Soups Around Town, Five Local Places to Go for a Delicious Bowl of Soup

Hot, tasty, soothing; soup, it fills your stomach and warms your body from the inside out and chases the winter’s chill away. The warming starts in your mouth, then travels down your throat all the way to your stomach and then radiates to the rest of your body – It is pure comfort food.

There are almost as many different kinds of soup as there are stars in the Heavens, each one with a taste uniquely its own. Some soups are thin, broth-based, while others are richer and thicker, some are smooth and creamy – all are comforting.

Patch put the soup bowl and spoon to the test to search out the best soups around town. We found a few of our favorites. All are homemade using fresh ingredients and all are spoonfuls of deliciousness.

BrickTops, 10342 Clayton Road, Frontenac
Bricktops, the new kid in town, offers comfortable, casual, fine dining and a traditional American-style menu. The quality of food for the price is what sets them apart. In fact, a team of tasters tastes every item on the menu every morning to ensure quality of flavor, sight and feel is up to their standards. Bricktops offers six different kinds of soups and plans to expand their offering in the future. Currently, Lobster Bisque and the soup of the day is available daily. 

The Lobster Bisque has a thick, creamy texture with tender, sweet lobster meat sprinkled on top. Onion, garlic, tomato, basil, house-made seafood stock and Dry Sack Sherry, all add to the delicious flavor and beauty of this dish.  Other soups offered on rotation are Chicken Tortellini, Black Bean Chili, Traditional Chili, and Chicken Chowder.

Gourmet to Go, 9828 Clayton Road, Ladue
Gourmet to Go is just what its name says, impressive gourmet dishes to take home. Their large selection of soup is available by the quart or you can get their daily soup in an 8 ounce cup or a 16 ounce bowl to take with you. The Chicken Noodle soup and Cream of Tomato is offered daily while other selections rotate regularly. Stop by and pick up your favorite on the way home, order online or call ahead.  Hint: You can even send a get well soup to someone who is a little under the weather. Gourmet to Go delivers.

The Vegetable Chili is a tomato based, thick and hearty soup packed full of fresh-cut veggies. It is a vegetarian’s dream, but it is so delicious and tasty that all of you carnivores won’t even miss the meat. The kidney beans, garbanzo beans, black beans, zucchini, carrots and onions pack a lot of flavor and texture. Not only is it beautiful to the eyes, it is completely satisfying to the tummy. Did someone say naptime?

The Broccoli Cheese soup is rich and creamy with bite-sized chunks of broccoli flowerets. The cheese in this soup makes being cheesy way cool. 

The Cream of Mushroom soup is rich, creamy and elegant. It is a cream based soup made with Madeira wine and is full of fresh, sliced, button mushrooms and shallots.

The Tenderloin Chili is thick and made from Gourmet to Go house-made tenderloin, chunky tomatoes, onions and beans. You will feel a little heat in your mouth, but not too much; it is very satisfying. 

The Chicken Noodle Soup starts with chicken stock. Chicken breasts, egg noodles, fresh carrots, celery and scallions are add for some of the best Chicken Noodle soup you have ever tasted.

Pei Wei Asian Diner, 8885 Ladue Road, Ladue
Pei Wei Asian Diner is a Pan-Asian restaurant that offers menu items from China, Japan, Thailand, Korea and Vietnam. They serve two soups daily that are completely different in texture and flavors, Hot and Sour Soup and Tai Wanton Soup.  

The Hot and Sour soup, brown in color, is a rich, thick, soy-based soup seasoned with tangy vinegar and hot white pepper. It is a little spicy, but not too much. While the white pepper spice gives it a little kick, bamboo shoots add a nice nutty flavor to the finish. The portion is just enough before your meal, but the flavor will have you wanting more.

The Tai Wanton Soup is a mild and flavorful Asian Chicken Noodle soup. The wantons are filled with chicken with kaffir lime. A little fresh spinach, basil, lemon grass and scallions are added for flavor and texture. Everything blends well together and swims in the clear chicken broth in harmony, not one flavor overpowers the other. It is a great way to start a meal.

Companion, 9781 Clayton Road, Ladue
Companion, known for it craft breads and pastries, also offers a great breakfast and lunch menu at their two café locations in Ladue and Clayton. Among those menu items are house-made soups made in small quantities for a truly homemade flavor. Their soup selection is rather large and changes daily. Check out their website for a listing of the soups of the day. There are way too many to name.

Chicken Artichoke Brie is a creamy soup loaded with veggies, and a good amount of chicken. It is full-flavored, yet the subtle flavor of the Brie comes through.

Other fan favorites include the Tomato Bisque, which is hugely popular. Made with chunks of tomato, it is delicious. Come early to get a taste of this warm flavorful soup; it goes quickly.

Also popular is the Turkey Corn Chili, Butternut Squash, and Spicy Turkey Tomato Basil.

Brio Tuscan Grille, 1601 South Lindbergh Boulevard, Frontenac 

Brio Tuscan Grille, an upscale, beautiful place to dine brings the tastes of Tuscany to America. Brio offers five different soups that rotate daily. Served daily is their signature soup, Lobster Bisque. Other soups offered rotate regularly for their soup of the day selection.

The Lobster Bisque is a hearty soup made by roasting shrimp and lobster shells, vegetables, cream, brandy and Sherry. This eight ounce portion is served in a crock garnished with a poached shrimp and topped with parsley and extra virgin olive oil. For an enhanced experience, even the spoon is warmed before it hits the table. The presentation is lovely and inviting.

Other soups on the menu are Black Bean Tomato, Cream of Mushroom with Morels, Tuscan Bean Minestrone, Tomato Bisque and Italian Wedding.