Mediterranean Greek Meets Knick-Knack Retailer

Taste of Crete

400 Route 206 South

Hillsborough, NJ 08844

Phone: 908 685 2035

Http://www.TasteOfCrete.com

            The Taste of Crete is pushed off the side of 206 in a small corner easily overlooked by most who pass by. What was once a home décor center, this location is now a privately owned store and deli by a few women who love their Greek heritage. At first, one wouldn’t expect this establishment to be any more than a novelty shop. Upon further inspection, we found that they do in fact sell food. Curious about this new restaurant, we took it upon ourselves to check out the local cultural bistro.

(from top to bottom, left to right): Melitzanosalata,
Santorini Tomato Hummus, Spanakopita.

            Walking in, we questioned whether food was even available; the store seemed to specialize in novelty items like Greek souvenirs and kitchen necessities.  We had to ask one of the workers, who was occupied with promoting one of the store’s trinkets to a customer, to direct us to fresh meals. She walked us over to a corner, far on the other side of this small shop. We didn’t know what we got ourselves into… They seem to specialize in refrigerated to-go deli specials (gyros, moussaka, and spanakopita), appetizers (hummus, melitzanosalata, etc.), and Greek olives in olive oil. We were surprised to find that they did not offer made-to-order dishes. Their seating arrangement was less than traditional and more so cafeteria style off in an annex in the building storing mostly postcards and keepsakes.

            We chose santorini tomato hummus (a traditional chick pea and olive oil blend), melitzanosalata (an eggplant dip normally paired with pita bread), spanakopita (phyllo dough cooked with spinach and goat cheese), and blaklava (phyllo dough, olive oil, and nuts) as a desert. We can tell (by the flavor and the sneak peek we took in the back) that the dishes were all prepared on sight by hand. The hummus was strong in flavour, but if you aren’t a fan of garlic, this dish isn’t suited for you. Personally, it seemed a little overbearing. The melizanosalata shared the same qualities, but we definitely preferred it to the hummus. It had a nice blend of cilantro and complimented the eggplant well, especially when served on pita. The spanakopita was sold in the fridge and we requested it to be warmed up. They microwaved it, which was offsetting in texture. The dough, traditionally flaky and pastry-like, was soggy and unflattering to the filling. The filling itself had a satisfying flavour and hint of rosemary. The baklava was super sweet and satisfying (in our opinions, obviously), but with practice, it isn’t too challenging to master and recreate.  Overall, the experience was a little disappointing; we were expecting a traditional Greek kitchen with fresh Mediterranean cuisine. The cuisine was there, but the fresh was not.

            Just a word of advice: If you plan to offer a sit-in restaurant, the food should be prepared in a more thoughtful way, despite the time-consuming nature of popping it in a toaster oven. The gift-shop atmosphere was a turn off while we ate, but we accept that the Taste of Crete doesn’t use food service as an advertisement device.  In the end, if you’re looking for a unique gift or quick pick-me-up, this is the place to go, but if you’re looking for a authentic dining experience, keep driving.