French Onion Soup - citysifting.com

I’m a little late on this post, but guess what? January is National Soup Month!

In general, I’m not a huge soup fan. But there are exceptions. These include French onion soup (like the real deal – messy Gruyère cheese melted over the sides of the bowl – preferably in a restaurant in Paris); tomato soup, such as the bisque – soup of the day on Thursdays – at Urbane Café or the tomato-fennel paired with grilled cheese at Urban Solace; and the most amazing, flavorful, runny-nose inducing tortilla soup at Rancho La Lena in Old Town.

After the jump, all the slurpy details.

Rancho La Lena = Best Tortilla Soup Ever

I don’t even like tortilla soup, but this is so incredible, words can’t do it justice. But I’ll try. It’s brothy, clear-your-sinuses spicy, with balls of ooey, gooey cheese on the bottom. Then you add the accoutrements, and it’s heaven: crunchy homemade tortilla strips, fresh cilantro, limes, flamin’ hot sauce, I’m probably forgetting some…and warm homemade tortillas to dip into the deliciousness. This is one of those rare occasions where I think it’s better to call ahead and order it to go. Here’s why: they can be a bit slow on service at the restaurant; they wrap up all the extras in foil and I swear you get more when you order takeout than when you’re seated; and you can sit alone and enjoy it without people staring at your sweaty, red, runny-nosed, smelly face in disgust.