vlad.tribnet.com / Issue #166 / Social life / Reading article...

It has finally happened. After three years (or thereabouts) of monopoly power in the exclusive Vladivostok pizza scene, Pizzeria Zhemchuzhina, that pioneer of culinary excellence and appropriate decor, has a competitor.

Even as I write, the language of Vladivostok’s pizza lovers is poised for a historic transformation. Compact conversations like, “Let’s meet at the Pizzeria.”

“O.K.”

Or, “Shall we go for a pizza?”

“Good idea. See you there at eight,” will no longer be adequate.

Ambiguity will spawn doubt. Friends will part wondering, “He does mean the Pizzeria (in the back yard by the Gorky Theater) and not Pizza M in the Primorye Hotel? Or maybe…?”

Jilted lovers will dash across town in the desperate hope that it was a linguistic omission, not a genuine rejection that left them contemplating the familiar menu alone.

New people in town could even find Pizza M first. (You have to admit: Pizzeria Zhemchuzhina is many good things, but easy to find is not one of them.) They may assume that the bright, colorful establishment, prominently signposted on Posietskaya Street, is, in fact, the Pizzeria, feted and fabled for so long.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Vladivostokians, Friends, prepare yourselves for the new reality.

We now have a choice.

M is nice. It’s more sophisticated. It’s open till 10 p.m. It has taken the market forward with key concepts like thin or pan pizza, a choice of three sizes and a couple of salads (unexciting ones, sadly). The interior is clean, bright and (is this too high an accolade?) trendy. There are music videos and separate areas for eat in, with table service, and take-out, from the counter. Prices are reasonable, starting at 23 rubles for an eight-inch pizza. Above all, when this reviewer went there recently, the service could only be described as friendly and attentive.

Oh yes, and the pizza…. The pan pizzas looked delicious, but my companion and I are both traditionalists and opted for thin. The toppings were generous and tasty, though the crust was disappointing – a bit hard and overcooked. But then you can’t get everything right first time.

Keep at it, M. Watch out Zhemchuzhina. A twiddle on that thermostat and the pizza war is on.