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Eating at Macedonian Grill - whether in Brigantine or its new location on Tilton Road in Egg Harbor Township - isn't just a culinary treat; it's an education in Greek food done correctly.

Owner Dimitrios Dounoulis - or "Jimmy the Greek," as his friends and customers call him - takes so much pride in his food that he doesn't only mind telling you what the heck Pastitsio is, he'll tell you every ingredient and how it's prepared.

"Everybody wants to know what's in this or that," Dounoulis says. "And I enjoy telling them. It may be something they never had and they want to get the information. It's a way of sharing the Greek heritage, too. They may ask what's in the spinach pie because they say they make it at home and it's not that smooth.

"So, I tell them it's the mixture of ricotta cheese, cottage cheese and feta. It's a little different taste in the mouth as opposed to the traditional strictly feta and spinach."

Those nontraditional approaches to Greek food is part of what makes Macedonian Grill so appealing.

"I like to say that I am the Pepsi generation of Greek cuisine," says Dounoulis, who labels his restaurant as Mediterranean and American cuisine. "I may not get as harsh with some of the sauces. And I take something like an American burger and put on some feta and olives and maybe put it in a wrap. I take American cuisine and put a Greek spin on it.

"People shouldn't be intimidated that we are this authentic Greek restaurant."

While Dounoulis can certainly get very authentic - just try his specials like Pastitsio or Moussaka - his menu literally has hundreds of options, including salads, sandwiches, gyros, paninis, steaks, seafood and Italian specialties, along with diner staples like meatloaf and roast turkey with stuffing.

"The menu has a lot of options, because when I used to go out a lot with my kids when they were little, we went to places that would please everyone," says Dounoulis, who has five children.

"We needed a place with variety to please all seven of us, which is hard. So, we have such an extravagant menu because of that. But we never sacrifice quality. All of our meats come from Rastelli Brothers. Our corned beef is as good as any Jewish deli; it's prime black angus. Our lunch meat is Thumann's. Our soups are made every day from scratch, Our sauces and gravys are all homemade. We can mingle with the best of them. I would put my sirloin and my steaks up against those who charge twice as much."

Dounoulis, who opened in Brigantine in 2005, was searching for a second location for a while, and finally settled on Egg Harbor Township.

"It was between E.H.T. and Galloway (Township), and we finally decided on E.H.T. because a lot of people we knew from Brigantine moved to E.H.T., and it was also a matter of finding the right location," he says.

"It's a little smaller place there, but we wanted it to be cozy, comfortable and keep the overhead low. By doing that, we can keep the prices low, and that's what people are looking for. The reason we do well in Brigantine is because of the quality of food and everybody works hard here. We love our customers and treat them like gold. And we're doing the same in E.H.T."

Although the Macedonian Grill can please all palates, Dounoulis says he can even satisfy his fellow Greeks.

"They come in, and every Greek has his or her own recipe because a lot of us come from different parts of Greece," Dounoulis says.

"But when they come here, they know my history and know that Jimmy makes a good Spanakopita or a great gyro. I've never had a complaint from any of the Greeks."

Macedonian Grill

WHERE: 6814 Tilton Road, Egg Harbor Township inside the Pep Boys Plaza, and 3015 Brigantine Blvd., Brigantine

WHEN: Open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily in E.H.T; 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily in Brigantine.

HOW MUCH: Appetizers range from $3.99 to $10.99; wraps, sandwiches and burgers, $3.99 to $11.99; entrees, $9.99 to $26.99.

SERVICE: Major credit cards accepted. Disabled access through front door. No liquor license, BYOB. $10 minimum for delivery. Eat in or takeout. Catering. Lunch specials 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays to Fridays (dine-in only). Early birds 3 to 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays (dine-in only). Chef's specials 3 to close daily. Kids' menu. No smoking.

MORE INFO: Call 609-677-5477 for E.H.T. or (609) 264-8801 for Brigantine or go to www.macedoniangrill.com.

BETWEEN YOU AND ME: Looking for a suggestion? Thessaloniki's Way - shrimp and scallops saut�ed with olive oil, fresh tomatoes, garlic, feta, capers and topped with white-wine sauce - will knock your socks off.

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