Italian Wedding

Ready or not.

After listening for weeks to a raving friend insisting that I try the bakery/deli that relocated just slightly out of my normal lunch radius in the Triangle from its typically a bit-further- European setting, today I made the trip.  She had said, "The sandwiches are to die for." But I said, "But what about the soup?"

Typically pledging two choices a day, I opted for Pret's Italian Wedding over a mysterious Carrot Ginger.  A burnt tongue later, I found the small cup chocked full of miniature baby meatballs and miniscule round pasta balls (official name: acini di pepe).  Both elements situated in a typical chicken broth, there is little more to say to describe this soup. Despite the burnt tongue (let it cool! don't be a fool!) it served as a pleasant tide-me-over paired with a chocolate croissant.  Yes, I'd eat it again, and likely will since it's pret a manger, but there are no bragging rights here.

Location: Prete a Manger, 1825 I Street, NW 

Price: $4.39 for a small cup; small piece of fresh baguette included in price

Avgolemono

Wow.

I hesitated in ordering the cup.

Starving, I thought it would be necessary too, to split a falafel pita with Soup Lady 2, too.  It was absolutely a mistake.  All you need is the soup and after trying it, all you'll want is the soup (and the included delectable slice of chewy homemade bread: this soup's perfect mate).

The Avgolemono, or chicken lemon, soup at the Greek Deli on 19th Street just between L and M, stands alone so fine as a midday meal that this blog might end today because no longer am I searching for  the best.

A traditional Greek soup made well by expertly mixing eggs and lemon juice to broth until it thickens but before it boils, this was my first introduction.  Theirs is a creamy broth full of carrots, celery, onions, orzo and best of all, chicken.  Perfectly broiled, then shredded into large chunks (for lack of a more accurate and better-sounding word), the chicken retains its moisture and there's a pleasant quality to every bite.  The lemon adds a tangy twist; a freshness not often acquainted with such fast fare and therefore not soon forgotten.

If you are one of those unfortunate few who have yet to brave the lunchtime line out the door at the Deli, don't be a fool.  Go wait.  There's a reason for the  line: Avgolemono.

Location: 1120 19th Street, NW

Price: $3.25/ 16 oz. cup + large slice of white bread

Tomato Basil

Just the way it should be.

It comes to the table in a huge, shallow bowl.

A rich cardinal hue, heaping stewed tomatoes on the surface brim with chopped, fresh basil that teases the soft, juicy flesh in a delicate, thin broth teeming with a hint of black pepper, salt. The simplicity allows the basil to breathe.  A crisped garlic-parmesan crouton completes the presentation, and upon admiration of the attention to detail, crumbles at the touch--compelling the first bite: a smooth, soothing comfort.

It's easy to get lost in this soup, hovering over the mass with a generously designed spoon: enough scoop for large swoops of soup.

I must here divulge that the day after discovering this tomato basil soup, I heard back from the doctor that I had strep throat.  Perhaps the soup's sheer ability to coat the scorching and on a cold, rainy day too, made it that much better.  But I am still convinced that no better tomato basil soup exists; I implore you to bring me a finer show.

Location: Corner Bakery, 1828 L Street, NW

Price: $4.49/bowl, $3.49/cup

Roasted Tomato Tortilla

Tortillas MIA

Despite missing the promised tortilla strips, and despite the lack of seasoning, a little salt transforms this bland soup into a pleasant lunchtime experience. The addition of salt perks up the vegetable broth, bringing out the taste of the small pieces of tomato, carrot and garlic. Unfortunately, the thin broth is ultimately unsatisfying and left this reporter desperate for an afternoon snack. Nonetheless, this soup serves as a warning to all that emergency packets of salt should always be kept in your desk drawer.

Location: NG Cafeteria

Price: $1.87

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Sweet and simple

Although the menu promised ginger, nutmeg and sherry, this soup is decidedly one-note. Fortunately, that single note is sweet and satisfying. This creamy soup is a smooth blend of butternut squash and yams punctuated with a few pieces of leek. While you may not be heading back for seconds, this uncomplicated soup is enjoyable and filling. After so many disappointments in the cafeteria lately, even this moderately boring soup should be counted as a success.

Location: NG Cafeteria

Price: $1.87

Maryland Crab

A crab died, in vain, for this soup.

Ordered with the half sandwich and house salad combo, the Beacon's Maryland Crab Soup arrives in a small porcelain cup--a size equivalent to what will be an inadequate cease to the average stomach's midday growl.  Upon first spoonful I was, however, impressed by the plethora of morsels unfeasibly squeezed into the meager serving.  Tomato based, the crab pieces are plenty, accompanied by generous bits of tomato, zucchini, potato, carrot, onion and celery bits.  Unfortunately, the crab is slightly overcooked, thereby surpassing the sought-out delicacy of the perfectly cooked crab lumps known to a good bisque or an unforgettable bowl of luscious cream of crab; it is as though the crab is running the show, trying to hold the concoction together, where, as the name features, it ought to be the main event itself.

Though I'd slurp at it again over an expense-paid work lunch, this is not a soup to seek out for its high price and sub-par quality over a competitive lot of pots just mere blocks away.  Note:  I only review soup, but I feel it's my duty here to advise that the house salad included on the lunch combination is approximately ten pieces of mixed mesclun lettuce only, coated lightly in olive oil and vinegar.

Location: Beacon Bar and Grill, 1615 Rhode Island Ave, NW

Price: $6.00 for a bowl, or $13.00 for a small cup, house salad, and half sandwich

Ginger Chicken and Brown Rice

Inoffensive but boring.
An overwhelmingly drab soup lacking any of the kick or heartiness suggested by the name. Given the successful performance of this soup in the past, today's showing only furthers the rumors that the cafeteria kitchen has been in serious decline since the fall of 2008. Among other problems, the soup featured bizarrely tiny pieces of suspect chicken (which were difficult to avoid due to their size). Furthermore, the minuscule diced carrots and onions suggested to this reporter that the kitchen staff either received a fancy new knife set for Christmas or has resorted to ordering large bags of frozen, diced vegetables.

Location: NG Cafeteria
Price: $1.80