Soup! Soup! Soup! Not to put too fine a point on it, but Back Street is the soup capital of Santa Fe. You may love or hate the breezy, high-ceilinged eatery for its internal organ-colored walls, communal atmosphere and rotating roster of local artists, but you'll go again and again for the sensual soup nookie. There are other options; a whole selection of sandwiches is available in whole or half sizes (to accommodate the need for soup), as well as excellent salads in large and small sizes (so you can have some soup as well). You can even grab a New York-style hot dog, served up proper with spicy mustard and sauerkraut. Still, nothing else really matters once the fresh-made soup hits your lips. A bellyful of bliss comes in many forms-from a rotating slate of classic soups to an ever-evolving collection, dependent on available ingredients, of custom creations. Some Santa Feans are more liable to appreciate the vegan roasted Italian vegetable soup; others will horde huge helpings of sweet pepper bisque with vegetables, cheese and beer. No matter, Back Street serves all comers with equal glee. Soups come in bowls or cups (in case you need a salad or sandwich) and start at $3 for a cup and approach $5 for a steaming bowl of near-spiritual satisfaction.
513 Camino de los Marquez, 982-3500. Lunch only,
Monday-Saturday. $.
SFR Pick:
Any half-cup of soup with a half Italian sub (available in hot or cold versions).
Santa Fe Reporter