Review: Tavern In The Square

Since opening in May, 2009, Salem's Tavern in the Square has become a downtown landmark. Located right at a busy intersection, this huge restaurant and bar attracts a lot of attention from locals, tourists, and students.

Upon entering, the atmosphere is confusing. The lights always seem to be very dim, and the furniture and decor is elegant; however the dozens of T.V.'s give off the vibe of a sports bar. The idea of a elegant sports bar seems like an intersting idea in a diverse place like downtown Salem. However the Tavern's main problem seems to be it's lack of original identity. The sports bar part of the atmosphere draws a younger crowd, hoping for the low prices and rowdy spirit of a typical sports bar. On the other hand, the elegant decor and prime location seem to beckon a crowd looking for a good meal and manageable conversation.

The Tavern in the Square seems to fail both of these demographics, serving fairly typical and uninspired bar food at elegant restaurant prices. For $9.99, you can get a large but unoriginal Burger, and that may be one of the best choices on the menu. While the appetizers are done well, they are overpriced: the Nachos and Wings are both delicious but at $8.99 for a small order of either, the portions are dissapointingly small for bar food.

The entrees are the real dissapointments: While the BBQ Steak Tips are good in texture, the taste is over-saturated with the barbecue sauce. While the dish is served with two sides, in three visits here I have yet to find a side that isn't either bland, soggy or dry. The Sweet Fries, Onion Rings and Garlic Mashed Potatoes were all dissapointments; a sad realization for someone like me who truly loves starch with steak.

Ultimately, this isn't the place for Salem students. The prices are too high for Vikings, and no student discount is offered at all. Not only that, the portions aren't mammoth enough to warrant a visit for a sporting event with a large group. This seems to be one of their target audiences... but they miss the mark.

1 Star

Tavern in the Square
189 Washington Street
Salem, MA 01970
(978) 740-2337
http://www.taverninthesquare.com/tavsalem/content/home

On-Campus Eats: Dining Hall Advice

Living at Salem State, students have the opportunity to get acquainted with several different dining hall experiences. There are the two major dining halls: The Lower Commons at North Campus and Marsh Dining Hall on Central Campus. Additionally, there are smaller cafes located in the Harrington Building at South Campus and the Bertolon Building at Central Campus, as well as the Upper Commons Food Court at North Campus.

This variety is great for those experienced students who know how to manage it. For other residents, it simply creates a confusing dilemma. It's easy to become the kind of person who gets breakfast at Marsh Dining, lunch at Lower Commons, dinner at Central Cafe and gets hungry late at night with no clue where to go. This type of person has clearly made horrible mistakes throughout their day, and it is likely part of a daily routine that can take the pleasure right out of eating on-campus.

Knowing where to go for what meals is essential to enjoying the on-campus dining experience. Every place on campus does certain meals or dishes better than others, and knowing this can help you decide where to eat which meals.

As far as breakfast on-campus goes, there are several options. While Marsh Dining Hall offers the same buffet style breakfast as the Lower Commons, the eggs and pancakes tend to be much better at Lower Commons. Avoiding Marsh Hall before 11:00am is a good strategy for On-Campus Eats. Also, you can grab a greasy but delicious breakfast sandwich from Burger King at the Upper Commons Food Court.

Lunch is the busiest time to be eating on-campus, especially at the Upper Commons Food Court. This is for good reason though: They offer a large variety of wraps, sandwiches, plate-by-plate entrees, take out sushi and freshly made salads. If you don't get stuck repeating the same order everyday, the Upper Commons can keep you satisfied for lunch day in and day out. Marsh Hall and Central Cafe also offer good lunch options: Both have solid sandwich bars that are worth checking out.

For dinner, residents should stick to the two major dining halls. These places are free at night with a meal plan, meaning you save the $7 or $8 at Central Cafe or Upper Commons that would fill you up for a little while but leave you unsatisfied a few hours later. Marsh Hall has become the most popular dinner destination on campus for one major reason: They have made-to-order stir fry every night of the week. If you know what you like, this is a great way to guarantee a good dinner. If you don't, then it's a good chance to experiment and find a new favorite. The salad bar and buffet style of Marsh Hall also help it's reputation as the go-to location for dinner on-campus.

Finally, we come to the major dilemma of the typical college student: Late night food. Many students believe that once the large dining halls close at 7:30pm, fresh food on campus is officially done for the day. This is, in fact, very false. The Harrington Building Cafe on South Campus is open til midnight Monday-Thursday, and serves chicken nuggets, personal pizzas and made-to-order sandwiches until close. They accept dining dollars and flex dollars, meaning that on-campus students can come grab food at South instead of shelling out cash for delivery.

We all know that dining halls aren't anyones favorite part about college, but hopefully, with these suggestions, they can work for you a little better than before. Be sure to check out each of these dining locations at some point during the year to see which you like best and why. If you know of anymore dining hall advice, feel free to comment and add to these guidelines!

Treat Yourself: Rockafellas

Located right in the center of downtown Salem, Rockafellas is a great option for those of you Vikings who have been saving up for a nice dinner to celebrate the holidays or the end of the semester.

This place is known mostly for their steak. The meat is incredibly tender and flavorful, especially the Filet Mignon, which defines the phrase "melt in your mouth". The Cowboy Steak is a huge portion of great meat that is seasoned with an incredible Espresso Chili Rub that you probably won't find anywhere else.

The seafood isn't quite as perfected as the steak, however there are still some gems. The Baked Crab Stuffed Haddock is excellent, offering a good alternative to red meat. The pasta dishes, however, leave much to be desired. They tend to be bland and unexciting.

All in all, if you're looking to treat yourself (or someone else...) to a great steak dinner in Salem, Rockafellas is the place to do so.

Rockafellas
231 Essex Street
Salem, MA 01970
(978) 745-2411
http://www.rockafellasofsalem.com/