Soup's On! See Whose Bowl Warmed Our Soul

See next week's food at the bottom of this column, comment below and enter to win a $50 gift card to a local restaurant. For more rules and details, see the Chowdown Showdown Giveaway guidelines.

, 11 S. White St., Frankfort

One of our readers suggested we try soup in a breadbowl from Frankfort Meats and Deli so that's what I did. The day I went, the choices were broccoli cheese, tomato, and creamy chicken with orzo. All of them sounded good, but I felt compelled to get the chicken because it seemed wrong to get a vegetable soup at a meat market.

The "creamy" in the name was no joke; the base was very rich and creamy. Orzo, as you probably know, is rice-shaped pasta, and in the time since it had been made to the time I ordered it, the orzo in this soup had gotten pretty huge and mushy. On the plus side, the time had also allowed the soup's flavors to meld well.

The good: Savory soup with big chunks of chicken in a delicous, crusty bread bowl really hit the spot.

The bad: This soup's base was too rich with not enough variety of textures.

, 10128 191st St., Mokena

On the suggestion of a reader, I went to El Cortez for their Caldo Xachiti, which is a chicken soup with salsa verde in a broth base. My server warned me it was spicy, so I asked if a smaller size was available. (There is one size listed in the menu at $5.50; the smaller, unadvertised size as pictured was $4). I was relieved that the soup wasn't nearly as spicy as I was expecting. In addition to shredded chicken and salsa verde, the soup also had a bit of rice and some diced onions. 

The good: This is a simple but flavorful soup, especially after using the lime wedge.

The bad: Someone expecting a spicy soup might be disappointed. Also, some additional vegetables would add color and texture.

, 1490 W Maple St., New Lenox

A reader recommended the lemon rice soup at Williamson's, and on the day I visited, the Cream of Chicken Lemon Drop soup was available. I wasn't sure if this was the soup our reader was thinking of, but in any case it seemed the best choice to keep with the chicken theme of the week. This partially pureed soup has a delicate lemony flavor, small chunks of chicken and (I think) orzo.

The good: A subtlely flavored soup that's creamy without seeming too decadent.

The bad: This smooth-textured soup is not very substantial.

THE WINNER: All three soups were very tasty, but the one that I would want to try again soon is the Cream of Chicken Lemon Drop from Williamson's. It's refined and delicious.

Next week we are tasting macaroni and cheese. What area restaurants have good grown-up mac-n-cheese? Is there a place you've been curious about in Frankfort, Mokena or New Lenox, but want us to be your guinea pig? Commenting below automatically enters you for a chance to win a $50 gift card to a featured restaurant.