Barrels & Bins
If there’s snow on the ground, you can bet that, come noon when my stomach starts to growl, my mind drifts to Barrels & Bins with thoughts of delectable, delicious soup.
‘I hope it’s Hungarian mushroom day or maybe spinach coconut zucchini?’ While these are two of my favorites served up at the Main Street natural and organic market, I’m yet to meet a warm concoction I don’t love—and I am a soup regular!
On any given winter morning, you’ll find a Barrels & Bins soup connoisseur hard at work behind the Smoothie Counter constructing the day’s creation: chopping veggies, tossing in spices, and mixing to perfection—all while also whipping up mouth-watering and delicious grab-and-go sandwiches or fresh juices and smoothies (served daily, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.). The soup du jour might be one of owner Esther Jacoby’s tried and true recipes or a newly created delight from Pam McCarthy or Daria (just Daria). Beginning October 1 and running through May 1, Barrels & Bins serves soup daily—until they run out! —in their trusty hefty stock pot tucked to the side of the dairy refrigerators.
Grab a mug from the cupboard or a to-go container, or bring your own.
Owners Beau and Esther Jacoby call on their skillful staff to create flavorful batches, keeping in mind attention to flavors and any surplus in veggies—extra potatoes might be the inspiration for a curry potato or creamy potato and leek soup. No matter the recipe, you’re sure to find a hearty, healthy, and flavorful mélange of ingredients that warms your bones and feeds you soul.
With mug in hand, I heap a few la- dles full, grab a 460 Bread dinner roll, and settle into a cozy afternoon lunch at a table looking out at the snowy Main Street sidewalk. Winter beckons soup; it is comfort in a bowl. If someone falls ill, we are quick to whip up a batch— chicken noodle, perhaps. Serving a crowd for the big game? A pot of chili will do the trick.
I associate it with sharing amongst friends, so it’s no wonder soup seems to be such a natural fit for the crew at Barrels & Bins, where welcoming faces are aplenty. Each day during the lunch hour, the busy aisles are filled with familiar faces. I am welcomed with a wave from Beau and a likely chat over lunch; then, it’s back to the office I go. While the lunch is always delicious, the welcoming atmosphere this community market exudes is no doubt the bread slice on the French onion soup.