Supper Strikes a Delectable Balance

On a recent stop in at on Main Street in Chatham, I learned to develop an appreciation for the precarious balance that all dining patrons yearn for and few establishments provide: How to eat healthy portions while avoiding breaking the bank and not needing to call a fork lift in order to leave.

I have to credit Supper with some of this balance. It would have been easy to order a full entree, several of which looked delectable, but which would have been overkill on a day when one feels hungry but not especially famished. The lunch specials offer a perfect solution to this conundrum by allowing you to order a combination of any two of the restaurant's soups, salads or sandwiches for $11, which, along with an appetizer, is a filling but not overly so.

The spinach and artichoke dip, which comes with endless tortilla chips ($8), is a creamy but light way to begin a meal. It tastes fresher and smoother than you might expect to find at a chain restaurant (which Supper is not), and is not overly inundated with garlic.

For something with a little more bite to it, the sesame chicken appetizer ($9) could easily serve two people without starting a fight over the last piece. It comes with two sauces, a sesame ginger sauce that tastes similar to duck sauce, and a homemade honey mustard with the perfect amount of tang, again without being overpowering.

The sandwiches can be served as wraps, paninis or traditional sandwiches, on a variety of breads and with a variety of spreads and sides. While the selection of eight regular sandwiches and three daily specials all looked delicious, the grilled chicken, spinach, bruschetta and asiago cheese panini ($9) ended up a good choice, crunchy and full of flavor without being dry or overdone. If you prefer something with more kick, the barbeque chicken wrap with fresh mango corn salsa ($9) tastes sweet and spicy.

The real surprises, though, were the soups. The cream of asparagus was fresh and fragrant, and the shrimp bisque was a lovely pinkish-orange color that went down as easily as candy. Neither was heavy or too creamy, but without sacrificing anything for taste.

Going to Supper for lunch was definitely an experience worth repeating. It would even be worthwhile to try Supper for dinner soon, too.