Soup Diary 110801

I've actually had quite a lot of soup over the past week or so, but haven't been posting often enough to critique all the various bowls I've encountered. I'll try to catch up, but today, let me just mention the best soup I've had, possibly all summer. At a place called Teddy's in Rome New York (the place is decorated to celebrate the life of Teddy Roosevelt) I tried the Chicken Escarole and was mightily impressed. I never would have expected a soup made partly from lettuce (which is what I associate escarole with, though I guess it's just as close to spinach) could be so good, but this was close to a classic. In addition to the chicken and leafy stuff, there was also orzo (which I use in my own chicken soup a lot), onion, carrot and celery. But it was the broth that was especially memorable-- slightly buttery, but also savory without being overly salty or spicy. Just an all around nice combination of flavors and textures. This might be a one-off, as I can't imagine when I might be passing through Rome again; but if you're in the neighborhood, definitely give it a try (I have it on good authority that their Broccoli Cheddar is also first rate).