What there is to say about Infinite Soups has been said by others, even before the tiny take-out-only restaurant opened in February.
“Mmmm, mmmm, good.”
“Soup is good food.”
“Are you the Soup Nazi?”
As I hunkered over three take-out cups from Infinite Soups at Malarky’s Pool & Brew on a blustery October day, I dreamed up another slogan:
“Soup: The other liquid lunch (or dinner).”
I was inside Malarky’s, formerly known as City Lights, because there’s no place to sit inside Infinite Soups. Infinite Soups and Malarky’s sit side-by-side. They have a deal: Infinite Soups’ customers may eat their soups at the pool hall/bar and grill.
I left intoxicated by primavera soup.
But before getting down to soup, let me get this out of the way: Infinite Soups’ owners (Wendy Clapp and her daughter, Laura Adams; and Clapp’s husband, Todd DeShazo) used to manage the employee cafe at The News Tribune. Before Infinite Soups opened in February, I ate their soups at farmers markets.
Now, about that primavera: Whatever sunshine remains of the season, it was captured in that soup. Tomatoes, red peppers and button mushrooms all tasted fresh and distinct. Artichoke hearts (water-packed, not brined) were tender and bright. Everything floated abundantly in vegetable broth lightly spiked with cream.
On the heavily-spiked (yet intensely tasty) scale, Guinness soup bore an uncanny resemblance to its namesake Irish ale.
Between these extremes simmers a world of soups. Infinite Soups is physically contained within 500 square feet. The owners’ desire to come up with a roster of about 30 soups, plus multiple daily specials, seems, almost like their restaurant’s name declares, infinite.
West African Peanut settled the debate between creamy and chunky once and for good. It’s both.
Georgia table soup tasted exactly like it sounds: lentils, beans, onions, ham and whatever else might be on any kitchen table.
The flags of Mexico and Ireland share two of three colors, so why shouldn’t pozole, a stab at Mexican pork stew that’s usually made with a light broth, not look and taste more like thick Irish stew with peppers and hominy? No blarney con carne – it worked.
Whether it’s Chinese turnip, Cuban black bean, Russian cream of mushroom or ajiaco, a creamy pork soup served with a dollop of chimichurri, the South American parsley-garlic salsa, nearly every drop at Infinite
Soups shares one thing in common: bold flavors.
One of those bold flavors comes from salt, often too much of it.
I’m no Salt Nazi. I salt most everything I eat. I’d expect corned beef and cabbage soup to be salty enough to permeate the taste buds of pack-a-day-smokers. That Guinness soup was saltier than a bag of pretzels; I’m glad I ate it at home, because it made me reach for two beers.
Interestingly, Infinite Soups’ vegan soups – chili, lentils, Indian vegetable – were less salty.
As for the Soup Nazi, Infinite Soups’ owners have heard their share of references to the dictatorial “Seinfeld” TV sitcom character who forced folks to cower in line for bowls of his delicious soups.
“Some people come up to the counter and place their orders real quietly,” Wendy Clapp said. “Then they do the Soup Nazi shuffle.”
Clapp extended one leg and did a scissor-step. Then she stood rigid and quiet for effect.
While that’s true to “Seinfeld,” that’s entirely wrong at Infinite Soups. Instead, follow the lead of the ballerina who visits Infinite Soups before her nearby dance classes begin.
The ballerina and I posed casually at the counter, sampling soups at whim, even though she’d already made up her mind.
“I loooooove the mushroom marsala soup,” she said, her voice and expression fluttering like “Swan Lake’s” Grand Adagio love duet.
Ed Murrieta: 253-597-8678
ed.murrieta@thenewstribune.com * * * *
Infinite Soups
445 Tacoma Ave. S., Suite B, Tacoma; 253-274-0232
CUISINE: A world of soups
ATMOSPHERE: Small; take-out only
HOURS: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily
PRICES: Cup $2; bowl $3.50; half-quart $4; quart $7
SERVICE: Very good. Sampling encouraged.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.