New family restaurant is 'a trust business'

Meeting Point is an appropriate name for a restaurant that serves diverse styles of food at one place. Located at the corner of Raritan and North Third Avenues in Highland Park, this blend of American, Turkish, Russian, Israeli and Italian food officially opened on June 27.

“In a family, the wife may want to go to an ethnic restaurant, the husband may want steak, and the kid may want burgers. I have it all for a family and at economical prices,” says owner Mete Mavus.

A restaurant’s success ultimately depends on people’s trust, he emphasized. “Restaurants are the same all around the world. People have to trust your restaurant. It’s a trust business.”

Mete said his family was visiting Highland Park last November when they came upon the vacant building, the former site of a Charlie Brown's Steakhouse franchise, and decided they liked the location and the town.

According to Mavus, his family owns nine restaurants in Turkey, but this is their first one in the US.

He found many existing Middle Eastern restaurants in the area, leading him to focus on American food but with a twist: adding Mediterranean sandwiches and changing the steakhouse style salad bar to feature Turkish, Greek, and Russian salads.

He also added pasta dishes and Mediterranean sandwiches to the traditional fare of burgers and steak.

“I didn’t want all Middle Eastern or all Mediterranean or all American. I wanted a mixed and easy restaurant,” Mavus stated. The most important thing about food at Meeting Point, he says, is that everything is made fresh and on the premises, with the only frozen items being French fries and calamari. Burgers, hummus, and pasta are the most popular dishes. Other vegetarian offerings include grilled vegetable platters, veggie burgers, and meatless sandwiches. Carnivores enjoy several Italian dishes and Austrian style schnitzel sandwiches.

Desserts on the menu vary as much as do entrees, and include baklava, cheesecake, tiramisu, and Turkish rice pudding.

A special weekday lunch menu aims "to be economical and fast but not fast food,” Mavus said.

Redecorating from the Charlie Brown's, the Mavuses chose to make only a few changes to the building’s interior. They got rid of the maroon coloring in favor of neutral beiges and greens for the carpets and walls, but kept the bookshelves with antique books. (Patrons now sometimes ask to read the books, Mavus says, and are welcome to do so.)

The back room is used for dinner and the front room for lunch. Meeting Point has over 8,000 square feet, has a fully equipped kitchen, seats approximately 360 customers, and has a large bar but does not have a liquor license. It is currently BYOB, with two well-stocked liquor stores within a hundred yards of the restaurant. Several separate rooms are available to rent for private parties.

Meeting Point is open seven days a week, opening at 11:30 AM for lunch and closing at 9:30 PM weeknights, 10:30 PM Friday and Saturday, and 10 PM Sundays.Mondays through Thursdays from 11:30 AM-9:30 PM, Fridays and Saturdays from 11:30 AM-10:30 PM, and Sundays from 11:30 AM-10 PM. Meeting Point can be reached at (732) 640-1282.