Following a successful restaurant opening in Newington earlier this year, famed New York-style pizza institution, Artichoke Basille’s Pizza, announced that its second Connecticut restaurant will open in Downtown Hartford this winter. The upcoming outpost will replace the former McKinnon’s Pub at 114 Asylum Street near the XL Center, in the heart of the city and at the epicenter of the revival and renaissance taking place in Hartford.
“We couldn’t have picked a more exciting and opportune time to open in Hartford, and we know that Artichoke will fit seamlessly into the community as it transforms into a more youthful and contemporary area,” said Matt Rusconi, Connecticut franchisee for Artichoke Basille’s Pizza. “We believe in the future of Hartford and see its immense potential, especially with all the new developments planned for Downtown. We’ll be anxiously awaiting the day we can officially open doors and bring a slice of NYC to this city!”
The Hartford restaurant marks the second Connecticut outpost for Artichoke Basille’s Pizza, joining a location in Newington that opened to much fanfare earlier this year. Long-time Artichoke fan and franchisee, Matt Rusconi, plans to open at least three more Artichoke Pizza restaurants in Connecticut.
Founded in 2008 by cousins Francis Garcia and Sal Basille, Artichoke Basille’s Pizza specializes in serving an authentic style of pizza born and bred from fourth generation New York City pizzaiolos. Artichoke’s signature slices and whole pies feature a variety of toppings that range from the unique (artichoke cream sauce and Surimi crab meat) to more traditional favorites like pepperoni, meatball, ricotta, and more. Unlike other fast casual pizza concepts, Artichoke’s pies are never made in a conveyor belt oven, and instead, cooked to perfection in a deck oven. Their award-winning offerings have attracted a cult-like fanbase of local New Yorkers, tourists, and celebrities alike, and founders Fran & Sal have garnered national recognition with appearances on The Rachael Ray Show, Fox & Friends, late night TV shows, and two of their own Cooking Channel series: Pizza Masters and Pizza Cuz.
