It’s Getting Cold: What Better Time to Share Our Favorite Soups
As frost grows on the pumpkins it’s time to start thinking about great soups at Austin area restaurants. Here are some of my best picks:
TEXICAN CAFE
Seriously good tortilla soup as pictured above. Smooth without being tricked up. Wonderfully savory with great mouth feel.
CAFE BLUE
One of the best New England style clam chowders around. Chef Ben Nathan has knocked this Boston chowder out of the park. The soup is creamy but not overly laden with potatoes (as can often be the case with chowder). The bacon accents take this completely over the top.
CHEZ ZEE AMERICAN BISTRO
The shrimp bisque is a show stopper and I often get a bowl as an entree. Beautiful melange of flavors.
CHINATOWN WESTLAKE
The Taiwanese Hot and Sour Seafood Soup is pure bliss from the creative kitchen of Ronald Cheng. One taste and you’ll be hooked.
HAO Q
This engaging Chinese/Vietnamese restaurant on Far West has a pristine shrimp pho with rice noodles that virtually begs to be slurped! I love it as I do the rest of the offerings from this place.
CREEK ROAD CAFE
Chef Chae has a Thaiwanese clam chowder that just ripples with exotic flavors. We start every meal there with a bowl of this comforting and savory creation. Go try it and see if you don’t agree.
III Forks
Many lobster bisques are thin on the lobster and spruced up with sherry. Not so at III Forks. Chef Eric’s bisque announces itself with the first amazing sip. Chunks of real Maine lobster in a beautifully natural bisque. It is by far the best choice in town for this genre.
STEINER RANCH STEAKHOUSE
The she crab soup from South Carolina’s low country is excellent. Great texture and flavor. A signature dish!
STREET
If you are craving an amazing bowl of udon noodle soup, you need not look any farther than Street on Mopac. The noodles are vintage and the beef broth is terrific.
THE PIZZA CAVE
Recently opened on 290 West, this stellar New York style pizza joint has a soup that really surprised me when I first saw it in the menu. It’s called The Piggy Chowder. Imagine New England clam chowder with ground Italian sausage. And there you have it! I can’t get enough of it and on a cold day it’s damn near perfect !
