As many of you may know or may not know- Coming to America is my favorite Christmas movie. Before you start questioning my Christmas movie choices, I would like to point out that there are major clues that it is indeed an established Christmas cult classic! For those of you who live under a rock in the middle of the ocean- Coming to America is a black soap opera about Prince Akeem played by Eddie Murphy, and his honorable side-kick Semi played by Arsenio Hall traveling to Queens, New York in the middle of the coldest time of the year to "sow his royal oats." As you can imagine, he actually finds true love instead, no one renounces their titles, and there are rose petals everywhere! I say all of this to mention that for some reason everyone seems to forget that this all takes place during CHRISTMAS TIME. You wouldn't even have the line "sexual chocolate" if it wasn't for McDowell's Annual Christmas Fundraiser. Needless to say, I really love this movie, but I especially love the classic joke monologue at the end about soup. As a corny-ass kid, I would recite it to anyone who would listen and now as an even more corny-ass adult, I recite the same monologue while making soup...for myself. For someone who is a big advocate of naps and being left alone, soup is my energy boost and with this sudden change in weather in Savannah, I need to be comfortable. So, I decided to go to my favorite places throughout the week to get my fix. Here is a list of my top three places to visit for good soup in the city.
I wasn't sure if chili actually counted as a soup, but this one is a true favorite of mine. It has just enough heat and an ass load of onions like I like and a side of cornbread that deserves to be dunked into its hearty chili companion. Try it during lunchtime with a side salad and you have a complete meal that is sure to satisfy your afternoon cravings.
The first time I tried this soup they had a really bad day and I wasn't a fan, but the second time was the charm! The sourdough bread is perfectly baked and not stale like recipes usually call for which is a huge plus and the presentation is to die for! The crusted Asiago cheese with herbs and clarified broth goes perfectly with those $.50 oysters.
I learned my lesson to always ask for this version with noodles. The first time I ordered this soup I only ordered it sans noodles and I was so hungry after that I "accidentally" ate my friend's rice. However, now that I know better, I do better and in addition to noodles, I ask for two orders of pan-fried potstickers as well so that I combine them into the dish to make a delicious coconut faux ramen. For those who are carb-conscious, you can still enjoy the milky broth for a light snack before dinner.
I would also like to add an honorable mention to two restaurants in the city whose soups I haven't tried yet, but they look really good! The Public Kitchen and Bar has an oyster stew that is served with a flaky baguette that looks pretty great and YATAI Ramen +Yakitori "build your own ramen" looks very close to New York ramen and who doesn't love New York ramen? If you happen to try any of these places in the next few days, be sure to let me know on IG.