In the winter, it's very important to get out of the house. When you do drag yourself out, it's important to find a cozy place to relax. I was reminded of this yesterday as I was sitting in Meli-Melo in Greenwich eating carrot-ginger soup. It was gray out, and I was alone, but I was happy. MM's interior is a Provencale yellow, it was warm in by the kitchen, and the soup was-- well, let's just say, it's almost too painful to eat the soup, because eating it means I have to stop eating it, and it hurts to finish a bowl of soup that good and want more.
Capriccio in Stamford, pictured above, also matches the cozy bill: colorful, comfortable, delicious, light, affordable food-- and foreign language in the air.
In Capriccio on Saturday I heard the owner chatting in Italian to an impossibly beautiful couple with three kids. In Meli-Melo in Greenwich, I eavesdropped on a French woman musing for 5 minutes over which soups to get. After discussions with the owner, she eventually got 4 bowls of chicken noodle and 4 of zucchini/squash curry to go. She is returning this afternoon for 8 bowls of the asparagus soup, which they were making in a big pot on the stove right in the middle of the store. You so know I'll be stopping by to get that soup today so I can see what the big deal is.
I should have gotten a second bowl for lunch, but eating alone is a little awkward, and I didn’t want to look like a pig. Later on in the day, I realized I was being silly. If I want soup, I’m getting soup, so I returned and picked up two soups for dinner. The Mexican beef soup wasn’t bad, but the zucchini and squash curry was… like the carrot-ginger soup, way too good. It was real curry.
I'm adding "try all of Meli-Melo's twenty soups" to my list, a list which also includes "eat at every single Stamford restaurant."
Oh- one advantage Capriccio has over Meli-Melo? Capriccio has a FULL BAR. I just noticed that last weekend. I thought they only had beer and wine. I do wish Capriccio had better soups, at least in the winter. The two soups I’ve tried there have been mediocre, so really, go to MM for soup. Meli-Melo is on Greenwich Avenue and is open every day from 10-10. MM also has buckwheat crepes, in both salad/sandwich and dessert format. I recommend a dessert crepe with pumpkin ice cream, nutella, and whipped cream. However, Capriccio's lemon Torta della Nonna still wins out.
