Ex-Nasher head makes move Upstairs

The old business adage that "location is everything" is especially pertinent to the restaurant industry.

Even amongst the rather insulated collection of eateries on Duke's campus, a restaurant that is easily accessible is nearly guaranteed some degree of success. Case in point, the seemingly endless lines at Alpine Bagels, which is a short walk from the West Campus bus stop on the ground floor of the West Union, are more a testament to the restaurant's fortunate location than its culinary prowess.

Yet just steps above Alpine Bagels lies a new eatery in a space that, before this year, few students even knew exists. What was just the Faculty Commons has now been transformed into Upstairs@The Commons, a full-service restaurant that serves students dinner on weekdays and brunch on weekends. Although not the most accessible of dining destinations, Upstairs offers a welcome respite from the plethora of self-service restaurants strewn across campus.

While Upstairs may not be the first eatery to offer students a unique take on campus dining-The Refectory, Nasher Museum Cafe, Bull Durham Bar and Fairview Restaurant all come to mind-it may be the most appealing. Located in the heart of campus, the former professors-only eatery encourages sustainable eating and community interaction in an entirely unpretentious setting.

Early visits show a restaurant with great promise, though one not entirely free of growing pains. Although Upstairs' chef, Amy Tornquist, recently relinquished control of the Nasher Museum Cafe, much of the honesty and local flavor that defines her culinary philosophy is alive and well here.

The menu is comprised of three sections: small plates, sandwiches and salads and large plates. The first category includes items like an entirely local cheese plate with preserved figs from Tornquist's own garden and shareable favorites like fried calamari. The large plates section has featured hearty servings of bacon and onion orecchiette, roasted chicken and grilled hangar steak. Diners with less ambitious appetites can choose from a salad of local greens, asparagus with a poached farm egg or a grass-fed hamburger, among other items.

While the asparagus, cheese plate, and hamburger were fine examples of simple, seasonal, and hearty cooking, slight delays and pacing issues in the kitchen give cause for minor concern. This is not a restaurant that one should visit for a quick meal between evening classes but a restaurant that encourages lingering over multiple courses and a glass of wine.

Upstairs has the potential to become a campus hotspot if it can adapt to student demands. Duke students have shown a willingness to travel for good food and to spend their food points freely. Although Upstairs may not have a lock on the grab-and-go sector of Duke's dining market, it offers a civilized and satisfying eating experience.