Soup Diary 100101

One of my favorite eateries to visit when I'm back in Western New York is Natalie's Cafe, a little Mediterranean deli on Millersport Highway in Amherst. I started going there because my niece Natalie got a kick out of having lunch at a place that shared her name; but we kept going back because the food is really good. My standard order is the falafel, which they make better than anyplace else I've ever had one, with the possible exception of a stand in Harvard Square where I first tasted this particular delicacy some years ago on a trip to Boston to see the Red Sox play. But my memory of that experience is no doubt enhanced by the baseball connection, while Natalie's version stands on its own, and is regularly reinforced upon repeat visits. One of the things that sets their falafel apart is that they insert a dill pickle spear into the sandwich, and I love that (a fact I'm prone to repeat to whomever I'm with when I stop there). While the falafel is the main aattraction for me, I almost always add a cup of soup to my lunch, and they have a rotation of good ones to choose from. My particular favorite in the summer is their Gazpacho, which is really tangy and nicely augments almost any kind of sandwich. But that wasn't on the menu when I was there a couple days ago (and I'm not sure I'd want cold soup on a day when the temperature was hovering around 20 degrees Fahrenheit), so I went with their cream of broccoli. That was pretty good too, and hot enough to warm me up for my falafel, and taken altogether along with the company-- Natalie, Ben and Sally-- it was a first-rate lunch, perhaps the best since I've been home.