The food alternative for cuddling up on the couch and watching movies all day is soup. Across cultures, religions and traditions, soup goes beyond maintaining warmth during the fall and winter months. It unifies. The seemingly simplistic blend of pantry staples, ranging from heavy cream and carrots to beef, is a snowy day favorite. However, when schedules are too packed with sports practices or taking a nap is more appealing than making dinner, there are great local spots to cozy up with a bowl of soup.
While the surplus of banks and coffee shops in town is apparent when sitting in Maple Avenue traffic, the uncharted and overlooked grab-n-go restaurants are worth exploring. Many consider Pazzo Pomodoro a great restaurant for a nice family dinner when the kids are craving pasta and the parents want a glass of wine. While Pazzo Pomodoro is always busy, people walk past its neighbor, Nozzo Pazzo. This nuanced Italian spin-off of the well-known Vienna staple is known for its vast selection of hot and cold sandwiches and Italian deli counter filled with pasta salads, meatballs and freshly baked desserts. However, their weekly rotation of homemade seasonal soups is often left undiscussed. From hearty cauliflower and sausage to creamy butternut squash, these soups instantly bring comfort and relaxation into stress-filled days.
“Our head chef, Juan, makes all of the soups himself freshly, using premium ingredients,” William Hicks, a manager at Nozzo Pazzo, said. “We typically switch between broth and cream-based soups each week, but over the winter months, we want our soups to be heartier with comforting options like chili or chicken lentil.”
Continuing the drive down 123, Sweet Leaf is a quick spot for a soup fix. Although their rotation remains consistent throughout the year with minimal variability, Sweet Leaf’s chicken tortilla and vegetable lentil satisfy meat lovers and vegetarians. With a make-your-own salad or sandwich on the side, Sweet Leaf’s soups are great options for reliability and speed.
Many have tunnel vision when considering Plaka Grill–gyro, hummus, fries and salad. While these menu items are always delicious, zooming out and thoroughly scanning the menu, Plaka’s traditional avgolemono soup brings a Greek twist to the classic American chicken noodle. The mixture of chicken, lemon, orzo and carrots is the number one medicine that can eliminate any type of sickness. Although the dish is good enough to avoid the spoon, pick up the bowl and drink it, the seasoned pita is packed with even more flavor and is perfect for dipping.
Falling back on a crowded, well-known chain, Panera outperforms the other shops regarding variation and selection. While it is always best to help local establishments thrive, Panera provides the pairing that truly cures during the colder months—grilled cheese and tomato soup. Some argue that this restaurant is “elevated hospital food,” but the cozy atmosphere with plenty of seating and free Wi-Fi is perfect for reaching the equilibrium between cranking out tedious assignments and warming up with a cup of soup on the side.
With 66.8% of 205 students choosing Panera as their soup-of-choice restaurant and Plaka Grill, with a drastically lower 7.3%, as the runner-up, Panera is clearly doing something right. Whether it is the accessibility, popularity or the You Pick Two offerings, students are favoring Panera’s simplicity over alternative exploration.
Walking just a few feet in the same shopping center as Panera, Don Pollo’s palatable Peruvian chicken’s flavorful spices overshadow their unknown Aguadito soup. This customary soup still shares that bold flavor, with hints of cilantro, Peruvian chicken, peas, rice, corn and carrots, but it is carefully prepared to provide ease and coziness to all who taste it.
Next time feelings of hunger or cravings of warmth enter the mind, consider venturing outside of Panera or basic canned soups. Trying Vienna’s hidden soup options can enhance one’s cultural knowledge or ease a grumbling stomach. Either way, it’s worth the investigation.