Sundays Are For Soup

and two dirty martinis at the wine bar.

I drove out to Gateway Farm’s stand in Plymouth last Friday, to gather beets for a community soup event happening at one of our favorite bars in the city. And though the golden hue of some of the most beautiful red and gold beets I had ever seen had faded to the richer red that dominated our family borscht, the sun was out in all her glory for our Sunday service, where a different kind of congregation gathered on the patio steps of Cøllect.

Everyone's heads were raised in worship, like sunflowers, and a slight chill in the air made it the perfect day to enjoy soup — or, if you were one of the brave souls who were able to stack and tuck the to-go containers the right way, then there were ten delicious soups, all family recipes made by a dozen or so of us who touched the food and beverage industry in some way. Ticket sales from the soup were donated directly to Freedom House and in addition to the funds we were able to raise awareness and additional donations for refugees and immigrants living there in these uncertain times.

That was the Soup for the Soul event, and it was beautiful.

The event, hosted by the ever-amazing Shuba Shekar and Frances Barber, is in its first year, but it’s the second food-based project that Shuba has worked on, the first being Kitchen Table — a truly amazing cookbook with recipes provided by so many badass humans who work and exist heavily in the food and beverage space. And it’s not the first time we’ve come together over soup to help out the community.

Soup for the Soul came out of a conversation about a soup dinner and quickly flourished from there. Our first meeting took place at Florian East Lagers & Ales with our trusted soup advisor, Steve Caladiao. We also want to recognize the history of soup for charity in Detroit with Detroit Soup and Steve’s chili cook off at 8 Degrees Plato Detroit. *Read the full post here.

These types of events and the way Detroit takes care of each other, especially in the food and beverage space — I’m sure you've heard me say it a dozen or so times over — are unlike anything I’ve ever seen. In fact, Detroit showed up so hard that everyone sold us out of soup an hour early. Which was seriously a lot of soup to get through, considering we were serving 8oz pours and everyone brought about six to eight quarts of soup apiece.

Dill pickle soup, sopa de fideo, sweet corn chicken soup, potato dill soup, kimchi jjigae, Chinese hot and sour soup, lasagna soup, vegan coconut curry, Italian wedding soup, and my Babcia’s beet borscht. The most incredible part? While my family also has a dill pickle soup, and many others have borscht, we’ve all added our own spin to the soups of our childhood.

My Babcia’s beet borscht is always pink, and to accommodate a variety of dietary restrictions, I replaced the sour cream and flour roux we typically add with a sort of potato salad. Vegan sour cream, tons of dill, and chives — all mixed after a light pan-fry of the already-boiled potatoes. Then, ladle the borscht atop with larger slices of beets, because that’s how Dad always makes it. At our family dinner table, we would fight over who got the most beets in their bowl. The other secret addition? A bit of lemon juice. My acid-blind tongue already has to tap Ian in to make sure I don’t add too much vinegar (and to mandolin the beets so I don’t slice off a thumb), but this slightly brighter addition now comes into play, thanks to a very sweet older lady in Leelanau whose farm we visited off the beaten path. She grew her own herbs, teas, candied ginger she had just grown, apothecary goods, and a rather extensive collection of homemade vinegars. Woodland Herb Farm & Twisted Whiskers, to which I’ll be returning this summer because we used up the last of her lemon dill vinegar — which I’ve been adding to the borscht since our first visit.

But before I go off on a long-winded tangent about seeing my future self tucked away amidst the woods, how Ian had to pop into the shop after sending me in because I was taking far too long, or how he had to push me out the door as I struggled to juggle all the treats I bought from her — let’s jump back to the soup! We all brought varying family recipes representing a culturally diverse array of people and cuisines —a perfect sentiment for raising awareness, donations, and funds for Freedom House.

Shameless plug here that donating to them is a worthy endeavor and if you need to be more convinced, I’m always happy to chat!

The combination of perfect weather, a soup sellout, and raised funds for such a great organization had the majority of us feeling fantastic. But underlying currents of conversation buzzed throughout the space. For those looking to break into the industry, catch up on gossip, or get a pulse on what’s happening beyond the headlines and social media — events like these, where we all gather, are the perfect spot to hang.

Many of us shared the sheer joy of seeing so many people in one space after the tough sales months of January and February, which hit the industry hard every year. Yet, we were gently reminded that these slow times don’t last when the good weather days arrive. We talked about how community events like this one draw people out in droves and reflected on a few other successful events earlier in the week. We gabbed about a Friday Fish Fry Crawl, and to say that five times fast after a few Guinness pints. how some spots brought back nostalgia from our childhoods spent running around the church gymnasium, how Gaelic League won best fish for the second year in a row, how Nancy Whiskey served the best plate and homemade tartar sauce, and how Nemo’s knocked their seasoning out of the park.

Murmurs circulated about recent closures and what we thought might be behind them. We discussed how the food menu at a place we love had changed, and unfortunately, a majority of us agreed it wasn’t for the better. Then came the debate about who would break the news and how we could do so constructively, especially when we’re honestly just grateful to see friends still doing the damn thing. And how a few spots have already let go and 'Applebee’s-ed' their menus.

We discussed the breakdown of numbers and the looming threat of the industry’s demise due to rising costs and tariff concerns. We talked about the trends we’re enjoying, and others we absolutely can’t stand. And don’t even get us started on the outdated steak-and-potatoes vibes and concepts popping up everywhere during a literal climate crisis. We’re also over the vibes and concepts that treat food and beverage as an afterthought. But on a positive note, we’re thrilled about the comeback of beloved dive bars and can’t wait to see more of them.

"We swapped contact info for a farmer who might have what we’re looking for, or could likely accommodate the request. Then came a heated debate about which part of a pretzel is the best (it’s definitely the little legs under the twisty part, no doubt). And did we try the ones from the secret bakery that are bigger than our heads? We also talked about how the lines at some spots have been out the door and down the block for months. Plus, a bit of fluffy gossip about the places really doing things right — with menu pricing and community-building ideas that go beyond the tired, broken record of just filling seats. And wait wait, before we go, have we stopped by that new wine bar for the mortadella sandwich yet?

It’s part of the beauty of being in community with people who genuinely care. Sometimes we get it right, and other times we stumble, missing a step or two, but we always come together when it truly matters. And when all else fails, we make tons of soup and, of course, make our way to the wine bar, where we immediately decide it’s going to become the spot for a two-martini Sunday tradition.

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