Midtown Lunch

It’s starting to get cold and gross outside and when that happens I go in search of things to eat that are usually off limits during the summer. One of those items is soup because who really craves a piping hot bowl of broth when you’re already sweating? A couple of people have tipped me off to Cafe Doppio on Broad (at Beaver) but I have yet to make it over there. When I perused the menu and saw they had soups like pozole and chicken paprikash I was intrigued because normally the most exotic thing you find is three bean chili.

I went to lunch earlier than I normally do because I was told they run out of the “good” soups by 1 p.m. The day I went the place was by no means packed, but I was also sad to see they didn’t have much for exotic soups that day. According to the menu, they have about 15 varieties daily and also serve the usual sandwiches and make your own salads. You can get a combo of either with soup, although only the sandwich combos fall under the $10 mark. Basically this is the mom and pop version of Hale & Hearty.

My choice of soup was chicken jambalaya, which I ordered in the second largest size for $5.95. All of the soups come with bread you get to pick from the selection by the cash register and an apple or banana that you can grab from baskets sitting out. Did I mention that this place seems not like a lunch destination, but eating at your grandma’s house? It seems like an older couple runs it, and the woman was manning the cash register when I was there asking everyone if they wanted extra bread. All that was missing was “You’re too skinny! Eat! Eat!”

There were plenty of chicken and sausage chunks in the soup, although I could have used a little more rice. It was tasty, although a little bland. If you’re thinking this is going to be anything like a real jambalaya, you will be disappointed. This light lunch (I wish I’d gone for the largest size) kept me filled up until late afternoon, but I didn’t mind too much since I’d eaten this the day before.

The bread was good and way better than what you get at the chain places. Oddly, if you don’t look hard enough you almost miss Cafe Doppio as it’s wedged between a Starbucks and…Hale & Hearty.

I am definitely going back for more soup from here, although I wish they had better sandwich options. The spicy peanut soup is calling my name!

THE + (What somebody who likes this place would say)

• It’s the mom and pop version of Hale & Hearty
• They have enough kinds of soup to guarantee there will be something tasty

THE — (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)

• It’s just another soup, salad and sandwich place.
• The soups are a little on the bland side.
• I’m not paying more than $10 for a soup and salad combo

Cafe Doppio, 55 Broad St. (entrance on Beaver), (212) 785-7595