You could do a lot worse than Wow Bao's Dumpling Noodle Soup for a Loop soup. Chicken broth-based with visible fat globules (something you never see with Au Bon Pain's chicken noodle soup), 3 "dumplings" of the potsticker variety, thick, chewy noodles. Add a 1/2 packet of sambal oelek to the soup and you have a restorative soup that will help ward off any oncoming colds (as I have right now).

Wow Bao
(Corner of State & Lake)
1 West Wacker Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60601 • 312.658.0305
http://www.wowbao.com/

I had the Tortilla Soup at Frontera Fresca in Macy's the other day. It was fantastic: smoky with half an avocado sliced into it, lots of cheese (maybe too much but why quibble) and crunchy tortilla strips. For $3.50 it was a screaming deal (for Loop prices) and it was a very large serving. My only caution: you only get about half the amount if you order it to go. So if you are hungry, I strongly suggest taking the time to eat in.

bjt

Chitown B wrote:

earthlydesire wrote:

Soupbox is a pretty long walk from the Loop.

Actually -- no. There's a Soupbox in the Ogilvie Center just west of the Loop.

yeah I was wondering what they meant by it being so far away. it's not technically "in the loop" but it's not far from it.

I think it's because the person who first brought up the Soupbox gave the address as 50 E Chicago, which is a fairly long walk.

Didn't know there was a Soupbox in Ogilvie. I work in the Mart and might make the trek on a non-rainy, thirty to forty degree day.

Udon at Tokyo Lunch Box is great. I like the spicy style with a shrimp tempura thrown in.

Since I asked the question, I thought I should provide an update.
I have slowly trying to hit all the places recommended (and some that were not).
Recommended
I did do the White Chicken Chili on the 7th Floor of Macys. Real good soup. Enjoyed the pretzle roll. Just not quite a whole meal for me. I was hungry and it seemed like a long walk from Jackson and Clark to Macys. I ended up ordering a steak torta from the Bayless place too. Then I was overserved! Good thing it was a decent walk back to the office.

Had a chicken okra soup at the Board of Trade Cafe. Ok. Not quite a meal either but knew that going in. Had the fish sandwich with lettuce with it. Comfort food.

Udon soup at Toyoko Lunch Box was real good and meal sized! I think I had Jerry Special (something like that) where they throw a tempura shrimp on the side.

Additional Soups.
Wonton and Egg soup at 65 Kitchen. Real good and meal sized. Saw this soup in another thread about Peppers closing.

Had a chicken soup at the Marquette Inn on Adams. Ok at best. The Pork Tenderloin special was bad. This place has made my do not eat there again list.
Had soup at Courtways. Real good seemed home made not quite a meal. Had the perch lunch special with it. Perch good, mac and cheese bad.
It looks like I have a few more places to hit. Thanks for all the sugesstions!

all your talk about soup being a meal or not makes me think of Seinfeld,

I'm at Jackson and Wacker, and sometimes I walk to Macy's just for their turkey panini

A hot bowl of Pho along with banh mi are available starting today at:

Saigon Sisters
located in Chicago French Market
131 N. Clinton
http://www.frenchmarketchicago.com/vendor/saigon_sisters

http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/food/1913499,french-market-fresh-120209.article

Nghe wrote:A hot bowl of Pho along with banh mi are available starting today at:

Saigon Sisters
located in Chicago French Market
131 N. Clinton
http://www.frenchmarketchicago.com/vendor/saigon_sisters

http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/food/1913499,french-market-fresh-120209.article

I would caution anyone to call first before going. I happened to stroll by there this AM and there was still a lot of construction/set-up going on.

While I didn't start the initial query, thanks for the recs on the spicy vegetable udon at Tokyo Lunch Box. Had it today and can say that it was very tasty and definitely filling. In addition to the vegetables, they add some of the cruncy tempura pieces (though they do get soggy). I'll definitely go back when I feel the need for some noodle soup.

