Soup Diary 090829

About twenty-five years ago, I was in Washington DC for a conference. On the day I left, I stopped for a quick lunch at a place called Schlotzski's Deli because it was on the way to the airport (it might've even been in the subway station where I was catching a train to make my flight). The sandwich I had was so good, that I made a point of stopping there again the next time I was in the capital, a couple years later. I thought I had stumbled across a fantastic local institution, but it turned out to be a chain, which eventually opened a store in Buffalo a few years later. I was thrilled, but after a half-dozen truly mediocre meals at the new spot, I stopped going and pretty much forgot about the place (in fact that Buffalo restaurant closed soon after, no doubt when everyone else reached the same conclusion as me). You can probably see where this is going... I haven't been in a Schlotzski's in about twenty years, until today. I was down in Idaho Falls, and was trying to think of a place where I might get a nice cup of soup. Driving by the mall there, I spotted a Schlotzski's, which I had seen before but avoided. It dawned on me that it had been there at least as long as I have been visiting (12 years), so must be at least better than the last franchise I had patronized; besides, what deli can claim that name without offering soup? So I went in. The first bad sign: the place was empty at about quarter to twelve. But I ordered a pastrami sandwich and a cup of creamy chicken and wild rice soup. The soup came first, with a second bad sign: the modest cup was surrounded by four packets of crackers, instead of the usual one or two. Now I don't complain when someone brings me extra food, even crackers. But I had to wonder if this was a signal that the soup needed help, or that I needed some kind of compensation for choosing it. I guess I just have a penchant for reading too much into things (big surprise, huh?), because the soup truned out to be pretty good. Not great, but a fine complement to the sandwich, which was also quite satisfactory (the crackers, on the other hand, were kind of on the non-crispy side-- the only real flaw in the whole meal). Plus the place was filling up by the time I finished, so maybe Idaho Fallsians are just late lunchers. So, in conclusion, I doubt it'll be twenty years before I visit Schlotzski's again.