That’s the advice of Laurie, our wonderful Queen of Soup.
“Be bold with flavour!”
Don’t be cautious; go for it. Nervous Nellies don’t make great soups. A soup that grabs your attention and makes your palate sigh with delight is made by those who are daring, adventurous, and willing to try something new.
Soup should have some oomph and Laurie’s always do.
And Who Is Laurie?
She is Laurie Gillespie, a native Saint John daughter who spent 25 years in the Big Smoke (aka, Toronto) and came back home. She came to the Deli in 2010, about a year after we opened, and starter on the line.
Over time it became pretty clear, Laurie had a flare for flavour. She evolved into our Soup Lady, sometimes called Zoup Lady.
When asked if she has any favourite items on Urban Deli’s menu, she says she goes on “benders.” Her current fave is the cheddar, bacon, pickle, and onion sandwich. “Love the flavour!”
If you insist on a recommendation, she’ll likely go with the Deli Meatloaf simply because it has been a favourite with customers from the day we opened in 2009.
We asked her what she liked about working in the Uptown and her answer was quick. She likes being in the hub—the heart of the city. It pulses.
And when not at the Deli? The Soup Lady likes to paint, read, hike, swim, and dance. She likes music too: old school disco. The Bee Gees. A dash of Fleetwood Mac.
And About Those Soups
“On a Soup Day, I spend my day cutting vegetables, meat, and various items. And I create.”
Laurie tells us that for her there is really no hard, nailed-down recipe. She begins with whatever she has to work with and then starts adding whatever her soup-making intuition and taste buds tell her works. Then she enhances, taking what she has to another level. Her experience with food, particularly soups (which involves several decades) is her text book. She knows what works.
And her soups rock.
Urban Deli soups (aka, Laurie’s soups) are known worldwide. The Vatican has called asking for our soups. As has the White House. And we are constantly fielding calls from Parliament Hill and the UN. Recently, at a séance conjuring the spirit of William Lyon Mackenzie King, the first words out of the mouth of Canada’s tenth Prime Minister were, “What is today’s soup at Urban Deli? I would really like some. I think Mom would too.”
Okay, so there may be some exaggeration in the above paragraph – some literary license. Still, the truth is our soups kick-ass thanks to Laurie’s soup making skills, which we think are off the chart.
So the next time you visit the Deli and you’re eying the menu trying to decide what you’ll have, be sure to cast an eye at the day’s soup (ask your server). Whether as your lunch or as a side to something you’ve chosen to order, you will not be disappointed.
Be bold. Our soups are. The Soup Lady made them that way.
Laurie at work making soup
