The 35th bonanza of bouillabaisse!
It's "yooge," some presidential candidate might say.
Soup Sunday was at the Embassy Suites banquet hall in west Little Rock as recently as two years ago -- that was just too small. Last year 1,500 turned out -- this year it was 1,800, at the Statehouse Convention Center on Jan. 31.
Event organizers don't always know what kind of crowd they'll have. Consider, for $25 (advance) ticket holders can walk among two dozen area restaurant chefs ladling thick soups into serving cups perfect for half a dozen spoonfuls, then on to the next. Some come with bread and rolls, and then, oh, there's a table filled with desserts!
The event's so popular -- and veteran Soup-ers hit the hall at opening bell -- that a couple of chefs were folding up their tables at 5:30 or 6 p.m. They'd done run out of soup!
Ticket sales, sponsorships and auction items helped rack up $137,000 this year for Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, a research and lobbying agency pushing for statewide programs that serve kids and families.
The Big John Miller Band shared a stage with master of ceremonies Craig O'Neill. There were balloons and the limbo for kids. Some folks helped themselves to the complimentary beer and wine, but not many. Nearly everyone with a free hand was holding one of the cup trays upon which soup cups were stacked, or else a spoon.
One of the surprise hits was Cantina Laredo's green poblano soup -- creamy and peppery with real top-of-the-tongue kick. VIP chef Tim Morton (Cache Restaurant) served three different soups in the VIP room, including a savory sweet potato with maple bacon cream.
Three Fold Noodle company did a pork and cabbage soup served with a steamed scallion pinwheel bun, and Ciao Baci offered up a smoked beef brisket minestrone.
Another crowd favorite was the Table 28, um, table, a jaunty palette of "white bean and tripe soup with bacon and arugula pesto," an "Arkansas-picked mushroom and tarragon soup, served with fresh white truffle cream," and "sticky toffee pudding."
-- Photos and story by Bobby Ampezzan
High Profile on 02/07/2016