Offerings at new campus eatery almost not worth bursaring

Three years, three restaurants.

If you go by the numbers, the retail spot at 3716 Spruce St. seems doomed to cater to a never-ending parade of eateries, each incapable of attracting a sizeable following.

But what is it really like inside the new Aramark-run freshman hub now known as Savory? Is three times the charm? Being the hard-hitting reporter I am, I decided to brave the hordes of Quadrangle residents and find out for myself.

For starters, there really aren't that many freshmen there. In fact, there's really not much of anyone there. As my guest put it during my second visit to Savory, "This is a good place to go not to be seen." And, with only two people taking advantage of the comfy armchairs and a few more lingering at the counter, she certainly had a point.

Other than the lack of actual first-year students, the place was a total freshman-year throwback. Members of the classes of 2007 and 2008 will remember the funky chandeliers from back in the days of the Triangle Diner; the Aramark employees brought me back to my 1920 Commons days. And the familiar ring of "Bursar?" as a payment option completely made me forget that in seven months I will no longer be able to charge iPod accessories and sushi to my parents' tab.

But although nostalgia scored Savory a few points in my book, the food was more of a mixed bag.

The first time I ate there, I was completely disgusted by my meal. I ordered one of their pasta combos - gnocchi with spinach, garlic, zucchini and marinara sauce. The gnocchi was overcooked and dry, so much so that it was difficult to chew. The sauce was watery, the vegetables shriveled up and scarce. And the whole thing cost me almost 10 bucks.

The food was almost too bad to be true, which is why I headed over to Savory for a second time a few weeks later. I figured there was no way the food could really stay that disgusting, which proved to be at least partially true. Since my first visit, Savory had revamped their pasta menu, transforming it into a "create your own dish" option. I went with tortellini as my base and added four toppings (tomatoes, broccoli, arugula and mushrooms) and marinara sauce for $6.99.

The result was, well, not fabulous - but not bad either. The tortellini was moist but not mushy, the ingredients were plentiful (albeit a bit undercooked), and they didn't skimp on the sauce (although it had a funny aftertaste.) The meal came with a scanty slice of bread shoved into a plastic sleeve.

My guest opted for the tofu pita wrap, which she described as "edible, but a bit bland." She ate half of it and tried to pawn the leftovers off on some homeless guys outside Wawa. Sadly, there were no takers.

Other selections available at Savory include pita wraps, soft ice cream and a variety of prepackaged foods that look like leftovers from Houston Hall - sushi, salads, deli wraps and the like.

I'd recommend you check Savory out - especially if you're on the meal plan, because, let's be honest, there are few places worse than Commons. But, you'd better do it quick - I'm betting the restaurant will be gone by the end of the year.

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