What a Crock

As the temperature begins to drop, it becomes the perfect time of year to enjoy a cup of soup. I love soups, stews, chowders and I really should eat them more often. It's a great way to try a variety of vegetables and spices and there are so many different ways to mix flavors. It is also the sort of thing you can make ahead of time and eat over the course of a week. A little creativity and planning can give you a cheap, healthy, and filling meal that is perfect for cold weather days.

However, this post isn't about soup I made - it's about soup made by the folks at Crock and Roll. My dad and I stopped in for lunch a couple weeks ago on a cold, windy day when a cup of soup would hit the spot. I wouldn't be surprised if most people in the Roanoke Valley have never heard of Crock and Roll. It's tucked away in a corner in the Towers Shopping Center, making it very easy to miss if you're not looking for it. I have never seen any sort of advertising for them and I think it would be a great type of place to offer a Daily Deal sort of promotion to help with marketing and publicity.

When we went for lunch, there was no one else in the restaurant. They have a few tables where people can sit (which we did), but most of their business was being done through take-out orders. It looked like many people had called ahead with an order and took their food to go. The woman working at the register and serving the soup was extremely friendly and offered us samples of anything we wanted to try. She also seemed to know many of the people coming in - making me think they have a number of regular customers.

Sweet Potato & Sausage Soup

For my sample, I tried the Sweet Potato & Sausage soup. One sip...sold. The soup had a sweet and creamy flavor from the sweet potato and I'm guessing some sort of milk or cream, which made it quite rich. The sausage provided texture and a hearty flavor. It really was delicious. Only problem was that it was served piping HOT. Too hot to eat for the first ten minutes. I even dropped in a couple ice cubes to bring the temperature down below the level of the surface of the sun. The soup was also served with a homemade roll that reminded me or the cheddar bay biscuits from Red Lobster. Breaking the roll into pieces and dropping it into the soup was a good decision and I give myself credit for putting two and two together.

The only thing keeping me from giving a stellar recommendation for Crock and Roll would be the price. For a cup of soup and a roll, the price was around $8. Both of the items were very good, but it still seems steep for the cost. I've heard the owner tries to use local and organic ingredients in all his soups, which is great, but I was still surprised it cost two people $16 for two cups of soup and two rolls. It's very good, but I'd expect to pay around $5-$6 for what we ordered. However, if the good people at Crock and Roll are able to charge that amount and maintain a successful and profitable business, good for them! There are times when a great cup of soup is tough to beat.