Nino's vs. Artichoke

As Grub Street noted last week, Nino's at St. Mark's and Avenue A is now serving an artichoke and spinach pizza, perhaps to rival that of the too-crowded-and-expensive-for-my-tastes Artichoke Basille's around the corner on 14th Street.

So I thought I'd try Nino's new slice for a Very Special Easter Holiday Weekend. With the Christmas tree still up, it's easy to be in the holiday spirit at Nino's.

For starters, can you tell the difference between Nino's ($3) and Artichoke ($4) in the two photos below? (Also, I realize that none of this pizza looks very appetizing thanks to my photos and the lighting. Kind of looks like a car just drove over them...)




Yeah, the top photo is the work of Nino's. (By the way, I love the fountain drinks machine at Nino's.)



Anyway! As for Nino's new artichoke slice... Well, I'm not much of a foodie/reviewer type, though I do like to use "drizzled" and "artisanal" and "seasonal" in everyday conversation... Oh, so Nino's was quite tasty...less of a gutbuster without so much cheese and the overpowering goopy garlic aftertaste of Artichoke. And it's $1 less...and Nino's has fewer annoying people in line...

Also, I've been to Artichoke twice. Back in August. I was walking by and there wasn't a line, so I wanted to see what the fuss was about ... And more recently, well, I just felt like a slice. Too bad I got stuck in line behind the NYU students who were — seriously — debating where the best ski spots are in Switzerland. (Totes, Zermatt!)

Anyway, I swear the slices at Artichoke were smaller during my second visit...the photos don't quite do them justice, but... And the Artichoke slices weren't as good as the first time. But is it ever?

Recently:



August:



P.S.
The reality is that I miss Five Rose's Pizza. That was the best. By the way, a rumormonger at Eater says the Five Rose's space on First Avenue will be home to another pizza place.

Sad pizza place on 14th Street closes

To be honest, I'm not sure exactly when Mambo Italiano Pizzeria at 347 E. 14th St. near First Avenue closed. In the last six weeks or so. I never paid much attention to it...until the crowds starting forming across the street at Artichoke. That's when the Mambo folks apparently started a little different tact. Their sidewalk sign said, "Try our Artichoke pizza," perhaps in hopes of picking off someone who didn't know which place was which. I'm not sure it worked: I swear I never saw one person in Mambo. The workers would just be in there, standing around, looking hopeful as people walked by... staring across the street at the big line at Artichoke.

In any event, I almost popped in a few times for a pity purchase. Which is really lame. I did that years ago when I lived on Clinton Street. Some new Moroccan place opened (Sago?). Never saw one person in there for the first few months. I wanted to be supportive. I went there twice. Once for something to go. They had a little bar. I ordered a bottle of beer, which came to like $6.92. Fuck me. Then I dragged Mrs. Grieve in there once for brunch or some shit. It was awful. Both times. We still make jokes about the eggs Tagine. They eventually got a little crowd. Then it closed. Then the building got torn down to make way for a condo.

Anyway, I stopped walking by Mambo. Which is why I don't know exactly when it closed.

Things that I never thought I'd do

Wait in line for expensive pizza.



Doesn't look like much, to be honest. But it was really good.