Chitown B wrote:all your talk about soup being a meal or not makes me think of Seinfeld,

I'm at Jackson and Wacker, and sometimes I walk to Macy's just for their turkey panini

The Seinfeld where the comic gives him a suit and expects a meal in return!
Too funny. Good soup can be a meal but most of the time at a diner just not enough to be a meal by itself.
That Macy's Food court looks like a winner for lunch to me. I have never been up there before this thread. I plan on going there again, so many choices. (The walk was not that bad for me, but it was like "are we there yet" over and over again because I was hungry!) The Bayless' Fronterra torta was real tasty and I now will have to try the turkey panini. Looks like there is another soup to try up there too. I used to rely on Under 55, (55 E Monroe I believe) for my cafeteria-style decent to good food for a reasonable price fix. Macys looks better to me!!!

I love me some Pho so I will have to try the Sister Saigon place. A friend and I went to Cafe Hoag in ChinaTown last week to get a Pho fix. I could do Pho every week and it is definetly a meal! I used to live Saint Paul, MN and there many Pho places in Saint Paul. There is great thread on Hmong in another thread a person should read. (I am not good at linking stuff, still trying to re-learn some of the message board stuff. So just search for Hmong and you should find it.) Thanks again!

nice yeah, the cinnamon bread turkey sandwich at the Frango Cafe is my fave.

Actually, the "homemade" chicken noodle soup served in the weird but calm little enclave of the "Frango Cafe" on the 7th floor of Macy's is very very good and shoot, tastes almost homemade. I would suggest you follow it up with the "World's Smallest Sundae" or is it a banana split? Either way, it's $2.50 which also a deal and just right on the money.

This is a place me and my co-workers go in the dead of winter when we want a quiet, non-rushed scene for a working meeting. Nothing fancy (it is pretty much a soup, sandwich and salad scene) but it is good.

I still prefer the tortilla soup over at Frontera Fresco and am very curious about the gourmet ramen up there too. My husband (who is even more frugal than me) adores it.

Can't wait to check out the French Market and the pho and the crepes and all of it.

bjt

I echo your love for the soups on the 7th floor Macy's! Next time you are up there, I recommend you try the white chicken chili offered at LaBrea Bakery. Frugal lunch lover's delight! It is $5 for a big bowl and pretzel roll.

It is very different from a beef chili; more like a chicken and bean stew. No tomatoes, light brown stock base with cumin, chili powder and roasted poblano flavors. Huge hunks of very tender chicken. It's topped with some crisp tortilla strips and a cilantro cream drizzle. YUM!

When I worked in the loop, I was always fond of the minestrone at Sertano's Deli, approximately at LaSalle and Lake Streets.

Lots of vegetables, nice concentrated broth, not too salty. It was a meal all by itself.

Oh yeah, Sertano's was awesome. But unfortunately it has been closed for quite a while now.

No Pho for a few more weeks, from what I learned yesterday.
I did pick up 4 shrimp spring rolls for $5 which I thought was a better-than-average lunch for loop takeout.
The market is certainly ambitious - also quick Mexican, Korean, Indian, bakery, meat & fish, green grocery, speciality foods. A great addition to my downtown commute ... best of luck to all.
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teatpuller wrote:

Nghe wrote:A hot bowl of Pho along with banh mi are available starting today at:

Saigon Sisters
located in Chicago French Market
131 N. Clinton
http://www.frenchmarketchicago.com/vendor/saigon_sisters

http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/food/1913499,french-market-fresh-120209.article

I would caution anyone to call first before going. I happened to stroll by there this AM and there was still a lot of construction/set-up going on.

Probably the best item I've had at Christkindlmarkt this year is the Goulasch soup (at the corner booth facing Dearborn). For these cold days, it's served blazing hot, and it's got a bit of a bite, too.

Have to ditto the wild mushroom soup at Au Bon Pain. Make sure you get a fresh full batch as the soup is so full of mushrooms it is almost like a runny stew. However I have seen patrons ladle away the broth to dig down for the mushrooms. It is the only soup I get there.

jbw wrote:Probably the best item I've had at Christkindlmarkt this year is the Goulasch soup (at the corner booth facing Dearborn). For these cold days, it's served blazing hot, and it's got a bit of a bite, too.

