Keeping warm though the Chicago winter can be a daunting task. That's probably why January is National Soup Month. Chicago has restaurants that serve a delicious variety of soups that are much more fancy than your mama's chicken noodle.
Sola (3868 N. Lincoln), cooks soups with an Asian twist. The soups change every day, so like Forest Gump, "you never know what you're gonna get." Two of Sola's most famous soups are:
- Carrot miso, with duck confit and chili oil
- Shrimp hot and sour, with shrimp dumplings
Holiday shopping on the Magnificent Mile is a lot more appealing now that you can stop in Le Colonial (937 N. Rush) and warm up with one of their three signature French-Vietnamese soups:
- Pho: a hearty oxtail soup with rice noodles, beef tenderloin slices and aromatic herbs
- Supma Cua: Asparagus and crab meat soup with fresh herbs
- Supg: a chicken soup with fresh baby corn and cilantro
If you're on the West Side, head over to WestEnd (1326 W. Madison), for a bowl of soup so hot it could melt the ice in the United Center. West End is most famous for their bowl of classic chicken tortilla soup with diced grilled chicken breast and topped with crispy tortilla strips, monterey jack cheese and jalapeno slices.
If you're not a fan of soup, fear not, there is an alternative. Brownstone (N. Lincoln), serves Chili Mac, which is half mac and cheese and half chili topped with sour cream, cheese and diced onion.
