Tanya's Soup Kitchen

Rating - 7 Thumbs up out of 7 people
Here is what we chose: Soups - 5 Tomato curry, 1 Fisherman's Stew and 1 Cuban Black Bean and Sandwiches - 2 Cindy the Boy, 2 Grampa Rubie, 1 Milano and 1 Lulu.
First about the soups - There is a good reason this is Tanya's SOUP Kitchen.  Each and every one of the soups was excellent.  Everyone that selected the Tomato curry raved about it.  It comes with a scoop of rice on top and has a bisque base.  This is not a boring tomato soup.  The Fisherman's Stew was full of vegetables, shrimp and white fish.  It was really pretty with a swirl of puree on top.  The Cuban Black Bean had a lot of flavor and a little kick.  The only drawback was the texture.  The beans had been coarsely chopped instead of remaining whole.  It looked like a very meaty chili, but it was all beans.
Now to the sandwiches - Cindy the Boy is a ham, havarti cheese, apple chutney on ciabatta bread.  The ham was not too salty and the ciabatta bread was flavorful and baked perfectly.  We were not quite sure what to expect with the apple chutney because as you probably know fruit chutneys can be hot or sweet.  This is a sweet chutney.  With the natural sweetness of the ham and the creaminess of the cheese, both people that ate this would have preferred just a little heat for contrast.  The Grampa Rubie is a traditional Rueben Sandwich - on toasted black rye.  Both people ordering this sandwich are big fans of Rueben sandwiches and enjoyed this one.  There was less meat than most restaurants which is healthier and more balanced, but guys do like their meat!  The Milano was the star sandwich.  It is roast beef, parmesan cheese, basil mayonnaise and romaine on ciabatta bread.  The basil mayonnaise makes this sandwich excel.  According the person that ordered this sandwich, the mayonnaise tastes handmade and is a great contrast to the meat and cheese.
The Lulu was another hit.  It is edamame & roasted garlic hummus with spinach, roasted peppers, toasted almonds and avocado on wheat toast.  In Wichita, we know our hummus and this hummus did not disappoint.  The overall sandwich flavors blended nicely together.  We all enjoyed our meal but next time we all want to try the Flight of Samples of Soup and the Bread Pudding.

Prices - The Full Sandwich with pasta salad, potato salad or small bowl of soup is $9 or you can get 1/2 sandwich for $7.75.  (Hint - get the full sandwich and save half for lunch the next day)  None of us tried the salads but the little salads run from $3.50 to $7 and big salads from $4.50 to $9.  Soups come in three sizes - little (10 oz), Medium (16oz) and Big (24 oz.).  A Flight of Soup is $5.  Bread Pudding is $6 and other desserts are $5.  Tonight there was also Vegetable Strata, Biscuits and Gravy and a Maya Sandwich on the Special Menu.  Wine is also available.

Hours:  Monday - Thursday 11 - 3, Friday & Saturday 11 - 3 and 5 - 9
Tanya's does not take reservations, but if you get there before 7, you should be fine.  Be prepared to wait at lunch time.  There is no kid's menu but a little bowl of soup was perfect for the 6 year old.  For younger kids, there is a high chair, I didn't see any booster seats.  The atmosphere was really nice.  It is light and airy, just funky enough to be fun without trying too hard.  We could laugh and talk without feeling like we were bothering our neighbors.  We all plan on making a return visit.

Next visit in two weeks - Thai Traditions