Took your recommendation. It was very good and blazing hot on this cold day (Friday).
I also did a kilometer hungarian sausage next door. It was good, spicy and bit charred. In comparison the brats at the same stand were selling much faster and appeared to be only browned. I like a little char on my sausage. (Hope that does not sound too weird!)

The Christkindlmarkt does set you back a bit for lunch $5.75 for the goulasch, $6.5 for kilometer, with tip $13 and then wanted some of that hot wine, $20 lunch. Even a little booze makes me unable to be productive for the rest of the day! Oh well it is the holidays.
Also not sure why they call it the kilometer, perhaps the 0.3 meter would be better, since it is closer to size to a foot long.

Elfin wrote:Have to ditto the wild mushroom soup at Au Bon Pain. Make sure you get a fresh full batch as the soup is so full of mushrooms it is almost like a runny stew. However I have seen patrons ladle away the broth to dig down for the mushrooms. It is the only soup I get there.

I like their harvest pumpkin, and their butternut squash.

pairs4life wrote:Hands down, Takashi's Noodles. The Ramen w/ double veggies & double 1000 yr. eggs @ 7th Floor of Macy's from on State Street.

Best Bargain, It's like a gallon size bowl for under 10 bucks.

I went to Takashi's and had the Chicken Soup. I realized I did not like the dolop of seaweed in it. I took it out and its was a good meal!
I did find it strange that this was the first time I realized I do not like seaweed all that much. Maybe in moderation but not a big dolop of it in soup.
It is a meal sized soup for a good price in the loop.
That 7th flr of Macy's has some good lunch places, do go there for lunch if you are in the loop.

There are two soups that I really love at Specialty's:
Cream of chicken with wild rice - creamy, fresh, and substantial (there's also one w/artichokes instead of wild rice)
Tuscan white bean - creamy due to the pureed beans, flavorful, and vegan
Soup always comes with a small freshly baked poppyseed roll. They make 2 soups a day, so if you're there after 1pm, sometimes they run out.

Specialtys
191 N. Wacker Dr.

I rarely get just soup for lunch, but two favorites:

Spicy Beef Udon @ Tokyo Lunch Box
Vegetable Barley @ Hannah's Bretzel

meet up with chef sven at ponte fresco today.
had the chicken tortilla soup
outstanding soup.
thanks sam



225 n michigan ave
chicago,il
312-861-0900

Map

Panther in the Den wrote:Map

Very, Very nice. It will be soup time permanently very soon after last night's frost.

Yes very nice work! The gaping hole centered around Franklin/Monroe is where my office is.

I think the hole around Franklin/Monroe may be filled. In the last two weeks, I've had clam chowder and lentil soups from Pret a Manger at Franklin and Adams. I thought both were very good.

John R wrote:I think the hole around Franklin/Monroe may be filled. In the last two weeks, I've had clam chowder and lentil soups from Pret a Manger at Franklin and Adams. I thought both were very good.

Agreed. I think the soups from Pret are quite good.

Great thread! I am loop soup obsessed!

I'm going to echo the white chicken chili on the macy's 7th floor soup stand. Also, I really enjoy their tomato (it has bacon in it!!) with a grilled cheese sandwich. And, of course, the tortilla soup at frontera fresca is a winner, if you have time to wait in the line (I'll stop going there during the height of Christmas season).

Catch 35, the lunch stand in 35 W wacker (same building as wow bao), also has a really good chili -- instead of ground beef, they use big chunks of meat. One con is that you can only get it in a small size. I wish it came in a "bowl" size.

Also, it's a little bit outside of the loop, but Star of Siam, on 11 E Illinois Street (just east of State), has a delicious Tom Yum (best I've found downtown), which is a great reward for walking over there on a cold day!

I love hot & sour soup, but the only that I've found near my office is 65 Chinese on Madison. Any other places for good hot & sour soup in the western half of the Loop or West Loop (I work near Ogilvie).

Or another soup recommendations in that part of downtown, since many listed here seem to focus on the Eastern part of the Loop. Besides the obvious Soupbox in the Ogilvie food court, Corner Bakery, etc...