Alternatives to Safari for RSS?
I use NetNewsWire, but if you're coming from something simple like Safari's RSS reader, I can see how it might feel like overkill. If you don't care for NNW, have a look at Reeder for Mac. It's got a simpler aesthetic, perhaps more to your taste. It's $4.99 on the Mac App Store, and does require a Google account, as it uses Google Reader for the backend.

Google Reader is of course another popular option, if you don't mind a web-app. You could use Fluid to turn it into a bit of a hybrid app if you want a more native feel.