Pizzaiolos, cousins and best friends, Francis Garcia and Sal Basille opened Artichoke Basille’s on 14th St. in 2008. Having gotten their hands into the business early working at their family’s restaurant, Basille’s in Staten Island, the boys and their pizza shop have made more than a name for themselves in Manhattan.

Since launching Artichoke Basille’s, they have scored articles in The New York Times, The New York Post, and numerous other food blogs, websites and publications. Their never-ending line of devoted Artichoke Basille’s fans includes the likes of Keith Richards and Momofuku’s David Chang.

In 2010, the cousins teamed up with New York nightlife impresarios Noah Tepperberg and Jason Strauss to expand Artichoke Basille’s Pizza. Their second Artichoke location opened in September of 2010 on 10th Ave at 17th Street in Chelsea featuring sit-down dining and expanded menu items. In November of the same year, the new partnership opened the third Artichoke Basille’s. Similar in size to the original Artichoke location, this slice shop serves up the legendary slices in what was once the heart of American Bohemia, Greenwich Village on MacDougal Street. The Artichoke Basille’s expansion continues today, having recently added a LaGuardia Airport location as well as an Artichoke outlet in the Resorts World Casino in Queens, NY.

In addition to opening more stores, Francis and Sal recently inked a deal with the Cooking Channel to host “Pizza Cuz,” a show documenting their quest to find the best and most unique slices around the country. The show quickly garnered a following of pizza fanatics and foodies including Jay Leno, who recently had them appear on “The Tonight Show.”

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