Artichoke Basille’s Pizza will celebrate the grand opening of its long-awaited Oakland restaurant (4799 Telegraph Avenue at 48th Street) on August 24.
The Oakland restaurant marks the second Northern California outpost for Artichoke Basille’s Pizza, joining a location in Berkeley that is operated by long-time fan and franchisee, Jim Trevor. Trevor first grew an affinity for the New York-based brand when it was just a single shop in Manhattan’s East Village, and in the years following, helped open two Artichoke locations in Chelsea and Greenwich Village. Being a Northern California native, Trevor wanted to introduce the beloved NYC brand to his hometown, so he partnered with Artichoke to open the Berkeley restaurant in 2013. Since then, Trevor has been eager to continue making Artichoke’s larger-than-life slices and decadent pizza pies more accessible to Bay Area residents, and has sights set on opening additional restaurant locations in Downtown Oakland, Lakeshore, and Berkeley.
“I live in the area and have been dining in Temescal for years. When I got word that Vic and Dan from Lanesplitter Pizza wanted to downsize and close their Temescal pizzeria after 15 years, I knew it was a good opportunity for Artichoke Pizza’s second West Coast location,” says Trevor. “The restaurant space reminds me of Artichoke’s second New York City restaurant in Chelsea that I helped open in 2010. Both restaurants sit prominently on hard corners and feature high ceilings, expansive seating, full bars, and sidewalk cafes. The smaller Berkeley location more closely resembles Artichoke’s original 14th Street location where I first tried their now legendary slices.”
Artichoke’s newest outpost boasts a menu of seven signature pizzas including fan-favorites like the Artichoke and Crab Pies, plus more traditional offerings like the Margherita, Pepperoni, and Meatball. Beer, wine, and non-alcoholic drinks are available, with cocktails joining the lineup soon. The restaurant’s interior features NYC-inspired design elements seen in Artichoke’s existing locations, like exposed brick and antiqued tin, which pay homage to Artichoke’s city roots and bring a taste of Manhattan to Northern California.
Founded in 2008 by cousins Francis Garcia and Sal Basille, Artichoke Basille’s Pizza specializes in serving an authentically unique style of pizza born and bred from fourth generation New York City pizzaiolos. Their 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.
