It's getting warmer by the day as we move into June and my thermometer outside reads 82. But six months from now you may find yourselves in Cleveland thinking, "Well ain't that lake breeze a bitch" (pardon my French). Well I'm here to let you in an a fairly well hidden gem in my beloved 216, the Souper Market.
Now before you dismiss this post because it's on soup, and the humidity's at seventy percent outside, let me note they have chilled soup! Two different types of Gazpacho and a Strawberry Bisque, but thats just for this week. You see, the Souper Market changes its menu weekly, offering a different variety, and some usual favorites. One of my friends suggested the Souper Market the other day, we ended up going to a Thai restaurant (with great bubble tea), but it brought back great memories. My dad drives a lot for work, so knows all the best spots to get grub around town, and one of his favorite foods is good soup. As he always told me, "Soup is wet food".
So one day a couple years ago I was home sick, or it was Christmas break and I had the day off or something of that sort. Anyway, I woke up to a call from my dad saying he was bringing home lunch. When he got home he brought in a bag and pulled out two large chunks of bread and a couple plastic containers of soup. The menu my father lined up for me is, in my opinion, the two best soups the Souper Market makes, their jambalaya and their lobster bisque. Lets start with jambalaya.
Their jambalaya is delicious, great for a winter day or summer night. Spicy enough to keep me coming back for more but not to spicy to stop my mom from eating it (in non familial terms, if you have a cold it will clear out your sinuses, but it won't stop you from tasting or enjoying your meal). Their jambalaya is chalked full of delicious fresh prepared ingredients, but what makes it special is the meats and the broth. Now all the Souper Market's broths are prepared with fresh ingredients and hand crafted at their stores, which I just adore. Meat wise what took me back about the jambalaya was the lack of chorizo. Chorizo is a spicy pork sausage originating in Spain. I've never had a good jambalaya without it, but the Souper Market's spicy chicken sausage, mixed with more chicken and shrimp absolutely blew my mind.
As for the bisque, I can't really say I've had good lobster bisque that wasn't over priced at an expensive restaurant. The Souper Market manages to make some great bisque, without remotely over charging. The bisque is incredibly creamy, but light in cream flavor department, letting the seasoning and the lobster itself take charge.
Now to turn one of these delicious soups into a meal. You already get a chunk of fresh baked bread from a local bakery with your soup. If you want a beer to pair with these soups, you'll want something lighter for the bisque. Probably an altbier or kolsch, lighter slightly hoppy beers, or maybe a white ale (Holy Moses is in season from GLBC). As for the jambalaya, I'd go with a good IPA (Founders Centennial IPA, Bells Two Hearted Ale, Great Lakes Commodore Perry IPA , or even Bessie).
All in all, the Souper Market is a great establishment. Every soup I've had I've liked, and they switch up the menu often, just to keep me on my toes. I haven't gotten around to trying the cold soups, but I don't have a very good taste for gazpacho. So if you do, try it and let me know. Also they serve a variety of salads that look pretty good. So the next time you're in Ohio City or Lakewood, stop in and grab some lunch, and don't forget to check out their website for the weekly menu.
http://www.thesoupermarket.com/menu.html
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