DITMARS — Artichoke Basille's Pizza opened its latest outpost in Astoria on Tuesday, marking the fifth New York City location for the mini-chain, which served its first slice in the East Village in 2008.
The newest Artichoke opened near the Astoria-Ditmars Boulevard train station at 22-56 31st St. The space was formerly occupied by longtime pizzeria Frankie's Pizza, which closed this past fall.
"It's been a pizzeria for 50 years — it's part of Astoria," Artichoke co-owner Francis Garcia said of the location. "We're excited to be here."
The menu is the same as the restaurant's other eateries, Garcia said, and includes their famous artichoke slice. Other options include margherita, crab, vodka Sicilian and meatball parm slices, as well as calzones and salads.
This is the first standalone location in Queens for Artichoke, which has three spots in Manhattan as well as a space in LaGuardia Airport.
"We love the neighborhood," Garcia said, adding that their first day in business was going well, despite snowfall Tuesday afternoon. "It feels good. It feels like Artichoke."
The owners are still waiting on their license, but plan to serve beer and wine in the future.
