down to another Greenwich Village "establishment" - Joe's on Carmine (just along 6th ave - and it was packed- with people also sitting at the outdoor tables) - and had a piece there and it was quite good. I also checked out Keste, whose patron's seemed very pleased.

Good reviews - and actually - I saw several very good pizza places along Bleeker St (as well as Murray's Cheese , and I even talked to a young gal who was proudly carrying a piece of Artichoke pizza, that she had purchased on Mcdougal St. And there was even a Patsy's pizza on University?

The good pizza choices seem almost endless, but I would still make another pilgrimage over to the East Side and to Motorino's next time I am in the Apple.

Murray's could be the best cheesemonger in the city. Also on Bleecker is Faicco's an old style Italian butcher with many wonderful items including many types of sausage wirh a side of kibbitzing.

There is also Amy's bread and Cones with luscious store made ice cream. Across the street is Matt Umanov, a guitar store staffed with adults.

I'm still a bit dazed by even more comments about not being "blown away" or overly impressed with the Tout Va Bien, if we can return for a moment to the ORIGINAL topic.

I was amused particularly by a comment above about not being overly impressed there and then mentions Nougatine. Huh? Comparing a simple CLASSIC French bistro with a contemporary fusion trendy place is as silly as comparing Burger King with Witchcraft!

Sometimes people actually love CLASSIC and simple French cooking. A plain delicious roast chicken, or a CLASSIC Coq au Vin, or a CLASSIC skate with butter and capers for example. Nougatine's roast chicken is done with parsnips, kale, and pomegranate vinaigrette. Nougatine's skate is served with aromatic black beans, ginger, and truffle. While those may indeed be wonderful interpretations, they aren't going to satisfy someone who is looking for a simple classic French meal. Get it?

If plain, Classic French food, nicely prepared doesn't "blow you away" and you prefer new, trendy, special (fusion) presentations instead -- then yes -- by all means you won't be blown away at Tout va Bien. It's that simple.

Like I said I'm not a foodie ,but I have spent a good deal of time in France and I don't think there is any argument that Tout Va Bien is authentic.For me being a restaurant being inexpensive is a huge plus, especially when the food is good too.

As for Pizza places,I want to try some of the Brooklyn ones on my next trip.One needs several trips just for the Pizza places in NYC alone LOL

LOL. I did go into the great meat market - Faccio's and they were classic, and had pretty good prices for Prime - which ain't cheap in any event. Think it was $17 lb for Ribeye.

And Murray's is just a shrine to good cheesae, and somehow draws to mind - the old quote by Charles DeGaulle about France: How do you govern a county with 247 different cheeses. That's sort of what Murray's was like - with not quite as many choices.

Also agree that Tout Va Bien is a classic/traditional/long establihsed (1948) BISTRO - not the sleek, more modern interpretations of same. It was excellent when we were there on Oct 23rd, and while I look forward to checking out other Bistros/Restaurants in NYC (loved Vongs years ago - but Jean George shut it down?) - would also try to get back to Tout Va Bien for the super Mussels and the perfectly crusted Creme Brulee, and of course, the Kir and Sangria.

Faicco's Pork Store is probably not the best place in the area to buy steak. Florence on Jones Street is one of the best butchers in the city, and Ottomanelli is superb, too. Both are within a block of that address.

BTW - joined my sister and her friend at a good Italian restaurant in the West Village - Dell'anima (8th and Jane) - and had a wonderful pasta dish (Zagat gives them a 25 for food) . The manager told me their new place, L'Artusti (228 W. 10th - between Bleeker and Hudson) - had already passed them in the food ratings.

And later that week - my sister and her friend (the friend had flown in from Italy to see her first grand-daughter) had another good Italian meal at another cute West Village place - Piccola Angelo (621 Hudson @ Jane) which is also rated at 25 (food) by Zagats.

ekscrunchy: Next time I am in the area I will check those other two out - but as for the beef in the case at Faicco's - it was very nicely marbled - and we used to raise our own beef where I grew up in Oregon.

Actually ekscrunchy: On second thought - I may have been in Ottomanelli's meat shop - the one just across the street from Murray's Cheese?