After a 6-year hiatus, the Original Soup Man restaurant re-opened today in Manhattan. This location is not only renowned for its soup, but also for the owner's depiction on the popular sitcom Seinfeld, which made Al Yeganeh famous for exclaiming "NO SOUP FOR YOU!" when customers didn't follow soup-ordering rules. My intern, Mary Kate Boyer, was lucky enough to attend the grand opening. Here's what she has to say about it:
After famous Yankee player Reggie Jackson cut the opening zucchini, I was lucky enough to get myself a few samples. Since it was hot I definitely had to get the gazpacho, and I figured the line leader must know what he was doing, so I followed suit and ordered Chicken and Vegetable.
Back in the GHRI nutrition department I sat down to evaluate my two samples. The gazpacho had a great red color, was nice and cold and provided me with a great refreshing flavor. It had just enough crunch and spiciness and felt wonderful after standing in the heat in anticipation.
Although the Chicken and Vegetable had a great flavor, it could not outshine the gazpacho. I enjoyed the interesting flavor, but I was dissatisfied with the lack of texture and the amount of fat, apparent from the grease at the top of the broth and some fatty chicken pieces.
The delicious flavors of both soups and the overall refreshing and innovative Gazpacho would be enough to get me to venture back and try other flavors, including the Chicken Chowder and Mulligatawny (Kramer's favorite!).
Don't live in NY? You can still experience the famous soup with The Original Soup Man's frozen soup line. Choose form Chicken and Vegetable, Seafood bisque, Italian Wedding, Broccoli and Cheese, and Tomato Basil. They can be found at Publix, Winn Dixie, and Gristedes. Or try one of Good Housekeeping's soup recipes, like
Vegetable Curry or cold Watermelon Tomato Gazpacho and enjoy the comfort of soup at home.
