Bonus Blog: Soup Club Takes Chicago

Welp, here we are again, another bonus Soup Club blog. Kevin and I were in Chicago this week for a work trip, and somehow, soup ended up being a main theme.

We rolled into town Tuesday evening, just in time for dinner. No soup that night, unfortunately, but we did manage to hatch a souper plan for after our meetings the next day. Kevin found a place near our hotel called Sunny Bowl, which featured a lineup of healthy soups that were right up our alley. Well, my alley anyway. Kevin’s alley usually ends at the steakhouse or whiskey distillery parking lot.

Too bad we were already three-quarters through dinner, or Sunny Bowl would have been our Tuesday stop. Instead, we killed some time afterward playing the world’s longest and most frustrating game of 8-ball on the most unlevel pool table known to man, sharing the worst cue ever made. Neither of us could hit a straight shot if our lives depended on it. We both totally sucked.

The plan for Wednesday was simple: wrap up meetings at 3:30pm, skip the build-your-own-cocktail event because I do not drink and Kevin prefers his high-end whisky that does not come from a conference bar, and head out for soup.

Before we could escape, the servers at lunch started hand-delivering soup to the tables. Jackpot, right? It is soup, which is basically my love language. We could hear people at nearby tables, even our table, saying it was some kind of potato soup and “yumming” in their own ways. Potato soup! We both perked up. How bad could it be? Turns out, pretty bad. Kevin got his bowl first, took one bite, and immediately said, “It’s a 2.” Then he pushed the bowl away. I thought, no way it is that bad. Everyone else seems to be liking it. Then mine arrived. Smelled fine, had a few fancy fried onions on top. First bite, awful. Second bite with a fried onion, still awful. I looked up and Kevin was smirking. “Told ya,” he said with his smirk.

So lesson one: those other attendees clearly need a Soup Club. Lesson two: Kevin and I are officially soup spoiled. That sad potato soup did not stand a chance.

After the conference, Kevin booked us an Uber to Sunny Bowl. Turns out it was inside a hospital. That actually made me happy. Imagine, a hospital serving real, healthy food instead of the mystery fried and processed stuff I’ve seen at U of M and the VA in Ann Arbor. Points for that.

Kevin and I both ordered the Chipotle Butternut Squash Soup topped with raw pumpkin seeds. He treated it like a snack since he had steakhouse plans later. For me, this was dinner, so I also grabbed three more soups to go: Vegan Corn Chowder, Mushroom and Onion, and Wellness.

All four soups were whole-food, plant-based and came with sourdough. Major win. Kevin and I inhaled the butternut squash soup right there and gave it a 7.0, maybe a 7.5. It was smooth and tasty, and Justy would have been proud because it was a full-on BS (blended soup). No chunks (chunks would have likely added a full point to my ranking!)

Based on the descriptions, I figured my rankings for the other soups would go Wellness first, then Corn Chowder, then Mushroom. Turns out, I was completely wrong. After the taste tests: Mushroom and Onion: 8.0, earthy and rich with perfect balance with a hint of sweetness. Corn Chowder: 7.5, good flavor but could have used more spice. Wellness: 6.0, maybe too wellness if you know what I mean. All of them were still way better than that hotel’s sad excuse for potato soup.

Back home now in Michigan with no soup plans in sight except for Tam’s upcoming Soup Club Tuesday, I stopped by Meijer after the gym this morning for avocados. Next thing I knew, I was knee-deep in the produce section surrounded by squash, sweet potatoes, and other soup-making goodies. Happens every time.

My daughter Riley recently donated some groceries from her college apartment, food she had to pack but didn’t know what to do with. Normally, I try not to build up inventory, but there was a bag of lentils and a can of pumpkin in there calling my name. So, of course, I made soup.

This impromptu soup turned out good…really good! I would call it a WFPB Sweet Heat Harvest, hearty and warm with just the right amount of heat. I washed it down with a fresh piece of sourdough that I baked with blueberries and walnuts folded in. Unreal. I am not kidding; it was dangerously good. I went back for seconds and might go for thirds later. I am giving this meal a solid 9.5.

