Destination, grilled cheese night! Souper Jenny

Welcome to my new blog, fellow foodies!  For those of you that do not already know me, I have a passion for food, especifically baking, and I would love to start my own baking business one day.  For now, I sell treats out of my kitchen to individual clients but I have a love for the culinary arts as a whole.  Dining out is a guilty pleasure of mine.  I am buy no means rolling in dough (non-pastry dough) so dining out is a luxury that I have to be smart about.  I love to find local businesses that do it for the love of the food, not for the love of the profit.  When it's all about making money, the quality of what is put in front of you shows it.  So for my first For Frugal Foodies blog, I wanted to focus on a business that is all about loving what they do.

Souper Jenny is a local staple in Atlanta started by an actress, Jenny Levison,  that wanted to make time for her and her fellow acting staff to have time for rehearsals and auditions so Souper Jenny is only open Monday thru Saturday, 11 am to 5 pm.  They make amazing soups, salads, and sandwiches, all from scratch and all with local ingredients.  It's counter service only, no cell phones, no credit cards, no reservations.  The line is out the door everyday by 11:30 am and totally worth the wait.  They are known for their $12 lunch.  What is the $12 lunch?  Well, I lifted this straight from their page to answer that question for you:

"It’s your choice of any two menu items (soup, salad, sandwich). It comes with a roll, the daily treat (usually a cookie), a piece of whole, fresh fruit and a drink of your choice (Coke products, Lipsey water or unsweetened iced tea). What a deal!"

On Tuesday and Thursday nights, however, they give us a special treat by allowing us to stay until 10 pm for Grilled Cheese Night.  This is not your typical grilled cheese that you would expect from your Mama's kitchen.  Jenny has that, but it's not all she has...  Each night they have a selection of soups, "traditional" grilled cheese and a "specialty" grilled cheese.  I went on Thursday night with my dining companion, Evan, and we both opted for the specialty grilled cheese.

It was a Cordon Blue Grilled Cheese.  It was made on rosemary bread with pesto grilled chicken breast, black forest ham, Swiss cheese,  and Dijon mustard.  Only one can describe it, SPECTACULAR!  The flavor combination complimented each other perfectly and the addition of the pumpkin butternut squash soup was divine.  It also came with a soft pretzel roll, a chocolate chip cookie and a root beer, all for $12.

The night also had a special surprise for us.  Our Libatious Nature was preparing sample cocktails during dinner at Souper Jenny.  Evan and I sampled a cranberry concoction and a coffee cocktail.  I'm not a big drinker but they were both very tasty.  We managed to make it there early before the crowd so it was a relaxing evening without having to wait in the rain for a table.  If we had had any room left after dinner, we would have enjoyed their all you can eat s'mores but I think the grilled cheese and soup had done us in. Each time I have been to Souper Jenny, I have left with a smile on my face and promising myself that I will come back soon.  Whatever she and her crew are doing, they are doing it right.  The friendly staff, the quality of the food, the atmosphere of the dining area, it all works.  Hell, even when people are waiting in line, they aren't grouchy about it.  Everyone is on this journey together.  There is a sense of camaraderie.  It's something about the level of anticipation to get through the door.  Once you're in, you feel like you've won.

Souper Jenny
56 E Andrews Dr NW
Atlanta, GA 30305
404-237-7687
www.souperjennyatl.com