I Must Confess My Love
for the SOUP PLANTATION. (Also endearingly known as Sweet Tomato in NorCAL),
this place makes me feel like a 4 year old kid with an ice cream cone on a sunday afternoon. And whether I’m healthy or sick, I still love how I feel walking out of this place, so satisfied that i fed my body good.
I love this buffet chain, and that’s a mouthful to say. For one, I hate buffets – the idea of them, the management of them, the concept of them usually, because it’s the hording mentality of crossing the financial threshold point whether its good for you or not, that makes me cringe. I know this is a cultural privilege that I never grew up starving, and the only point of reference that I have with hoarding is the fact that if I moved any slower around my family during dinner time whilst growing up, there would be no food left for me to even ponder over. At buffets, it’s funny to watch people consume at a rate that is neither good or bad for them. but boy do they feel it afterwards — HAHAHA, again it all goes back to the poop.
But when I have a choice, I would much rather be hoarding what’s good than what’s known crap, knowing that gluttony is also a vice of mine. I mean evolutionary speaking, don’t people stock up on what’s to get them through the winter anyway? And when you have fresh produce all year round in Cali – It’s like xmas all year round
So I must tip my hat to this business because what they’ve done right is everything I used to hate, or so I thought…And it’s all so cutely packaged. My constant cravings for soup and salad are met with yumminess, more so than any other place. Perhaps it’s knocking down my own elitist interal foodie (YES!) – because what the Soup Plantation is known for is an affordable access to fresh healthy and hearty food in a family friendly, equal environment that just makes you feel so good from the inside out. It’s the good kind of full, and the yummy kind of full, and the easy on my wallet I did good with my money kind of full. It’s the hold your belly I can’t eat anymore but it tastes so damn good that I can’t stop eating but I’m going to explode full. And best part is, after the initial mountainous plate of salad, you’ve already hit your financial threshold point, and thus, everything else like the carbs and the proteins are bonuses PORTIONED properly. Tiny tiny bowls and plates make you very conscious of the fact that you must go back many times to the buffet style hot line, in order to fill up on goodies.
Honey whipped butter, fresh baked corn bread muffins, and fresh fruit. Mmm. When I’m feeling under the weather, the best place to go is a fresh affordable Goodie bar. I believe I once described their chunky chicken noodle soup as close to “liquid home” as I can get outside of my momma’s own kitchen. They even help school groups raise money (how philanthropic while spreading a good healthy message), and now even have catering (another awesome affordable way to have access to good food for larger groups), and their seasonal variety themed festivals like “strawberry week!” or tomato month! (to keep you on your toes!) are just fun ways to spice things up, if you’re a poster child like me.
It’s a win win situation! This place offers me a great option to the wholesome food value driven lifestyle that I have the ability to choose.
I LOVE this place. can you tell? :) New York needs a place like the Soup Plantation. Fo Realsies… I guess I just haven’t found them yet… although they are popping up in tiny boutique restos… Hmm. need to explore further. note to self. ACCESS TO HEALTHY AFFORDABLE FOOD. wait, isn’t that my whole schtick in grad school?! Amen.
isn’t that a pickle.
