Last Licks of Winter Soups
As much as we can’t wait for the weather to get warm and stay warm, we’ve already found ourselves getting sentimental over foods we’ll no longer be able to really enjoy once it’s spring. And soups, of which there’s an especially delicious, seemingly endless variety of in New York, totally top that list. So here are a few fantastic bowls you’ll definitely want to try while it’s still officially winter, like the creamy Chowder at The Clam in the West Village, the comforting Matzoh Ball Soup at the Empire Diner in Chelsea, and the classic Onion Gratinée at Little Prince in NoHo. And that’s just for starters…
The Clam
Chef and co-owner Mike Price wants to be considered the Clam Chowder king of New York, and why shouldn’t he be? Although his restaurant is new to the scene, his elegant take on the classic shellfish soup has quickly become one of our favorites. Unobscured by excess butter and cream, the surf clam stock (thickened with potato), is truly redolent of the sea, dotted with melted leeks, crisped bacon, and instead of those sad, desiccated specimens common in so many lesser chowders, a generous handful of briny, in-the-shell clams.
Read MoreEmpire Diner
If Amanda Freitag’s reboot of this iconic, Art Moderne–styled diner aims to stay truly retro, it will likely offer Matzoh Ball Soup the whole year round. But Freitag’s upscale take on Jewish penicillin (the matzoh ball sits atop an unctuous marrow bone, which slowly releases its fatty, meaty innards into the broth), is a whole lot more gratifying to eat when biting winds still whip around Chelsea, and flurries of snow kiss the restaurant’s shiny, steel-encased windows.
Read MorePig and Khao
Pork is the favored protein at this hip, pan-Asian restaurant from former Top Chef contestant Leah Cohen. You’ll even find ground, browned nuggets in the otherwise seafaring Tom Yum (hot and sour) Fish Ball Soup, interspersed with springy rice noodles, snappy bean sprouts, and of course, buoyant orbs of tender white fish.
Read MoreLittle Prince
The Little Prince made waves for its clever Onion Soup Burger, but just as enjoyable is the traditional, expertly executed Onion Gratinée. The NoHo bistro’s fresh from the oven, ceramic crock of beef-based, allium-scented broth is crowned with a crusty garlic crouton, and blanketed with a burnished, bubbling cloak of melted emmenthal cheese.
Read MoreBurke & Wills
The Sunburnt Cow dynasty may have folded, but you can still find the genial Aussie owners serving elegant, Down Under-inflected fare on the Upper West Side. Before you dig into your Lamb T-Bone with Shiraz Reduction or ‘Roo Burger with Tomato Jam and Shaved Onions, you’ll want to try the bowl of silken, fragrant Smoked Potato Soup, dolloped with crème fraiche, caviar and chives, and finished with a haystack of delicate potato crisps.
Read MoreThe Sandwich Shop
We don’t even attempt to fight our winter colds with Dayquil and Theraflu anymore. Why should we, when vitamin-rich Chicken Noodle Soup works just as well? But since sniffles and body-aches aren’t conducive to enjoying a sit down meal in a restaurant, we prefer the homemade, grab-and-go version from adorable Williamsburg newcomer, The Sandwich Shop. For extra sinus-clearing power, pair it with “The Korean;” spicy kimchee, cheddar cheese, sriracha mayo and banana peppers on a pressed ciabatta roll.
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Lachlan
One of the most surprising bits of food news this year was the shocking shuttering of the ever-inventive Gwynnett St., which recently relaunched as a casual gastropub called Lachlan. And while the new menu (yes, there’s a burger) is largely different from the risk-taking original, the delicate Sunchoke Soup has remained a constant, infused with chili and preserved lemons and draped with tender fans of oyster mushroom.
Read MoreLittle Lamb
The new Queens outpost of this massive Asian restaurant chain (there are around 600 in China) specializes in Mongolian Hot Pots. The induction burners set into each table are topped with tureens of simmering stock, to which customers can add thin sliced, raw meats (go for the lamb) and crunchy vegetables. Further customize your meal at the sprawling sauce station, which boasts a dozen flavors like chive, chile oil and tahini, along with add-ins like chopped scallions and garlic.
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