Restaurant Review: _Spudnick's_

Its floors gleaming, windows shining and vast toppings bar extending forever into the horizon, Spudnick’s looks ready for world domination. Its takeout menu lists 53 different toppings ““ from apples to zucchini ““ for sandwiches, baked potatoes, wraps and salads with 12 house-made dressings.

But seeing one bowl after another filled with toppings ““ heart of palm, mandarin oranges, banana peppers, all within inches of each other ““ and you’d swear there’s an additional 53 it just forgot about.

That doesn’t include its five premium toppings ““ would you like grilled salmon with that? ““ or its two garnishes ““ everything tastes better with wontons sprinkled on top. And you still have to choose your base over which your dream combination of toppings and sauces mix and mingle ““ do you want one of four lettuces, or maybe get it wrapped up instead? Do you want the wrap soft or crunchy?

In a world where ordering a grande half-caf soy latte with two pumps of almond syrup is a right as sacred as any in the First Amendment, Spudnick’s can easily out-choice its competitors.

I stuck to the dishes with all my choices already decided for me ““ Asian chicken salad ($7.95) one day and a “Meat Lovers” panini ($7.50) the next ““ and I could still enjoy the variety of experiences.

On one day, the romaine was fresh and crunchy, the grilled chicken admiringly moist and well seasoned. On the other, the beef was slow-cooked to tenderness, and the red bell peppers were roasted with a pleasing hint of smokiness.

Still early in its life, Spudnick’s does suffer from some basic execution problems. The Asian Oriental dressing should probably have more acidity, and the provolone on that panini should be placed on one of the bread slices so it could melt once pressed.

The soups altogether need a reboot. I chalked up the overwhelming richness of a chicken and broccoli soup (cup $2.95, bowl $5.95) to my misordering, but a tortilla soup (cup $2.95, bowl $5.95) was unfortunately similar.

Their jiggling textures more closely resembled a pudding or hollandaise sauce than a soup. Ideally, tortilla soup is much thinner and brighter, showcasing the freshness of the produce hidden at the bottom of the cup.

But inherent in Spudnick’s is a deep desire to please, apparent from the moment I walked in.

The “MeGobble it up” Chili Potato Bowl ($7.50) was about the size of a football, and if I was initially overwhelmed by its half-melted mountain of condiments ““ turkey chili, cheddar cheese, green onions and sour cream ““ I certainly wasn’t four hours later, when I gleefully finished the leftovers.

The staff members are all clearly invested in the customer’s experience. Otavio, a server, greeted me warmly and seemed genuinely interested in what I was studying in school. I got multiple “Welcome back”s on my second visit.

And if the service felt as if I was being invited to a friend’s kitchen, then the brownies ($1.50) and cookies ($1.50) tasted just as familiar. Maybe my favorite bites in the restaurant, they tasted like mom’s baking in the best way possible. Not too sweet. Fudgy and chewy where they should be.

Though Spudnick’s might think its huge variety is its biggest strength, the moments that made me feel at home were the ones that had me coming back for more.