On a rainy day in Florida, where do you go for comfort food? Step right up to the Stone Soup Company in Ybor City. If you stopped by this establishment back in 2010 when it started, it was most likely to slurp up a cup of soup that the place was known for. If you haven’t been there lately, make time: It’s grown from its humble soup purveyor beginnings to now being one of the top eateries in the city, one that serves up goodies as healthy as they are delicious.
Chef Ilya Goldberg’s vision was to turn away from the unnecessarily high-calorie, large-portion offerings of typical restaurants and instead serve healthy meals with air-cooking techniques and fresh, local ingredients. And has he ever succeeded!
If you’re craving soup, there’s plenty to choose from. As well as comfort staples like chicken soup, tomato basil, Three Cheese Broccoli Please and French onion, there’s gazpacho, matzo ball, bacon cheese loaded potato, Pho King Soup-er bowl and a fully loaded smoked sausage Spanish bean soup that’s a full meal on its own. Soups can be ordered by the cup, bowl, and quart, and vegetarian and gluten-free options are available.
If one of your party doesn’t want soup, they can still tag along because the Stone Soup Company offers salads, a burrito bowl, pasta options, an array of delicious empanadas and irresistible bites such as fried dumplings, loaded French fries, and kabobs. Also on the menu are burgers, tongue-in-cheek items like “Ex-Wife on a Diet Pasta,” several flatbreads, gyros and delectable desserts. Now, there’s also a beer and wine menu and if you want to grab a meal to go, Stone Soup sells several of its local craft brews to go as well.
The ambiance is as soothing as the food, with board games and puzzles for families to huddle over as they dine. If all that still doesn’t sell you on this gem of a place, here’s one thing not many other restaurants can claim—eating here helps you feed the homeless. For every cup of soup sold in the restaurant, a cup of soup is donated at the end of the week to homeless shelters. Chef Ilya makes the soup to donate using unused produce from the week. To date, more than 65,000 cups of soup have been donated. Besides, you don’t want to pass up a visit to the place that’s won awards for not only its soup, but it's Cuban sandwich—and any connoisseur knows that that’s no small feat in Tampa!
Stone Soup Company is a perfect destination for soup, a Cuban or an array of salad and pasta options too. It's humble beginnings have brought them to a top eatery in the city, serving up goodies that are healthy and delicious!
If you're looking for more Restaurant ideas, check us out at 813area and stay connected to all things Tampa - we have options for Events, Things to Do, Sports and more! Register, it's free!
Cover photo of Stone Soup Company's Facebook page
