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The Down Low: Getting excited about soup is almost silly. I mean, it’s soup. Liquefied … stuff. In a bowl. But the secret is that in the right hands, with enough variety, it can be a lunchtime meal that’s a treat and not merely a convenience. The name of the newish place Soups and Stews by Lea pretty much says it all: there are soups, and there are stews, and there’s a whole lot to love about everything else they make, too.
The Dish: With Soups and Stews’ excellently priced $6.50 combos (half a panini or a half salad and a cup of soup), it makes for a lot of options to try, so bear with me here.
I started with a half of the day’s special panini, the pollo italiano. This was one of their specialty sandwiches, which they rotate in and out of the regular menu every week or so. Two thin and delightfully crispy slices of panini bread held thick servings of juicy chicken breast meat neighboring tomatoes, mozzarella, and a tangy chipotle pesto. Pretty thick by panini standards, the half a sandwich was plenty for lunch (a full one goes for $6.85), especially when helped by the soup.
For my soup I chose the surprise cheese soup (a regular eight-ounce serving is $3.70), which is made with a blend of four different cheeses plus a pasta, beer, corn, or whatever else it is they felt like adding (that’s the surprise). It was perfectly thick and creamy and the cheese flavor sharp. Mine came with rigatoni noodles, and those went fine except there weren’t enough of them.
Next up was the chicken Caesar salad, and it was no surprise that it was a decent, regular Caesar as you’d like it. Romaine lettuce, parmesan cheese, a homemade Caesar dressing, and more of the slightly juicy chicken, the only thing it was missing were the croutons, but that could be due to the busy lunch crowd.
The salad was coupled with the chicken noodle soup, and they do it a favor by not going too crazy on a classic. Regular broth mixed with carrots, thick noodles, and big chunks of flavorful chicken, it hit the spot even if it was just a trace too salty.
Back over to sandwiches I had the Turkey Trot, a melty combination of turkey, pears, brie, and arugula. The arugula may have actually been the wrong choice of lettuce because its powerful flavor canceled out the slight sweetness of the pear even though it made for a great pairing with the turkey.
The soup to go with that was the bean soup (of the week, since they change out the beans, be they garbanzo, black, however), this one being the white bean with roast beef. It was a strong, hearty soup, so much so that it was more like a stew. The beans were hot and soft but the winning ingredient was the roast beef, which tasted too rich and chewy to be plopped into a soup, but there it was.
And because I couldn’t leave without having some “and stew” I tried the Latin lover’s shrimp stew for $4.90 for eight ounces. It really should be the seafood lover’s shrimp stew, since if you’re not a fan of aquatic edibles, this may not sway you. Finding the chorizo was a bit daunting, the spices were pretty low, and the tomato-based broth was a little too watery to be stew-like, especially at almost $5 a cup.
The Digs: The seating inside Soups and Stews is a little sparse, but the lunchtime rotation moves pretty swiftly, meaning you might find a comfy seat. The walls are decorated with graphic art that looks too good for little local joint, and it adds assuring professionalism.
The Vibe: With their constantly changing menu and seemingly flippant attitude toward mainstays, Soups and Stews is a breezy little place that feels lax even before you talk to anyone.
The Damage: The lunch combos are a good way to fill up at $6.50, and a fountain drink is about $2 more, so you’ll safely stay below the $10 line for a lunch.
The Bottom Line: Good lunches should be about changing things up frequently, and thanks to Soups and Stews, they do all the hard work for you.
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