Bites Nearby: Mad Greek

Located on 35 North in Hazlet, Mad Greek serves the most traditional Greek cuisine you can get, with a flair of American for those with a less adventurous pallette. As a falafel lover, I went there craving it had it served in a grilled pita with tomato, onion, fries and tzatziki. The menu was extensive enough though that I am going to suggest my family to go there, so that we can each order something different and share.

They have your authentic Greek plates like Mousaka, layered eggplant, potatoes, seasoned ground beef and topped with Bechamel cream sauce and then oven baked -- a real comfort food, especially in the winter.  They have a hot open plates menu, with gyro platters (your choice of beef and lamb or chicken), Souvlaki platters (your choice of pork, chicken or lamb), or mixed Souvlaki with pork, chicken, lamb and slice gyro over rice pilaf.

The seafood menu hails fried calamari, rice pilaf and a side of greek salad, a grilled shrimp platter, or mussels margaritas served hot or sweet over pasta.  Their hot pita sandwiches not only had my falafel, but gyro, souvlaki and fried eggplant, and speciality pita sandwiches (with vegetarian options!).  They also offer charcoal burgers, turkey burgers, fried fish fillet sanwiches, and fried chicken filet sandwiches.

Mad Greek also has an extensive appetizers menu, salads served with pita bread (Greek salad, caesar salad, antipasto salad, etc), and an entire back page that caters to an American pallette.  They have waht they call "Zesto' Pizza", mostly served Greek style, offering feta and olives as toppings. They also have calzones and normal subs, notably the Club Med with grilled chicken, roasted red peppers, provolone, lettuce, and a Mediterranean Balsamic dressing, and a Vegetarian sub with provolone, lettuce, tomato, red onion, cucumbers, and Mediterranean Balsamic dressing.

Their desserts offers favorites of mine, having come from a Greek grandmother, I grew up with Baklava. They also cater, with a little variety of the whole menu. Inside, they play traditional Greek music and you really feel like if you close your eyes and pretend, you could be on a Greek island somewhere.  

For more information, call 732-769-2319 or visit www.madgreeknj.com