Now, the question is whether to bring some in tomorrow as a bonus soup for the office. I made enough for a small army, so it is tempting. The only hesitation is that if I bring it in, I know I will have to deal with THE Barry, or as he now insists on being called, THE Grand Master B.

Yes, you read that right. He wants to be addressed as THE Grand Master B. His words, not mine. My first thought was, dude, drop the act. I mean, come on, that name is not even original. Bud Bundy from Married with Children called himself that back in the day. It feels like the kind of thing people say right before they start a Pancake Club. Anyway, tomorrow is still up in the air. If I decide to share the soup, I will make sure THE Grand Master B gets a taste whether he likes it or not. I suppose since we all really want him to join us, we can all call him THE Grand Master B…Ugh!

Either way, Chicago gave us plenty of material: one terrible potato soup, one hospital surprise, and a reminder that Soup Club has ruined us for mediocre bowls forever.

11/10/2025 Update: My heart was warmed today being able to serve this latest creation to twelve, yes twelve, soup lovers. That is a new record for Soup Club taste testers, and the crowd did not disappoint. They absolutely loved it, handing me an overall score of 8.8. That is one of the highest averages ever and from our biggest group yet.

Here is how it all shook out:

• Tam: 9.5. “Really good soup. This is a 9.5 for sure, thank you.” Tam always delivers honest, thoughtful reviews, and this one made my day.

• Adam: 8.5. “I’m so early on the judging game, I don’t want to just start handing out tens.” Respectable logic, Adam. Slow and steady with the ratings.

• Nick: 8.6. Pretty good considering his body may have never seen half of these ingredients before. That is a solid score for someone new to the WFPB universe.

• Chris: 8.5. “It was delicious.” I think Chris would make a great Soup Club member. He gets it.

• Aubreigh: 8.5. Lots of smiles today from Aubreigh. She may not be the best in the kitchen, but she knows great food when she tastes it.

• Hunter: 9.5. “I’d give the soup a 9.5. Consistency, seasoning, and flavor were all amazing. Didn’t give it a 10 because I’m not a huge fan of nuts, but even still they added to the soup.” Appreciate the honesty, Hunter. And yes, the nuts were intentional.

• Lucus: 9.0. No extra commentary, just good soup and a good score.

• Marco: 9.0. Two bowls, Marco! I knew those little adjustments would pay off.

• Ashley: 8.3. Lots of thought went into that one, trust me. She almost talked herself up to a 9.

• Felton: 8.5. Classic Felton move. Started with an 8.0, said “not spicy enough,” so I added Melinda’s Ghost Pepper sauce…upgraded to 8.5.

• Conlan: 9.0. You folks do not realize what a 9.0 from this guy means. He is a tough grader.

• Barry, aka THE Grand Master B: 8.9. Now, full disclosure, TGMB does not actually give scores. It is kind of his thing, like how Radiohead refuses to play “Creep.” Too cool for the norm. That is fine though. I have known TGMB since January 25, 1992, and I can read him like a menu. We all know from past experience that he would drive to get a soup that is a 9.0. I asked him if he would drive to get this one, and he really had to think about it before finally saying he would not. That puts it just shy of a 9.0, so I am calling it an 8.9. Thanks, THE Grand Master B. I appreciate it, and I think deep down, you did too.

• Kevin & Andy: No show ☹

Twelve taste testers, an 8.8 average, and one very happy soup maker. I’ll remember this day for the rest of my life! Wow, that's a long blog...sorry!

11/12/2025 Update: Kevin had the sample of this today and lots of satisfied smiles! From Kevin, "Wow...9.5, the butternut is amazing." Then a little bit later, "I probably underrated it, now that I finished it...9.75...Very deserved!" That score, for the record people, launched the overall to an 8.88!