Allow to speak for a moment about a local pub right around the corner from my home. I spent an evening at Hopvine shortly after it opened. I immediately dubbed it “Seattle’s Most Boring Bar” and vowed never to return. It seemed too well lit, the clientele too dull, and the atmosphere too, well, BORING.

Years later, I heard that the food was really good, and so I went back to Hopvine for lunch. AND WAS STUNNED. Hopvine has 15th Avenue’s best lunch, in my opinion, with hearty, healthy vegetarian and vegan fare that goes way WAY beyond “pub food.” The seasonal wasabi spring salad is to die for, and the artichoke/gouda sandwich is fantastic. Don’t get me started on the soups: the amazing vichyssois in the summer, the creamy potato leek with lavender in the winter, the miso soup that’s more like a meal.

And now, imagine my delight to see that Hopvine’s chef, Michael Congdon, has released a whole book full of his amazing soups! Michael has an amazing concept of taste…once, when I sat by myself sipping his vichyssois, he came by my table and whispered conspiratorially “the taste will really pop with a little of this hot sauce.” I do not like hot sauce. I lean towards un-spicy food and had never (seriously: NEVER EVER) added hot sauce to anything. But the way Michael suggested it, I figured I’d give it a shot. Just a tiny little dot of hot sauce on the top of the cold, creamy soup. And that tiny dot totally transformed the soup. There were many more dots after that, and I learned to trust Michael’s advice absolutely.

And now there’s this book! The whole first chunk is all about spices and tools, and might seem old hat for experienced chefs, but for culinary dullards like myself, it’s sheer genius. And the soups! Dear god. I cannot wait to try some of these. Bonus: there are recipes for some of Michael’s equally amazing salads and cookies in the back. Including my beloved spring wasabi salad! I AM SO EXCITED.

So kudos to the Hopvine (my favorite restaurant, where I never ever go to drink), and congratulations to Michael. Now everyone: go buy the book. And if you’re in Seattle, go eat some of Michael’s soup. Hopvine is especially great for lunch.

UDPATE: It’s still a great cookbook, but I’ll never eat at Hopvine again.