Through the looking glass

The food at the new Mad Hatter's right off East Campus is a lot like a UNC girl. It looks a lot better than most of its peers in Durham, but while it is so close to extraordinary, it just can't be called first-tier.

When the popular bakery moved this summer down the road to the old Broad Street diner location, it gained a lot of space and became more of a sit-down restaurant. The sunny, Greenwich Village-esque venue, with lots of windows and contemporary drop lighting, seems like the antithesis of the very dingy Durham diner it took over. However, don't let the inviting environment fool you--Mad Hatter's speciality is still its fabulous desserts. The giant cookies, scrumptious strawberry shortcake and delicate dessert breads are worth the short trip alone.

The food, however, is not. The beautifully presented meals appear enticing, but the across-the-board lack of flavor consistently disappoints. The soup is poorly textured, the wraps decidedly bland and the sandwiches just slightly above average.

But the service is friendly, and during off hours, the quaint environment plus a yummy dessert equals a perfect study spot (stressed spelled backwards is desserts, after all). Duke is lucky to have Mad Hatter's, and Mad Hatter's is lucky Duke doesn't have many truly superior options.

MAD HATTER?S BAKE SHOP

Address: corner of Broad and Main Streets, Durham.