Soup Diary 101227

I received reports that my favorite soup venue, Fables Cafe at the Buffalo Library, had changed hands (or vendors, or something), and that it wasn't the same. Well, based on first-hand evidence (though far from conclusive), that seems to be the case. I stopped in last week while out Christmas shopping, and had a bowl of the Sweet Potato Corn Chowder, and while it was reasonably good, it certainly lacked that certain je ne sais quoi I'd grown used to over the past few years. The soup was certainly function-able-- hot and filling-- but there was no spark, no secret flavor that intrigued my palate. Now it's possible that I was so on guard for disappointment that it became something of a preordained reaction, but I don't think so. The dead giveaway that something had changed was that there was a distinctly salty flavor to the soup, something that I've never experienced with their offerings before, and a sure sign that they've employed a less accomplished chef. Naturally, they'll still get my business as I'm in the library two or three times a week when I'm in town, and they still offer three or four options every day, including what appear to remain some fairly off-beat choices. But I'm afraid this is yet another example of how things change, and not always for the better.