Column: As an L.A. newcomer, I adored Souplantation. I’m grieving its closing
LA TimesThe Los Angeles food scene is renowned for its richness and diversity. “Every couple of years somebody has this same great idea of a soup and salad restaurant chain, only nothing very exciting ever comes of it,” a Los Angeles Times writer remarked in 1988 after visiting the Pasadena branch. Last year Los Angeles magazine called the chain “an institution for seniors, immigrants and hipsters” and its customers a “cult” — intended as praise. The magazine called the food “aggressively mediocre” but marveled: “Even as L.A. becomes more widely known as one of the best food cities in the country, 70,000 residents from all walks of life still flock here weekly to gorge on comfort food classics like cornbread, baked potatoes, and chicken noodle soup.” To explain my attraction to Souplantation: I am the opposite of a foodie. The article in Los Angeles magazine mentions embarrassment three times in accounting for Souplantation’s odd popularity.
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