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First launched in Englewood in 1998, Cassie's of Orangeburg opened in 2005 and is serving up some of the best thin crust pizza around. Relaxed, often crowded and extremely family friendly, Cassie's is a great place to go with a crowd. A full bar, friendly service and decent ambiance are added pluses, but delicious food that's easy on the wallet is Cassie's forte. Portions are generous — individual sized salads or pastas easily feed three — and family sized orders can satisfy six hungry gymnasts! A standout appetizer is the fried calamari served with plenty of lemon (individual $9.75) and the chopped salad of Romaine lettuce, cucumber, feta cheese, tomato, olives, chick peas and roasted red peppers is a winner (individual $9) even though the peppers are limp little creatures from a jar. The Penne alla Vodka is creamy and comforting at $15 for a colander-sized bowl of yumminess.

But it's the pizza ($16 for an eight slice pie) that makes Cassie's worth the trip. Supported by a crisp crust with just the right hint of smokiness from Cassie's coal fired ovens, the pies are perfect combos of tangy sauce, mozzarella cheese, fresh basil and added toppings of your choice. This is Italian style pizza – meaning it's not greasy, doughy or spiked with medicinal amounts of garlic. Perfection on a plate, I'd say.

Cassie's offers a full bar along with six choices of beer and a basic wine list, but you won't need alcohol to enjoy this easy-going establishment.

Take out service and catering menu available.
Open seven days a week, lunch and dinner.
Check website for hours. No delivery.

Cassie's Pizzeria
203 Rte 303
Orangeburg, NY 10962
(845) 359-8000, www.cassiespizzeria.com

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Another place to eat hearty without maxing out your credit card is The Greek Village in Northvale. Full disclosure: I don't want to tell you about this one because it's a tiny place (seats about 12 to 15 people) and it's always busy. Go and you'll understand why. The spicy lamb gyro with a cucumber tzatziki sauce dashes any hopes of going vegetarian. The chicken soup will knock all viruses out of your system and the ample Greek salad is a miracle of creamy feta, crisp cucumbers, tasty tomatoes (year round somehow) salty olives, marinated onions, stuffed grape leaves and an oregano infused dressing. One of my personal favorites; shrimp with feta cheese and orzo, is enough for two and simply de-lish. I won't even bother mentioning prices because they're all ridiculously low for the quality.

FYI: the Greek Village isn't a place to soak up atmosphere with a special someone. The decor is brightly lit white walls, simple wooden tables and faded pictures of the Greek Islands. Service is expertly efficient with an eye towards clearing tables for the next customer and it's BYOB only, but who cares when the food is consistently fresh, tasty and reasonably priced?

Parking can be challenging and expect to wait for a table on a weekend.

Take out service. Lunch and dinner. Call for hours.
Closed Sundays

The Greek Village
211 Livingston St. (Rte 303)
Northvale, NJ 07647
(201) 750-8570