Eid Special - Lunch over the waters.

This Eid was objectively different than all the others. We just got out of the lockdown, things are still a little slow, but at least the businesses are open. The newly found freedom to roam and the occasion of Eid could not come together at a better time.

Just as my tradition goes, the 1st day of Eid we dine in at home, the 2nd day of Eid we go out somewhere for a long drive, stroll, or exploration followed by a meal in someplace nice. Today, we went to the Marinella. The same Marinella pizzeria where I had my first mishap in Ukraine.

This is a wonderful pizzeria that serves close to authentic thin-crust, crispy, Rome-like pizzas with a beautiful view of the Lopan river. It obviously does a lot better when the river isn't frozen.
The weather just got better in Kharkiv, and the occasion was right.

I believe we were lucky to find a table next to the fences. At this time of the day in the weekend, Marinella attracts a lot of hungry strollers. It is undoubtedly a wonderful place to grab a bite.

We ordered a chicken pizza, a beef zinzider pizza, a chicken julienne, and cokes to go with them. The best thing about Marinella is the repeatability. You can always expect the exact same taste and quality in all of its franchises. The food also is always quick to serve. Our order took like 17 minutes, plated and served.

As we took our seats, we watched the ducks swim in the river. Some people threw treats at them, some took pictures, some were busy in each others' eyes. We also watched people row boats in the river. There were also people on the square that were taking pictures of the beautiful flowers and trees that bloomed.

The beef zinzider has always been my favorite from the bunch. Lately they have added sushi to their menu, I think times have been tough. The pizza looked good as it always did. Nothing new added nor removed.

One thing that was different was the beef slices. They have gotten incredibly longer from what I remember. Nevertheless a good pizza. A tasty bite at any time of the day.

Usually, a single pizza is quite filling. Whenever we eat at Marinella we do not order two full pizzas. However, we got a good discount on the second pizza so we went with the chicken. Just like the beef slices, the chicken pieces have gotten bigger too.

The chicken pizza is more creamy than the beef. If you are looking for a heavy, creamy pizza then you should go for their signature Ceaser pizza. The chicken pizza also has a layer of thinly sliced chicken fillet bed right under the cheese.

The chicken julienne was a surprise. This is a popular Russian appetizer. It is incredibly creamy, boneless chicken and mushroom bake under a blanket of cheese.

In the past, I have been served julienne in a small container the size of a large tablespoon. I was told that was the right way to enjoy it. Marinella's julienne isn't as thick or creamy, but it still hits the mark.