1) if you use a reverse (light text on dark), bump up the text size a couple of points;

2) Make sure there is enough contrast between the text and the background (it's web-cool to have light gray on medium gray, but miserable to read except at very large point sizes), but don't be obnoxious (no blue on red);

3) Be sure the text is a legible size. Young eyes might not have a problem with it, but unless young people are your only intended audience, design more toward the older generation whose eyes might not be so with it any longer. (As I'm approaching 50–how did that happen?–I'm more aware of this, even if I still have pretty good vision unaided, but less so now.)

Another underutilized way to spice up text is to use a highlight color. Pick one color that compliments the site and sufficiently contrasts with the text (a pale yellow or blue often works quite well), and set it as the background color for a short phrase of text. It shouldn't be overused, but can be an effective way to make the main point of an article really stand out.